My Good Life in France

The Good Life France #1

by Janine Marsh

One grey dismal day, Janine Marsh was on a trip to northern France to pick up some cheap wine. She returned to England a few hours later having put in an offer on a rundown old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. This was not something she’d expected or planned for. Janine eventually gave up her job in London to move with her husband to live the good life in France. Or so she hoped. While getting to grips with the locals and la vie Française, and renovating her dilapidated new house, a building lacking the comforts of mains drainage, heating, or proper rooms, and with little money and less of a clue, she started to realize there was lot more to her new home than she could ever have imagined. These are the true tales of Janine’s rollercoaster ride through a different culture—one that, to a Brit from the city, was in turns surprising, charming, and not the least bit baffling.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, France, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Autobiography

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2017

About the author

Janine Marsh is an ex Londoner who gave up life in the city for love and the good life in France. She is known as “flop chef not top chef” to her French friends (Madame Merde behind her back – and that’s a long story that’s in her book My Good Life in France!).

She lives in France with 3 dogs, 6 cats, 4 geese, 28 ducks and 18 chickens who all have names and think she is the maid. She writes in a converted pigsty in her run-down farmhouse in the middle of nowhere rural France when she’s not travelling around France and writing about her discoveries for her blog or newspapers and magazines.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of us here in the UK, used to seeing Dick and Angel Strawbridge on our screens, in the popular Escape to the Château television series, this book is going to come as a bit of a shock. The property bought By Janine Marsh and her husband did not in any way fit into the romantic châteaux diet that we Brits have been fed on. Rather it came worryingly close to being the house from hell, not much aesthetically, and my goodness what a massive challenge in terms of DIY requirements. For the first year or so they just shut themselves off from the upper floor of the house, and did their cooking outside in the garden on the barbecue, hopping over from England and visiting the house on odd weekends... Bravely and rather rashly - they finally decided to fully commit, moving to France, and tackling the challenges of house restoration full time.

This book is also different from a lot of other ex-Brits in France stories, because the house is up in the north of France. The skies are grey and sullen rather than Mediterranean blue and it rains quite a lot. It is nevertheless a fascinating and beautiful part of the country. The people are friendly and the surrounding towns and villages have great character, plus all sorts of unique traditions. Marsh is also an amusing and generous writer, and describes the eccentricities she encounters with great humour. She shows clearly the charms of this part of the world, and shares the pleasures of their largely rural life. It's a part of France we don't often hear about, so that is an added bonus.

For me this was a good bedtime read, just what I needed to unwind at the end of the day.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free for Audible-Plus members in the US and UK!!!!!!!!

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Who is this book best for? Those interested in buying property in northern France, either for fulltime residence or as a pied-á-terre. My husband I lived in Brittany, but I’m now stuck with the job of closing down legal and financial ties there. I look back with fondness at the many years spent living there, but a word of warning is not out of place. French bureaucracy is not to be taken lightly. Rules, rules and more rules and none can be bent a millimeter!

The author’s information is correct. She discusses the ways of rural French life—the small things that are useful to know. For example, on greeting one kisses rather than hugs, one should arrive at a gathering at least fifteen minutes after the designated arrival time, the attention given to the culinary arts, the sanctity of daily fresh bread, the willingness of village doctors to quickly, i. e. within an hour or two, to deal with medical problems, French pride in their land, language, literature and ways of doing things are all pointed out, along with many other interesting tidbits. An expatriate is living in a foreign land, and it is they who must bend, not the other way around. If anyone is to be flexible, it must be us, the expatriates!

I cannot say I felt a close connection with the author. She is clearly more social than I am. She grew to love animals, but she didn’t at the start. She loved having a website and enjoyed looking at popularity statistics. I admit, I too once had a blog, but became disenchanted and quit.

Overall, I would stress that kindness and consideration for others goes a long way anywhere and everywhere. Even if you do things that don’t fit the pattern, you’ll get along fine. The people bend but not the laws and rules of the country. These are two different things!

Esther Wane reads the audiobook. Her French is acceptable, but her pronunciation of places is off. I had to really guess to figure out the cities, villages and geographical spots she was talking about. Her narration I have given three stars. It could have been a lot worse. It’s too bad that a pdf file with maps doesn’t accompany the audiobook.

Reading this book, I did frequently nod and smile in recognition of what the author points out. This is a good book, but it’s not really for me.

******************

1.My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream 3 stars
2.My Four Seasons in France: A Year Of The Good Life TBR

[Liza Perrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might not be brave enough to renovate a run-down barn in rural France, but as an ex-pat living in a French village, I can totally relate to Janine Marsh’s book, My Good Life in France.

The author’s new life in France started out quite differently to most ex-pats though: whilst on one of her regular day trips to pick up cheap wine in northern France, she purchased an old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. It seems no one was more surprised at this purchase than the author herself.

Her French adventure began as weekend trips to renovate her new home which lacked mains drainage, heating, proper rooms, and had not the slightest of comforts. It turned into a life-time project requiring far more time, money and energy than she could ever have imagined.

Several years ago, Janine eventually gave up her top corporate banking job in London to move with her husband to their still quite run-down French barn. In My Good Life in France, she narrates the true story of negotiating the local inhabitants, French bureaucracy, tradesmen, culture and etiquette. No easy feat for a born and bred British girl from the city!

I loved reading about all of her adventures: the good, the bad, the ugly. And the incredible, one of which resulted in the neighbours nicknaming her “Madame Merde”. I’ll let you read the story for yourself to find out why!

The author’s joy, frustration, enthusiasm and curiosity for her new homeland shines through as she recounts her experiences with humour, from administrative struggles to homesickness and personal tragedy, to her love for chickens and stray animals. And, finally, love for her life in France.

Towards the end of the book, Janine includes a lot of useful information for adapting to the French lifestyle and negotiating French rules –– both written and unwritten!

Highly recommended for Francophiles and anyone thinking of impulse-buying a run-down property in a region where it rains all the time.

[Maria V. Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my book club's picks. It was interesting. It's a memoir about a woman buying a house in France and moving from an urban to rural setting. I had a hard time empathizing with her. When she describes this house, it's a nightmare. It should be bulldozed and just rebuilt. So when she complains about how cold it is during the winter, I'm just...well, you bought the house so suck it up buttercup. I did like that her and husband adopted/rescued a bunch of cats and dogs. And it was fun learning the differences in cultures between British and French.

[Khrystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There isn't much that will beat a freshly baked baguette from the boulangerie, a hunk of cheese from the fromagerie, some fresh tomatoes from the marché and a cake from the pâtisserie."

Utterly delightful book about a couple which moved from London to live their rural life in the Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais in France. Each chapter is beautifully written and I scribbled a lot on the pages (btw, it's called marginalia https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/marg...).

I laughed out loud (Chapter 9: Madame Merde and Chapter Chapter 16: Animal Magic) and cried a little bit (Chapter 13: In which life will never be the same again).

[Laurel]

I've been following Janine Marsh's "The Good Life France" on social media for several years now, so it was fun to hear her backstory and live vicariously through her for a few hours. A light and humorous read/listen.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this most interesting story about a couple from England who moved to France. They chose a small little village to redo an old farmhouse. This was a perfect cozy autobiography to curl up with at night.

[Patricia Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been eagerly awaiting the publication of Janine Marsh's memoir, My Good Life in France, and was honoured to receive an ARC for an honest review. It's no surprise that this book is everything readers hope it will be. With her sharp insight after many years as an ex-pat in France and her engaging sense of humour, Marsh takes us on the bumpy road of highs and lows restoring a "truly awful" (her words) property in the north of France that captured her heart.

Through the author's eyes and experiences we discover the (relatively unknown to tourists) Seven Valleys area in the Pas-de-Calais, which is now on my "must visit" list. Easily drawn into Marsh's entertaining narrative by her sharp observations and warm-hearted nature, we get to know her neighbours, the local traditions and her growing family of dogs, cats, and assorted feathered friends.

Thank goodness for an understanding husband who is also an enterprising craftsman. There are challenges that would deter most from staying the course. Yet not only do the Marshes survive, but a brilliant new career path is born.

This book is a delightful read that I highly recommend.

[E.J. Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I openly admit to loving books about expats setting up home in France. It's not that this memoir presents a smooth, breezy ride through relocation and renovation, it's more that the honest and at times raw recounting of the whole process left me breathless. Imagine dirt floors, freezing winters and a badly behaved septic tank and you get some idea of the horrors the old barn presented to its new owners. The author's bleak battle with the elements, a rather smelly sheep and a fickle electricity supply is delightfully counterbalanced with impressions of French life, customs, neighbours, food and of course wine. Perfect.

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I wish I could be neighbors with the author! Her ability to vividly describe the scenes and people of her little French village is wonderful. A very fun, charming, quick read. Not at all preachy or snarky like some expat written books. I had a hard time putting it down, and am missing it already! What higher praise could there be than that!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this is what I want to read. I want something light yet intelligent, not gooey but meaningful, and loaded with local-color, and this book had my interest with that. It is a Peter Mayle sort of reddux, but no one can equal his ironic humor as he not only shows us his Luberon neighbors' quirks, but also pokes fun at himself. Marsh does some of that, and she takes the reader with her adventure to resettle in France from her busy work life in London, a rather popular theme among those ex-pats in France and Italy and other places. We went shopping with her at markets, visited new friends, attended outdoor celebrations, dealt with other neighbors' animals, and met the local officials. She has a wonderful blog that I am getting into now. I do love Normandie and Bretagne, but I know little about the 7 Valleys of which she speaks. I have spent time in and near Deauville and Coburgh, but not exactly the beach area she eventually detailed. I love all her neighbors and her adventures with them. I do find the people in those areas to be amazingly helpful and not the same hostile kind of whom others speak. Once, we had a backpack stolen in the Loire Valley; stupidly, we had left our passports in it. We contacted the gendarmes, they made note of our itinerary, and a week later, on a late Friday afternoon, we arrived in a quaint village where we had reserved four nights to see Mt. St. Michelle again (maybe for the fourth or fifth time) -- we were hungry for omelets. There was a note on the door of the inn, and it said in English, "Mr. and Mrs. _____, we are waiting for you." It seems the post office was holding a package for us, the innkeeper was on lookout, and we had to wait until Monday when the post office was opened. A few people, approached us when we were having coffee or breakfast at the inn, shook our hands (something especially the young French do now instead of the cheek-kissing), and asked if we got our possessions back. It was good and bad: We had already renewed our passports at the American consulate on Friday morning; had we waited a few hours, we would have been fine because all was returned to us except a money clip which held American dollars. Each day we set out we would receive reminders to take care and on return we were always greeted with the same sort of wishes. I do not like taking the ferry boats that the Brits frequent -- they seem slow-moving and make me anxious, and I have taken them from Portsmouth, Folkestone, and Dover. I want to get there, so I would rather not even take the Chunnel, I don't think, but it is popular.
We loved those new passports for several years; what a conversation piece to have those new photos (what a hassle that was to get them taken in Paris!) and the city of issuance: Paris, France. There was an addendum which explained they were replacements due to thievery. How exciting!

Vive la France!!!

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was lovely to read about places in Pas-de-Calais which I know so intimately, and have visited many times over the years. Marsh captures the wonderful eccentricities of the people of this region, and on the whole I did really enjoy this.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read. The author describes her purchase of a derelict house in the French countryside while living in Britain and her transition into eventually moving there and fixing it up. She gives us a peek into the lifestyle of the people living in these small villages and how she learned to adapt. There were lots of fun and entertaining moments. . . a great summer read.

[Susan Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do people really buy a house in another country on impulse, or is it just something TV shows fool you into believing? Well, the author Janine Marsh certainly did just that on a wet and windy February cross channel day out with her husband Mark, and Dad. Timing can be everything in France, and if you miss that all important long lunch time they have, then anything can happen!

Thus began their adventure as the townies Janine and Mark threw caution to the wind, and jumped in with both feet, buying and renovating a run-down French farmhouse. So what made these sensible people with their feet firmly on career paths do such a rash thing? Well, quite simply it was the love of France and everything (well almost) French.

Throughout this enthralling book you will, like me, fall in love with the North of France, the Seven Valleys region, its coastline, seaside and country villages, the gastronomy, its people and so much more. This book isn’t just a wonderful way to enjoy experiencing someone else’s life in another country, or your adopted country if you, like me are an English expat, it is a way to get a real feel for what living in France is really like – warts and all.

For me it was interesting to read how one of my favourite online magazines came to be The Good Life France, and I can imagine it will be an inspiration to those out there who want to do what Janine did, turn her back on a very successful career, only to develop another one in totally different surroundings, living the good life in France.

It is amazing also to read about the transformations in a person when they live in another country as well, without really noticing it many of us (I hold my hands up to this) manage to acquire many more pets and livestock than we would ever have imagined in the UK, somehow it just doesn’t seem so difficult. We learn new skills and evolve in ways we could never have dreamt possible, simply because anything seems possible, we feel free.

For me, every page of this captivating book held something different to learn about, food, history, renovation, quirky sayings, and not least the enormous differences between our two cultures, even though we are only separated by the English Channel. In it I also found the answer to one of those things which always puzzles me in autumn, namely, why the French always pick mushrooms using wicker baskets, and this, as usual, is obvious when you know the answer.

So whether you are considering moving to France, wonder if people really do buy ruins in the middle of France and do them up, want to leave everything behind and start anew, are fancying going on holiday to the North of France, or you are just looking for a totally riveting read, I can highly recommend this book.

[Keith Sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a cold, wet day about ten years ago, Londoner Janine Marsh went with her husband and father on a day trip to France. They didn’t have big plans – it was just a quick jaunt to have lunch and buy some wine.

But sometimes life has other plans, and she ended up not only buying wine but also…a house. How that happened is the beginning of Marsh’s charming and funny memoir.

Nestled in a tiny town in France’s Seven Valleys area, near Calais, the house was a bit of a fixer-upper. No, it was more than that – it was a total wreck. And as you can imagine. everything went wrong, including an overflowing septic tank that earned Marsh the nickname Madame Merde. As she says, you have to be “a bit mad” to buy a house like this.

For the next few years, Marsh and her husband visited the house on weekends, beginning the monumental task of making it livable. But this split life proved unsatisfactory and eventually the big question had to be faced: do we move to France? Marsh, who had worked for years to rise from secretary to bank vice president - with another promotion imminent - agonized over the decision.

The couple decided to seize the day, and off to France they went. The more they repaired the house, the more they discovered problems, but their energy and optimism eventually carried them through.

Not only do they build a comfortable home, they build a wonderful new life for themselves in France. Marsh does a brilliant job of sharing with us what makes life in the Seven Valleys so charming. This isn’t Paris or Provence, but la France profonde, an area that tourists seldom visit.

We learn how neighbors help one another, like the time the Marshes nearly ran out of firewood in the middle of winter. With disaster looming, a neighbor showed up with his tractor, carrying several tons of firewood – and no payment expected.

We learn about the nearby town that is normally silent as a tomb, but that comes to life when Madame Magniez decides to bake some of her famous bread to sell. People see smoke coming out of her chimney, word spreads, and soon there is a traffic jam in the tiny downtown.

Marsh shares with us the local legends and the local celebrations. She describes the ins and outs of the French bureaucracy, French driving customs, and the proper way to kiss a person in greeting. And she tells us about the food, one of the glories of France.

My favorite line in the book is when Marsh writes about the huge meals to celebrate Christmas and New Years. As she says, “At this time of year in France, you can quite easily eat yourself to a standstill.”

If you’ve ever dreamed of discovering “the real France,” you won’t want to miss this delightful book.

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, cozy, generally pretty light travelogue of sorts (memoir?) about a woman and her husband’s decision to leave their jobs, sell their home in central London, UK and buy a dilapidated farmhouse in rural, northern France to live in. They went from living in London, a very much urban life in one of the largest, most cosmopolitan cities in the world, to living in the very rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais, the nearest village to their farmhouse having a population of 142 people, a place where only people born in and around the village weren’t considered visitors basically, no matter how long you lived there.

Author Janine Marsh and her husband Mark have quite the culture shocks, not just from moving from the UK to France, but from moving from a very urban lifestyle to a very rural one. Much of the book is humorous, detailing their learning the ins and outs of life in France, with dealing with French bureaucracy, French views on standing in lines or kissing versus hugging or on social etiquette in visiting people’s homes, and the ins and outs of rural life, from fixing up a very old farmhouse in poor shape to dealing with a septic system to growing a garden to managing their ever increasing menagerie on the property, including ducks, chickens, cats, dogs, and one sheep.

Though there is a family tragedy detailed in the book, for the most part the book has a light, humorous tone as the author with a bemused air described the colorful characters in life (human and animal) and the strange things she had to come to get used to, whether it is the French love of making speeches or just how cold northern France can get in winter or the local love of mushroom gathering.

It felt like the first two thirds detailed getting the farmhouse, fixing it up, acquiring their many animals, and coming to know their neighbors and making new friends, and the last third was the author’s views on things peculiarly French. The very last section detailed a lot of things expats moving to France should know about French law and French customs and culture that will help them. I did like how the author didn’t overly romanticize the area, as while beautiful, it could be quite isolated, often had gray, overcast skies especially in fall and winter, and definitely got very cold in the winter; it definitely isn’t sunny, warm Provence.

[Veronica Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many of us have dreamed about having a second home in another country to escape the hustle and bustle of urban reality and enjoy the sweet life in a country setting? Could you do it, would you? Author Janine Marsh shares her charming journey to the good life dream--including the bon and not-so-bon things to consider!

A trip to the French countryside changes everything for Janine and her husband, Mark when they buy a home that needs 'a bit' of fixing up. You'll smile and chuckle as they meet their new neighbors and adjust to the rural way of life in a new country--a far cry from their city life in London. The foods, home renovations, gardens, and a menagerie of new pets make their move enchanting, humbling and hilarious at times.

I truly enjoyed Author Marsh's down to earth descriptions of the adventures and realities of her new lifestyle. Not everything is greener on the other side, but ooh-la-la, it does sound magnifique! A heartwarming, inspiring read---highly recommended!

[Elly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was a memoir when I picked it up until I read the rather painful first chapter (where it was very 'and this happened and then that happened and then this happened').

Some parts where explained in extreme detail (her relationship with her partner, the differences in being French and English) but the things I was interested in had been very much glossed over (like the whole house renovation? She shared in detail how run down it was, and talked vaguely about how they were working hard on it, but no actual details on the house renovation itself... I suspect it's because at the end of the book she mentions she had a blog that was/is popular that I guess chronicled that. But I don't want to read her blog after reading the book).

In the end it felt like an unsatisfying read with a bit of a preachy 'things I learnt' list at the end. Very blah.

[BJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this little trip to France. Book about an English couple who on a "wine run" to France find a dilapidated farmhouse that they cannot resist buying and begin to fix it up on weekends and eventually move there full time. Almost always enjoy this type of book. Read it as part of the 2018 Pop Sugar reading challenge #7: A book set in a country that fascinates you. Enjoyable read.

[John Bohnert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way Janine writes. I enjoyed my brief visit to northern France.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about rural life in France through the experience of a Brit. Fascinating read.

[Jacqueline Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* not necessarily for the writing even though I thoroughly enjoy it. For me the whole concept of moving to another country fascinates me.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read and an interesting, personable insight into life in rural France.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It probably can’t be said enough but I am a sucker for countryside-themed stuff (I actually enjoyed Escape to the Country and was disappointed when it was taken off Netflix). So when I saw the subtitle “In Pursuit of the Rural Dream”, I thought this would be the perfect read as I’m cooped up at home.

My Good Life in France is the story of how Janine went to France for a day trip and came back to England determined to buy a house. After shuttling back and forth between England and rural France, Janine and her husband Mark decide to make the move to live in France full time and dedicate their time to restoring the run-down house that they bought.

As expected, I enjoyed reading this! It’s a light read about the various adventures that Janine and Mark have in France, from being nicknamed Madame Merde to having to try escargot cake to how she adopted all her animals. Janine has a very readable style and reading this felt as though I was catching up with a friend’s about what had been going on in their life.

One thing I appreciated is that Janine is honest about the fact that while she loves her neighbours and her life in France, she is still a “Townie” at heart. It’s a feeling that I can relate to – no matter how much you love a country and its people, there’s only so far you can assimilate because you did not grow up there. Of course, when you move home you get the same feeling in reverse but that is the topic for another book.

Overall, this was a fun memoir and it helped me satisfy the need to go somewhere else while staying home the whole day. I don’t think you need to be a Francophile to enjoy this – if you like memoirs on moving and cultural clashes, I think you would enjoy this!

This review was first posted at Eustea Reads

[AngelaC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very quick, easy read, well enough written but not a book I shall remember for years.
It gives a small insight into life in rural France - totally different to life in the towns and cities. Country people in France, as in other countries, tend to be kinder and more helpful, often with a truculent sense of humour.
The book could perhaps have done with more extensive descriptions of the neighbouring towns and villages in this north-east corner of France, within an easy drive of Calais and the cross-Channel ferries or Eurotunnel. I felt it could have had a little more meat on its bones.
That said, it is what the title says - one person's experience of adapting to life in a foreign country and attempting to become more self-sufficient.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an English woman’s memoir of how she moved to rural northern France - bottom line: moving to a new country ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. She begins to enjoy “The Good Life” in France as she gets to know people in her community and adjusts to the culture.
Reminded me of “A Year In Provence” by Peter Mayle.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by Marsh, and I feel like I should have started with this one. It seemed a bit repetitive of the other boom, but was still highly amusing to read the problems of an expat in France. Marsh has a lovely humorous style of writing that I would compare to Bill Bryson and it's comfort armchair traveling.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Book #1:
My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream,
4 stars

Book #2:
My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life,
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars)

Book #3:
Toujours la France!: Living the Dream in Rural France,
3.5 stars

[Dian Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read. The author takes the time to give practical tips in case you have the urge to run to rural France and live there.