Lucie Faure-Goyau


Lucie Faure-Goyau was a French traveller and woman of letters.

Life

Lucie-Rose-Séraphine-Élise Faure was the daughter of the president of the Republic Félix Faure, and Berthe Belluot. When her father discovered that she was interested in reading widely in her youth, he would pique her curiosity by claiming that a certain book he wanted her to read would mean nothing to her. This was generally enough for Lucie to avidly search out the book in his vast library in Le Havre and read it repeatedly. Her father later opened a line of credit especially for her at a Parisian bookshop. The owner of the bookshop was so taken aback at the quantity of books she would request by post that he addressed his shipments to Lucie Faure, bookseller at Le Havre. In the pursuit of reading books in their original language, she learnt Latin, Greek, English and Italian. Later, when her father became president, she caused a stir in a reception held for Cardinal Perraud by admitting to the Bishop of Autun that she had read The City of God and Summa Theologica in Latin.
She and her sister Antoinette were friends with Marcel Proust in their youth; there was even talk of Faure-Goyau marrying Proust, but the scandal associated with the death of Felix Faure prevented the wedding from taking place. She married thirty four year old French historian Georges Goyau on 10 November 1903 at the Saint-Honoré d'Eylau church. She founded the Ligue fraternelle des enfants de France with Apolline de Gourlet.

Travel

Faure-Goyau travelled extensively, often in the company of her father. She visited Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, the Holy Land, Greece and Italy, and invariably wrote detailed memoirs of her journeys and experiences. She admired and was a keen observer of art and culture wherever she went.

Writing career

Faure-Goyau published several books under the name of Lucie Félix-Faure Goyau, notably a biography of French writer Eugénie de Guérin. A devout Catholic, several of her books were on religious subjects. She published poetry, reflections on the Catholic faith, travelogues, and social topics. She was also part of the jury for the Prix Femina when it was instituted in 1904.