Stacks of coffee-stained books overflow the shelves and onto the floor of Tea & Tattered Pages, a secondhand English language bookstore in the 6th arrondissement. Titles blur together, creating a jumbled atmosphere of “where to begin” or “what to read first” until a single poster in the back of the store becomes legible. Unattended children will be sold as slaves. The mood suddenly shifts from overwhelming to lighthearted and intriguing.
Moments later, a gray-haired woman pops up from behind the front desk, wearing a purple sweater with red sleeves and a necklace made out of round, red beads with matching earrings. She lets out a grunt, setting a mound of books that look too heavy for her capacity, onto the ledge. But Hilda Cabanel-Evans, the owner of the bookstore, has carried more strenuous things in her life—escaping from Germany during the Holocaust and running a bookstore on her own, just to name a few.
During the Nazi regime, Hilda, only three months old at the time, was taken by her parents from Germany to Bogotá, Colombia where she spent her teenage years studying at the lycée francais. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the National University of Los Andes, Hilda relocated to the United States. As a graduate student at University of Pittsburgh, Hilda met her husband, another graduate student there and ironically, a French native. After completing her studies, Hilda and her husband switched coasts and settled down in Southern California. As a professor, Hilda bounced around from Pitzer College to Cal State Fullerton to Uinversity of California (Irvine) teaching Philosophy, Humanities, Spanish and French. Finally, Hilda took a job teaching at Rio Hando College in Whittier, California, where she taught for 25 years.
“I wasn’t too happy in the U.S,” said Hilda, without taking a moment to look up from the newly received book she was inspecting. “Sure it may be one of the richest countries in the world, but the level of political discourse was a disgrace…and I always secretly dreamed of moving to Paris.”
In 2000, Hilda finally decided to make her dream a reality. Her ability to speak French, financial stability and desire to live in a city with easy and accessible public transportation made Paris the ideal spot to finally settle down.
“This is the first place in my life I’ve truly felt at home. I was a Jewish kid raised as a German. In Colombia my hair was just too blonde. Then I went to the U.S. and they hate Germans.”
But after moving to Paris, Hilda was struck with one unavoidable question: What to do now? Stumbling upon the bookstore was an “aha!” event, and as Hilda describes it, deciding to buy the store from its original owner in 2002 was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But such a unique opportunity to assimilate into the Parisian lifestyle and establish her own little niche in the heart of Paris, Hilda said, could not be passed up.
Distinguishing itself from other English language bookstores in Paris, such as Shakespeare & Co. across the river from Notre Dame or The Red Wheelbarrow in the 4th arrondissement, Tea & Tattered Pages includes a cozy tea room in the back, decorated with yellow wallpaper, reminiscent of a quiet cottage somewhere in the French countryside. Although pastries, bagels and salads are served, flavored teas are the specialty. From Cranberry or Almond flavors to the more traditional Earl Grey or English Breakfast, the tea room provides a taste for everyone. Fitting perfectly into this homey setting, a fat orange ball of fur purrs and rubs its head along the back of the chair, waiting for a someone else to come scratch her. Since many foreigners miss their pets from home, Hilda explains that her cat receives a lot of attention, adding another layer of comfort to the bookstore.
“Her name is Ming Lung,” explained Hilda, which in Chinese means courageous dragon (although Hilda says she hasn’t even seen her catch a mouse). “If I gave it a French name the English speakers would have trouble and if I gave it an English name, the French speakers would have trouble. So now, we all have problems!”
Although the cat is an attraction, the estimated 16,000 English books at Tea & Tattered Pages are what really draw customers from around the world. “Some customers have become dear friends, while some, I can’t wait for to get out!” she exclaimed.
A friend comes to help out once in a while, but otherwise Hilda is the only employee at the store, seven days a week. Working so often, she has gotten to know nearly everyone who walks through the door, including one-time visitors and regulars. When she does have some free time, she still enjoys “all the touristy things” and of course, getting some much-needed sleep.
“When I get home from work, all I have to do is get in a horizontal position and I’m out!” said Hilda. But with such an exhausting job, it’s almost impossible to fathom how she still has plans for the future.
“I would like to create a French and English lending library,” she explained, noting that the library would include English books on French topics—for example, “Cézanne” but not “Michelangelo.” She points to a wobbly tower of books in the next room. “I’ve been working for years now and I nearly have 2,000 books!”
Although the lack of space and money has hindered Hilda from starting the project, she is content and busy for now in her comfortable setting. In an instant, as if a gun shot had just launched a race, Ming Lung dashes across the floor as Hilda plops another stack of books onto her desk.
Tea & Tattered Pages
24, rue Mayet, 75006 Paris
Mº Duroc/Falguière
www.teaandtatteredpages.com
Mon-Sat (11am-7pm) & Sun (12pm-6pm)
