Parlez-vous français?

Perhaps it is because I love to read that I'm so drawn to books.  And if they're of a

vintage nature, all the more so.  Needless to say, when I discovered these

French beauties at a flea market some time ago,

I was more than a tad thrilled.

They were buried beneath a mound of completely unrelated items, in a tattered

old box—one of several, I was determined to rummage through. 

Being the treasure hunter that I am,

searching through boxes of disorganized clutter—gone unnoticed

by many—is a challenge I heartily welcome.

The pretty lilac-hued covers of these little readers—softened by the most wonderful

timeworn patina—was the first thing to catch my eye.  But the detail

of the vintage graphics was an even bigger draw.

Though every word, from cover to cover, was in French, many of the titles and

 authors were quite familiar to me.

Beauty is beauty, no matter the country of origin, so without hesitation, I decided

these tiny teasures were destined to come home with me.

When it came time to pay the vendor, he informed me that there were more

"little French books" somewhere in his booth. 

Fabulous!!!  That would mean more treasure hunting.   ; )

I was able to locate a total of thirty of the CLASSIQUES LAROUSSE, thirteen of an

entirely different series, and three other miscellaneous French booklets—

all for a song.

Many of these dainty little gems date back to the early 1930s and span

almost thirty years—to the early 60s.

As is true of everything vintage that I own, I've oftened wondered as to their origins. 
What might the person have been like, who collected these jewels
for thirty years? 

Was she someone who thoroughly enjoyed the written word, as I myself do? 
Did she experience the pull of their beauty, even before she read the first word—
as I did? 

Was she fluent in French? 

These are but a few of the many questions I've pondered, as I've carefully perused their

delicate pages. 

The intrigue of their mysterious history has made my decision to part

with these sweet treasures all the more difficult.  But the Yankee and I have committed

to paring down our collections this year,

and so part with them I must.

Why part with these particular lovelies, you might ask?  The answer is quite simple. 

Je ne parle pas français!

Linking to Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,
Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday, Leigh's Thrifty Thursdays,
Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, 
Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink and SJ's Creative Bloggers' Party,
Tammy's Anything Goes.