Welcome to Latagnier, Louisiana, where the Spanish moss sways in the warm breeze and Bayou Novelle flows past pirogues and cypress trees. Latagnier, home to the Breaux and Trahan families, is a place where an extra seat is always ready at the table and a good Cajun tale of days gone by is sure to be told once the bowls of gumbo have been cleared away.

The Bayou Nouvelle series begins in the early 1900s with the matriarch, Cleo Trahan, and her marriage to Theo Breaux. From that marriage comes children whose stories are told in various locations across Louisiana and even includes a romance that begins in pre-WWII Hollywood. Contemporary stories featuring Theo and Cleo’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Latanier and Bayou Novelle showcase the bayou’s hold on the Breaux family.

I hope you’ll enjoy your journey through one of my favorite places, South Louisiana. Until then, as the Cajuns say Dieu to beni (God bless you) and je va vous voir plus tard (I’ll see you later)!