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There are a lot of US and UK expats living in France, and many have written memoirs. Doing this is easier than ever now with publishing for the Kindle. This trend has been around for a long time, but for me the two big "expat living in ---" books were A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.
I like to go on Amazon and download samples of these, usually self-published, memoirs. Based on the sample I decide whether or not to purchase. Here is my list of the ones for France that I liked, didn't like and rejected from reading the sample. Please add your comments.
I differentiate self-published, or published with a small press, from traditionally published books because the latter are usually better. They had professional editors, proof readers, book designers. It is not always the case that self-published books are worse, but it is frequently the case IMO. On the other hand, a good self-published book can be brilliant.
RECOMMENDED
These books went through traditional publishers.
Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of St James by David Downie. I loved this book. Downie is an American expat living in Paris. He and his wife walk the French part of the Pilgrims walk that ends up in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are many branches of this walk through France - called the St James Way. They start in France and walk to Burgundy, then to the border with Spain. Oddly, the detailed part of the book ends in Burgundy where a health and life crisis make them stop. They finish the walk and he writes about it but briefly. I wish there was more about the second part of the walk, but I loved the book anyway.
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. Even though I am not interested in the dessert recipes I enjoyed reading about life in Paris.
A Castle in the Backyard: The Dream of a House in by Betsy Draine. This was published in 2002. An American couple buy a house in Castelnaud in the Dordogne and for 15 years spend their summers there. An interesting description of what happens as this cute town turns into a major and over-crowded tourist attraction. We visited Castelnaud last year and found their house - and the town was overrun and not really fun to visit.
On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Hermann Loomis. Published in 2002 and I can't remember the details, but I enjoyed reading it. Set in Louviers in Normandy.
My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. A very good book about living in France in the 50s and 60s.
I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany by Mark Greenside (Kindle version available), 2008. See comments in post below.
Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog: Sniffing Out the Perfect Plot in Provence by Jamie Ivey. This is the fourth of a series based on the adventures of Ivey and his wife in Provence. Actually my favorite was Rosé En Marché: Running a Market Stall in Provence, since it had so much about the ins and outs of markets in Provence. You may have trouble finding these in the US. Recommended by @Roz .
Lunch in Paris and Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard. An American marries and French man and settles in Paris (the first book), then have a baby and move to a village in Provence (Cereste, east of Apt). Well written and interesting. Recipes included.
RECOMMENDED SELF-PUBLISHED MEMOIRS ABOUT LIFE IN FRANCE
French Soup by Sam Dent. I loved this book. From my Amazon review: "A British couple with young children quit their jobs and move to rural France to run a gite (vacation rental). The book is written by the woman and reads like a personal diary. Their experience was not easy and she tells the story from her viewpoint. I felt it was an honest and detailed look at the realities of their chosen life, good and bad. ... "
Tout Sweet: Hanging Up my High Heels for a New Life in France by Karen Wheeler. The first book is charming and entertaining, but I hated myself for reading the next two in the series. They are dreadful! A single woman in her mid 30s from London gives up the glamorous life and moves to a village in rural France. Only read it if you promise yourself you will not buy the next two in the series.
A Summer in Gascony: The Other Side of France by Martin Calder. A British student spends a summer working on a farm in Gascony. I read this before we spent a week in Gascony and enjoyed it.
NOT RECOMMENDED
Bon Courage: Rediscovering the Art of Living (in the heart of France) by Ken McAdams. From my Amazon review; "There is a lot to like about this book and I am torn about how to review it. I enjoyed the story of Ken and Bing visiting France for an extended stay and then buying and renovating a village house, but I would have liked to learn more about the area and their life there. The book starts off well, introducing us to the town and the area, telling us about his view of life in France, giving us the details about the purchase of the house, but it turns into a story more about their relationship than about life in France. I guess this is the "rediscovering the art of living" part. It hints at a final event to come about the book he is writing, but this is not resolved, which I found annoying. ... "
Tout Allure and Tout Soul, books 2 and 3 from Karen Wheeler. Really, don't read these! Her interesting first book talking about living in a village turns into a pursuit of romance and sex in book 2 and in book 3 a highly unlikely story of falling in love and then being dumped by a Portuguese construction worker and then - spoiler alert!! - he is in a bad crash and dies slowly and even though they only had a brief affair and it was long over, she is with him in the hospital reliving their time together. I didn't write a review for Amazon but I should have.
Courage and Croissants, Inspiring Joyful Living by Jean P Roux and Suzanne Saxe-Roue. ??? It is on my Kindle but I can't remember it and maybe I didn't read it. Oh wait - I remember it!! This couple tell you in detail how to give up your type A life in the US and move to France and make it work, but part way through they stop explaining how they managed it financially and you realize they sold their multi-million dollar home in California and bought a vineyard in the Languedoc. Then they include a worksheet so you can do the same (assuming you have that house!). Not recommended. One of the reviewers said this but I ignored that review when I should have listened.
REJECTED FROM READING THE SAMPLE
Blossoming in Provence by Kristin Espinasse.
The French House by Nick Alexander.
An Acre of the Dordogne by Ian Burgess.
And several others but I lost track.
What should I read next about living in France?
I like to go on Amazon and download samples of these, usually self-published, memoirs. Based on the sample I decide whether or not to purchase. Here is my list of the ones for France that I liked, didn't like and rejected from reading the sample. Please add your comments.
I differentiate self-published, or published with a small press, from traditionally published books because the latter are usually better. They had professional editors, proof readers, book designers. It is not always the case that self-published books are worse, but it is frequently the case IMO. On the other hand, a good self-published book can be brilliant.
RECOMMENDED
These books went through traditional publishers.
Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of St James by David Downie. I loved this book. Downie is an American expat living in Paris. He and his wife walk the French part of the Pilgrims walk that ends up in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are many branches of this walk through France - called the St James Way. They start in France and walk to Burgundy, then to the border with Spain. Oddly, the detailed part of the book ends in Burgundy where a health and life crisis make them stop. They finish the walk and he writes about it but briefly. I wish there was more about the second part of the walk, but I loved the book anyway.
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. Even though I am not interested in the dessert recipes I enjoyed reading about life in Paris.
A Castle in the Backyard: The Dream of a House in by Betsy Draine. This was published in 2002. An American couple buy a house in Castelnaud in the Dordogne and for 15 years spend their summers there. An interesting description of what happens as this cute town turns into a major and over-crowded tourist attraction. We visited Castelnaud last year and found their house - and the town was overrun and not really fun to visit.
On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Hermann Loomis. Published in 2002 and I can't remember the details, but I enjoyed reading it. Set in Louviers in Normandy.
My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. A very good book about living in France in the 50s and 60s.
I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany by Mark Greenside (Kindle version available), 2008. See comments in post below.
Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog: Sniffing Out the Perfect Plot in Provence by Jamie Ivey. This is the fourth of a series based on the adventures of Ivey and his wife in Provence. Actually my favorite was Rosé En Marché: Running a Market Stall in Provence, since it had so much about the ins and outs of markets in Provence. You may have trouble finding these in the US. Recommended by @Roz .
Lunch in Paris and Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard. An American marries and French man and settles in Paris (the first book), then have a baby and move to a village in Provence (Cereste, east of Apt). Well written and interesting. Recipes included.
RECOMMENDED SELF-PUBLISHED MEMOIRS ABOUT LIFE IN FRANCE
French Soup by Sam Dent. I loved this book. From my Amazon review: "A British couple with young children quit their jobs and move to rural France to run a gite (vacation rental). The book is written by the woman and reads like a personal diary. Their experience was not easy and she tells the story from her viewpoint. I felt it was an honest and detailed look at the realities of their chosen life, good and bad. ... "
Tout Sweet: Hanging Up my High Heels for a New Life in France by Karen Wheeler. The first book is charming and entertaining, but I hated myself for reading the next two in the series. They are dreadful! A single woman in her mid 30s from London gives up the glamorous life and moves to a village in rural France. Only read it if you promise yourself you will not buy the next two in the series.
A Summer in Gascony: The Other Side of France by Martin Calder. A British student spends a summer working on a farm in Gascony. I read this before we spent a week in Gascony and enjoyed it.
NOT RECOMMENDED
Bon Courage: Rediscovering the Art of Living (in the heart of France) by Ken McAdams. From my Amazon review; "There is a lot to like about this book and I am torn about how to review it. I enjoyed the story of Ken and Bing visiting France for an extended stay and then buying and renovating a village house, but I would have liked to learn more about the area and their life there. The book starts off well, introducing us to the town and the area, telling us about his view of life in France, giving us the details about the purchase of the house, but it turns into a story more about their relationship than about life in France. I guess this is the "rediscovering the art of living" part. It hints at a final event to come about the book he is writing, but this is not resolved, which I found annoying. ... "
Tout Allure and Tout Soul, books 2 and 3 from Karen Wheeler. Really, don't read these! Her interesting first book talking about living in a village turns into a pursuit of romance and sex in book 2 and in book 3 a highly unlikely story of falling in love and then being dumped by a Portuguese construction worker and then - spoiler alert!! - he is in a bad crash and dies slowly and even though they only had a brief affair and it was long over, she is with him in the hospital reliving their time together. I didn't write a review for Amazon but I should have.
Courage and Croissants, Inspiring Joyful Living by Jean P Roux and Suzanne Saxe-Roue. ??? It is on my Kindle but I can't remember it and maybe I didn't read it. Oh wait - I remember it!! This couple tell you in detail how to give up your type A life in the US and move to France and make it work, but part way through they stop explaining how they managed it financially and you realize they sold their multi-million dollar home in California and bought a vineyard in the Languedoc. Then they include a worksheet so you can do the same (assuming you have that house!). Not recommended. One of the reviewers said this but I ignored that review when I should have listened.
REJECTED FROM READING THE SAMPLE
Blossoming in Provence by Kristin Espinasse.
The French House by Nick Alexander.
An Acre of the Dordogne by Ian Burgess.
And several others but I lost track.
What should I read next about living in France?
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