Georgette: Writing and Mothering in an Old French Cottage

by Kirsten Penner Krymusa

When Kirsten Penner Krymusa and her young family decide to spend the summer in a centuries-old cottage in a rural corner of France, she envisions endless hours of wine by candlelight, walks to the village baker, and maybe a finished manuscript of her novel. Instead, she discovers that a summer in a foreign country with two preschoolers, a pregnant belly, and a mediocre novel is a lot more challenging—and entertaining—than she’d dreamed. Georgette: Writing and Mothering in an Old French Cottage is an honest account of one mother’s joys and struggles, full of laugh out loud moments, gratitude, and a fresh, unexpected look at daily life.

Genres: Nonfiction

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2018

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite character is the dad in this book... I can definitely relate.

[Craig Terlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgette is a fascinating journey into the behind the scenes life of a Canadian family living in Nairobi, Kenya, and summering in a small village in France. But it is much more than behind, it is around, through, and under the blankets of a very real, and often quite funny, family. Krymusa has a gift for the turn of a phrase that picks out the quirky, gritty reality of what it's like to raise a couple of pre-schoolers in another country. The setting is idyllic, a grey cottage perched on the side of a green mountain, given the somehow very fitting French name, Georgette. Krymusa's descriptions of Van Gogh irises, and Middle Earth clouds, are vivid and gave me a Graham Greene-esque trip to France (way cheaper than airfare).

But even more than the laugh-out-loud moments (and there are a lot of them), what stands out is the raw emotion and vulnerability of the memoir. It goes something like: raising kids is a smelly, dirty affair full of tears, suffering, sleep deprivation and a roller-coaster of emotions—and it is one of the most beautiful, rich, and wonderful of all things. The raw smashed up against the times when all you can do is laugh moments is what makes this book resonate in my memory still, months after reading it. It's pretty damn magical, that's what it is.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. A real gem.

Being some weeks since I've read this, and determining to write a review, I thought I would write the following (which I am now doing):

The quintessence of the book, for me, is this: pay attention. See the unique beauty of your life, and the piercing transience of your moments with your loved ones, especially your children. In the end, all other pursuits will seem kind of silly (even French Chocolates).

And here are the two highlights I made:

"And they forgave me, of course, even my daughters, because they are still trailing clouds of glory, as Wordsworth says, and live like each moment is drenched in grace. Which it is, if we stop to notice." (Location 764).

"But I think miracles can still be miraculous in your life, even if someone else might find a mundane explanation for them." (Location 1411)

(How's that for reinforcing my summary? )

[CPP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect book for a quiet weekend read. Ms Krymusa's writing is engaging and humorous. Most mothers out there will appreciate her description of the trials and unexpected joys of mothering while working from home. I recommend it.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. Kirsten has a way of writing that draws you in, and you'll feel like you are right there with them on their adventure. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll want to share it with the world.

[Sheri-lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you negate my review because I have the same last name as the author, please just give me a moment. I read widely and often. I read ancient classics to Victorian lit to modern lit to children’s lit to memoirs to biography to history to The Far Side.

In some ways I know the author well but in other ways we are strangers. Brought into a family of brothers to become a different kind of sister. The majority of our relationship has been across an ocean, but the more I know of her the more I know of me. The more I see how we are wonderfully different but also beautifully the same. We are sisters. We are wives. We are mothers. Imperfect beings doing our best to live the life we’ve been given and the love the people we’ve been given in it.

Wit and humour encouraging self reflection and hope as a mother — refreshing and revealing. Tearful moments of mothering failures and moments of connection. Reminders of how children teach us so much about themselves, ourselves, and life — K is a humble student and teacher.

It’s beautifully written. C’est bonne, Kirsten, c’est bonne.

[Miss Elie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgette is a heartwarming collection of anecdotes depicting the (oftentimes hilarious) clash between expectations and reality, between ideals hoped for and the less-than-ideal outcomes of traveling with a young family from Kenya to France. Every parent will be able to identify with Ms. Krymusa's experiences of failure and success as a mother, a wife, and a "pretend local" in a foreign land. All the anecdotes are full of wit and charm, with some truly wonderful gems tucked inside the pages of this book - chapters that make you want to go back to the beginning and read them over again when you have reached the funny and heartwarming end. Ms. Krymusa's honest portrayal of life in the trenches of parenting is accessible to readers from all walks of life - even those who have never had the privilege of battling their way through the ups and downs of raising a family. It's a book that is sure to put a smile on your face and lift your spirits, giving you the motivation to jump right back into the chaos of your own life with a new sense of solidarity and a merrier outlook. I warmly recommend this book!

[Meredith Patrick Arledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a joyful read. Krymusa manages to capture the beauty (and often absurdity) of her family’s romantic adventure to the French countryside with just the right amount of self-depreciation and humor to be relatable to any parent. It just may inspire you to attempt a grand family adventure of your own, but it most certainly will lead you to appreciate the beauty of ordinary life. Krymusa reminds us that joy is often hiding in the midst of unmet expectations, absurd situations, and quiet, unhurried moments with those we love. Georgette is a true treasure, and I enthusiastically recommend it!

[Timothy Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one who is currently traveling through Europe with children, I could relate to Kirsten's humorous and realistic anecdotes that show the messy side of traveling internationally with her family. She does so while still showing the profound beauty that can come through travel, albeit through simple joys rather than memorable epiphanies. Her prose is light and imaginative and she brings the reader into her family's story in fresh and inviting ways. This book is for travelers and families and for anyone who needs to escape to France but doesn't know how. In short, it's for just about anyone.

[Beverley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this honest memoir about the difficulty of parenting and writing. I love that she now respects her husband as a parent.