"The Aspirations of Jean Servien" by Anatole France Anatole France spent his childhood around his father's bookstore in France. As an adult, he became a librarian and author. This is the story of Jean Servien whose mother tragically dies when he is still a baby. Before her death, she made her husband promise to educate Servien, to make sure he was well-read and had a fighting chance of making a better life for himself. Partially biographical in nature, this was a deeply personal story that put France on the map.