Exploring Three Pines

Come and enjoy. You and all your favourite people are always welcome.

“Three Pines wasn’t on any tourist map, being too far off any main or even secondary road. Like Narnia, it was generally found unexpectedly and with a degree of surprise that such an elderly village should have been hiding in this valley all along. Anyone fortunate enough to find it once usually found their way back.”

― Louise Penny, Still Life

Labelled map of Three Pines

Want to know more about Ruth Zardo’s Poetry?

Lady Mink: A Sort of Requiem
&
God Be In My Head
by Marylyn Plessner
from Vapour Trails
(Click image to enlarge)

“I’m so happy I made, by some miracle, Ruth a poet. Again, contrast. The embittered elderly poet, with such insight into the human heart (sometimes filled with frost), and human condition. Later in the series, as you might know, we find out who hurt her once, ‘so far beyond repair…”

“I wish I could take credit for the poetry, but the fact is, the poetry is mostly from two works…Margaret Atwood’s Morning in the Burned House…and a privately published book by the late Marylyn Plessner.” ― Louise Penny

Louise also credits Leonard Cohen, Stevie Smith, Ralph Hodgson, Mike Freeman, Liz Davidson, Robert Service, and W.H. Auden for poetry quoted in her books.

“For those that are interested in Margaret Atwood’s work in association with her poetry referenced in Louise’s books, I encourage all to read her newly published short story compilation Old Babes in the Woods. She is an amazing writer! I saw some similarities in writing styles with Louise. I listened on audio, and Margaret read several. These stories have a broad range and some may be considered odd. If you don’t like one, just move on. I particularly loved several stories about long-married Tig & Nell, if you need help with aging and loss as many of us do.”
Ruth Lewis

Three Pines Poetry Sources

“Three Pines is a state of mind.

When we choose tolerance over hate. Kindness over cruelty. Goodness over bullying. When we choose to be hopeful, not cynical.

Then we live in Three Pines.”

Louise Penny, Glass Houses

“Some people who wander in clearly have another agenda, but most who find it are lost in some way … It’s a place that has chosen its society wisely. It becomes self-selecting; there is a reason these people are there in this particular village. It’s known grief and sorrow and will again. Yet there’s something redemptive here.

Mostly, I want people to come to this place I love so much, to smell the pines, feel the air and taste the local cuisine.”

Louise Penny, Interview with Margo Pfeiff, L.A. Times, 2019

How can I highlight my favourite quotes?

Three Pines wasn’t on any map…Except these ones

Three Pines Maps

Visit Three Pines and the places that inspired the books. Click on each map to enlarge and download.
Click to enlarge and download. Published with permission from Kelley R, Minotaur Books/St-Martin’s Publishing Group

The World Of Three Pines

“It was great fun working on the Three Pines map. Despite having said that I don’t usually talk to the authors, Louise, myself and the editor chatted on the phone several times about how to get the town just right. Louise is lovely to work with. It seems there had been film adaptation of one of her books (which didn’t quite get it right!), and since then she’s been batting away the idea of having a visual reference for her world. Thankfully, it seems we got it right with the Three Pines map.” Rhys Davies, Cartographer and Illustrator

Note: Rhys Davis drew this map of Gamache’s Paris as well as the well-known Map of Three Pines, located on the first tab above. Want to know more? Your Louise Penny Book Club Friends found this interview with Rhys!

Three Pines Inspirations Map
Click to enlarge and download. Published with permission from Kelley R, Minotaur Books/St-Martin’s Publishing Group

The World Of Three Pines

“Three Pines as a village does not actually exist, but in creating it for the Gamache novels I was inspired by many things from around this part of Quebec. I hope this may helps inspire vou too.” Louise Penny

Click to enlarge and download. Published with permission from Kelley R, Minotaur Books/St-Martin’s Publishing Group

The World Of Three Pines

“Three Pines nexiste pas réellement comme village. Cependant, plusieurs aspects de cette région du Québec ont portés inspiration à la création du village. ‘espère que cette carte vous apportera inspiration aussi.” Louise Penny

Gamache-Paris-Map
Click to enlarge and download. Published with permission from Kelley R, Minotaur Books/St-Martin’s Publishing Group

Gamache in Paris

In All the Devils are Here, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache travels to Paris. These are must visit spots to include in your plans.

Note: Rhys Davis drew this map of Gamache’s Paris as well as the well-known Map of Three Pines, located on the first tab above. Want to know more? Your Louise Penny Book Club Friends found this interview with Rhys!

Three Pines Related Travels

Calling All Three Pines Explorers

Have you travelled to visit locations mentioned in any of the Three Pines books? Share your experience or get some great tips from those who have walked in Gamache’s shoes. Also visit the Louise Penny Book Club group to find other members who can share good travel advise.
Share Your Adventures

“I am wondering how many of you have found yourself exploring things that you encountered in the books? My appreciation of art and my understanding native American experience of has been expanded through further study. When we visited Paris last Spring, we sought out and enjoyed places mentioned in the books. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is on my travel bucket list (it is open to the public only one weekend a year!). This year’s travel will include a two week exploration of the Province of Quebec, including the Charlevoix impact area!”

Peggy Schmidt 

How can I highlight my favourite quotes?

Enjoy Three Pines Without Having To Leave Home

These items have been recommended by Louise Penny Book Club Friends for everyone who wants to visit to enjoy the sights and flavours of Three Pines.

“Can’t imagine what Gamache thinks of us,” said Myrna. “Every time he shows up there’s a body.”

“Every Quebec village has a vocation,” said Clara. “Some make cheese, some wine, some pots. We produce bodies.”

Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling
Louise Penny
“Now, this is facing a slight problem head on. No use pretending that the body count in Three Pines (a village continuously described as idyllic) is in any way normal. Might as well embrace this abnormality, own it, even have some fun with it, then move on. I really hadn’t thought of this when I first started writing the books. As a result, I didn’t want to strain credibility too much, so many of the actual deaths now happen elsewhere. But the investigations are conducted from the village.”

He watched Beauvoir sit up, “How was it?”

“No one died.”

“That’s a bit of an achievement in Three Pines.”

Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling
Louise Penny
“Now, this is facing a slight problem head on. No use pretending that the body count in Three Pines (a village continuously described as idyllic) is in any way normal. Might as well embrace this abnormality, own it, even have some fun with it, then move on. I really hadn’t thought of this when I first started writing the books. As a result, I didn’t want to strain credibility too much, so many of the actual deaths now happen elsewhere. But the investigations are conducted from the village.”

How can I highlight my favourite quotes?

Three Pines Characters

We all know the characters who live and work in Three Pines and after reading the series, these characters have almost become our friends in many ways. In addition to our series regulars there have been so many more characters we have been introduced to. Thanks to our amazing Louise Penny Book Club Friend, Jordan Palesano DuBois, we have a comprehensive list of characters from the books.

Listen to the Pronunciation Guide For Character Names