Le Détour bookshop | Destination Granville Land and Sea

Le Détour and Le Petit Détour

Since 2010, the Le Détour bookshop has been an independent generalist, inviting you to explore its two floors, with a careful selection of books to suit all tastes (literature, comics, children’s books, cookery, travel, etc.).

Since October 2025, a small associated shop, just opposite, has extended this friendly atmosphere. It’s a charming place with a real bohemian identity, creative and inspiring: delicate notebooks, coloured paper, accessories…

Together, these two places form a veritable showcase where reading, writing and creation meet in a gentle and convivial atmosphere. Inside, the scent of ink and paper envelops us. The shelves are overflowing, and each book seems to have a story to tell even before it is opened.

Le Détour has established itself as a local cultural player, faithful to a certain idea of books: accessible, lively, human, thanks to regular author/publisher/reader/signing sessions. It’s a way of extending the experience through the pleasure of words.

The 5 booksellers don’t just sell books: they guide, suggest and share. If you talk to them, you’ll leave with a book that’s unexpected but perfectly suited to your needs.

The Le Détour bookshop is almost a refuge, a place where time slows down and you discover the simple pleasure of leafing through books , chatting and sharing.

Who are these 5 Détour enthusiasts?

Fany

Fany, now a bookseller and Raphaël’s partner, used to be a librarian.

Lively and bubbly, she knows how to draw us in and take us away with her reading.

What drives her above all is “contact with people“, the special bond that develops between the bookshop and the reader.

“It’s about entering into a kind of intimacy, to be able to offer advice that’s as close as possible to what you want, what’s available at the time and the context of each individual.

Her current favourite: “L’empereur de la joie”, by Ocean VUONG, published by Gallimard. The journey of a tandem, the story of the intersecting trajectories of characters in search of identity. She likes it for its contemporary and realistic spirit, with touches of social and psychological drama, all written with great sensitivity.

More than just one book in particular, Fany has nominated Annie Kerouedan as a local author for her account of her personal and professional experiences in Greenland. She tells the story of her life as a French doctor who lived and worked in Greenland for many years.

As for her reading suggestion for a trip to the destination, “Les Déferlantes”, by Claudie GALLAY, came to her spontaneously for its maritime atmosphere. A visual and poignant tale of Andrea’s arrival in a windswept village on the English Channel coast. She encounters the silences and mysteries of the souls who live there.

When Fany isn’t in the bookshop, she finds refuge in the Place Cambernon, in the Haute Ville. Lively, vibrant, colourful… Just like her.

Brunehilde

Brunehilde, also known as Brune, joined the bookshop in 2020.

A graduate in psychology and leatherwork, she cultivates a curiosity that she loves to share and satisfy in others.

Stimulated by emerging themes, she is constantly exploring new reading horizons.

Passionate about puzzles and beautiful objects, she pays particular attention to detail andaesthetics.

Her current favourite: ”Dans la jungle”, by Adeline DIEUDONNÉ. A direct and immersive novel, full of constant psychological tension. Paced and thought-provoking about human relationships.

Beyond the books, it’s the puzzles you can find at Le Petit Détour that transport her into these colourful, poetic worlds.

Her book recommendation for a stay at Destination Granville Terre et Mer is John Steinbeck’s “The Coachwrecked”. A classic for a good time.

When Brune isn’t in the bookshop, she likes to escape to the beach at Hacqueville. It’s a raw, discreet place, almost wild and unspoilt. A calm, isolated atmosphere.

Émilie

Émilie joined the team as soon as Le Petit Détour opened in October 2025.

It was a natural step for her to take on this new role, alongside the Envolée boutique (on Place Cambernon).

She has a passion for stationery, creative objects and crafts, as well as poetic settings – all of which can be found in this new bookshop.

With 10 years’ experience in a media library, Émilie loves above all else human contact, welcoming and sharing. Her pleasure is to pass on her passion for beautiful books, design and objects, all with a delicate touch.

Her current favourite: “Sur tes pentes” by Florence DEBOVE, author and illustrator. A diary of a shepherdess’s life. She recounts her daily life in the mountain pastures, with a personal reflection on people and nature.

Her book recommendation for a local holiday: ”Faune et flore de la baie du Mont Saint Michel” by Mickaël Mary. A visual guide to identifying plants and animals on walks around the Bay of Mont Saint Michel.

Émilie loves strolling through the streets of the Haute Ville, along the ramparts and stopping off at the beach on the Grève du Nord. Her favourite place is her rock.

Sylvain

Sylvain joined Le Détour in 2020, and started out in the book trade in Paris with Raphaël in 2003, after a 7-year break as a wine salesman.

He is passionate about stories and life, with a particular taste for cookery and gastronomy books.

What motivates him as a bookseller is discovery and sharing, attracted by the diversity and richness of literature.

His current favourite: ”La Voie”, by Gabriel TALLENT. A novel about two teenagers living in the American desert, who take up climbing as a metaphor for life and the choices they have to make.

Its recommended local author is Julie WOLKENSTEIN with “Adèle et moi”. A novel about family, memory, secrets and exploring family ties. The journey of an independent woman faced with the constraints of her time. Set mainly in Normandy.

Her literary advice for the trip: ”Les Grandes Marées” by Jim LYNCH. An adventure novel about learning. A teenager discovers a rare creature that turns his life upside down and helps him to grow up in contact with nature and other people.

Raphaël

Raphaël set up this bookshop in 2010 with Fany.

Discreet, intuitive and a good listener, he attaches great importance to every reader he meets.

His mission, and what makes him so passionate about his profession, is to give the right advice, to help people discover authors who are sometimes little-known, and always to find thebook that will appeal to everyone.

His current favourite: “Bien-être” by Nathan Hill. A great social and intimate fresco that combines social satire, a love story and the meaning of modern life.

He recommends local author Julie WOLKENSTEIN, and recommends Tom NEALE’s “Robinson of the South Seas” for a trip to the destination. This is an autobiographical story. Tom NEALE tells the story of life alone on a desert island in the South Pacific. His story shows the loneliness and challenges of life far from civilisation.

Raphaël likes to recharge his batteries on the beach at Donville-les-Bains for its calm and friendly atmosphere, which stretches for several kilometres.

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