Renault 5

by Rebecca Calderon, Sarah Radford (Illustrator), Sarah Devincenzi (Illustrator)

Set in a bygone era of the early ‘90s with no mobile phones, email or sat nav, three young, single women decide to leave England and embark on a continental road trip. They save up some cash, buy an old Renault 5 and get on the ferry to France two days before Christmas, much to the amusement and disdain of family and friends. Over the course of the next six months the car becomes their home while they travel to France, Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco and Portugal meeting colourful characters and experiencing good old-fashioned sex, drugs & rock ‘n’ roll… and even true love. Every night the girls chronicle their adventures in diaries along with sketches and cartoons of the places and the people they meet. This autobiographical novella combines those three diaries in an authentic, comical and detailed account of life in a small car.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2016

About the author

Author also writes under Rebecca Faller

Reviews

[Serendipit4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renault 5 is a joyful antidote to the University 'Gap Yaar' phenomenon of the privileged middle class travelling abroad. Here, the three 20 year old women protagonists are products of mediocre comprehensive schooling and uninspiring 6th form college Arts courses. Having failed to be motivated by the late 80's definitions of success with a career in IBM or National Westminster Bank, they decide to travel. Not for these 3 the backpacking stereotype or uni idealism (at that time) of working on a kibbutz. Our three main protagonists Beck, Sark and Flee buy a cheap second hand car and travel through Europe. Escaping the grey, occasionally intimidating environments of Havant and 'squaddie' Emsworth, our three young idealists, along with the book's badly behaved 4th character, the eponymous Renault 5, set forth just before Christmas 1989. Sleeping in the car and living from hand to mouth, this autobiography explores the strong friendship between them as they explore cultural worlds in direct contrast to their home environment. Renault 5 tells the story of 3 intelligent young women as they explore and deal with the realities of food, sleep, cleanliness, and shelter and as the book enters a more interesting phase, relationships outside of friendship. There is a magnificent 'soundtrack' that embellishes Renault 5 as Tom Waits, Edith Piaf, Police, Doors and Rolling Stones, not to mention the inane ('Wiggle it just a little bit') and the profane (never anything by U2!) pepper their travels. Similarly, there are brief references to 'Eastenders' (Dirty Den and Sue) and 'Neighbours' (Mrs Mangle). Alongside current cultural references of that time, Faller is unafraid to occasionally employ Hampshire dialect and refers to, as one example, the 'girt' fountains at Versailles! The book flows with a natural ease and references to the constant need for cigarettes and the occasional joint are understated and part of the overall mosaic. It's a short book that develops at a good pace particularly when our 3 Muskateers end up in Gibraltar and (SPOILER ALERT!) Beck gets married.

[Goran Hauptmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know anything about this author when I was to her recommended by a friend who read the book but I would like to! She sounds like much fun!

The story, which is a true one, is of three English girls - the wonderful narrator Becky and her comrades Sark and Flee - on a wacky road trip twenty years ago. They are friends, they have little money but they have each other, sense of humour and a big zest for life. They all agree to keep diaries but it is Rebecca who has the gift of being a raconteur and who is our narrator and main heroine. Also not to forgot the plucky Renault 5, a character in its own right.

This trip is from England through France and Spain and then to Gibraltar, with a sequel to Portugal. Too much cannot be said which can spoil the story but it is a warm, observational novel which will make you laugh and maybe even a little sad at times.

The author's success lies in how she tells a story, which is not a "big"story, but it is very human and she has a knack for saying the right thing at the right time to make it fascinating and keep you turning the pages as if it were an adventure story. Which in a way it is, as well as being a “buddy” story, a rite of passage, a travelogue, a love story and a reminder how there is good (and bad, but much more good) in every culture even if we don't understand it that well. It is a paean to life on a shoestring.

This book can make a wonderful film one day but for the moment enjoy its punchy, flirty, feisty prose. A joy to read.

[Elaine Constant Baglietto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author makes you feel like you are part of the adventure, that you are somewhat involved with everything that is going on. You can visualise the places they visit as if you were standing there with them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and wanted the book to continue so I'm hoping a sequel will follow soon. Totally my type of humour.

[Jackie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging, entertaining story that had me chuckling throughout, with occasional exclamations of recognition. Rebecca is sharply observant and can create very accurate images of places and people with just a few, well-chosen words. A rollicking good read!