Cédric Herrou lived a quiet life as an olive farmer on the border between France and Italy until he began to offer shelter for hundreds of migrants struggling to cross into France. But when the French state took him to court for his actions, it would take Cédric and a small community of volunteers to convince a nation that freedom should know no borders. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://bit.ly/3r3ddMb.

When Oliver Cousin's grandparents passed away, he promised to honor the winemaking traditions they had passed down to him. But when the French state got involved with his product, he decided to fight to the end for his natural wine. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://bit.ly/3KOuYa4.

Elodie Lauret's journey from the island of La Réunion to mainland France and her reflections on leaving home, exploring new cities, and embracing her island culture while pursuing a French master's degree in creative writing.

For a long time, Paris was the only place Alexia Sena considered home. But when Alexia began to wonder how she would pass down her Cameroonian heritage to her mixed-race daughter born in France, she decided to move back to Cameroon with her family in search of the identity she thought she lost. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://bit.ly/3G2NWGo.

Mahmoud M’Seddi was born to bake. When M’Seddi was surprised to come in 7th place in the Grand Prix contest for Best Baguette in Paris in 2017, he knew that the next time, he had a chance to win. He would prove to his parents and an entire nation that he was meant to do this for the rest of his life. Study materials and a transcript of this episode are available at https://bit.ly/3qZn9Gx.

Deepen your language skills and knowledge of the French-speaking world through fascinating true stories in easy-to-follow French, with added English for context. From Duolingo, the world's #1 way to learn a language. Hosted by Ngofeen Mputubwele.