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The Good Life France #2
My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life
A little more than 10 years ago, Janine Marsh and her husband Mark gave up their city jobs in London to chase the good life in the countryside of northern France. Having overcome the obstacles of starting to renovate her dream home—an ancient, dilapidated barn—and fitting in with the peculiarities of her new neighbors, Janine is now the go-to expat in the area for those seeking to get to grips with a very different way of life. In the Seven Valleys, each season brings new challenges as well as new delights. Freezing weather in February threaten the lives of some of the four-legged locals; snow in March results in a broken arm, which in turn leads to an etiquette lesson at the local hospital; and a dramatic hailstorm in July destroys cars and houses, ultimately bringing the villagers closer together. With warmth and humor, Janine showcases a uniquely French outlook as two eternally ambitious expats drag a neglected farmhouse to life and stumble across the hidden gems of this very special part of the world.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2020
272 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
Janine Marsh
6 books86 followersJanine 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 16, 2020
3.5 stars
Book number two in my heat-wave reading marathon.
This is Janine Marsh's second book about expat life in northern France. If you are considering relocating to, or just visiting, that region, it would be useful to read both books.
They're quite short, and you'll get a real feel for the climate, local festivals and other celebrations, attitudes of the people, and the joys and frustrations of living in the Seven Valleys Pas de Calais area of France. Hint: It's nothing like Paris or the south of France, where most expats like to situate themselves. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for.
Be prepared for nasty weather, lots of stinky farm animals and their droppings, slow or no internet, no cell phone signals, but also charming villages, helpful and entertaining neighbors, delicious food specialties, and hilarious local customs.
When I first started reading this, I was irritated because I thought she was going to recount a lot of what was in the first book, which I had just finished reading. But she was just giving an overview for those who hadn't read the first book. After that it was new stories and got much more interesting. However, I felt like she spent far too much time telling stories about their endless menagerie of farm animals. I love animals, but it got old. How many stories do I need about duck and chicken and goose poop, and the prolific reproductive activities of said birds? Also, they name all of their dogs, cats, birds, etc. after famous or semi-famous people, which was just too too twee after awhile.
Most memorable for me was her story of an unprecedented July hailstorm that destroyed numerous buildings and vehicles in their village, doing hundreds of thousands of euros worth of damage. A woman who was out walking when the storm hit had to get seventeen stitches in her head after a hailstone hit her! I was also interested to learn about the Ch'ti people of northern France, which was something I'd never heard of before. They have their own wacky cultural activities, and they pronounce French differently than "regular" French people.
July 27, 2020
This review is for the audiobook narrated by Susan Duerden.
This book is the follow up to My Good Life in France. I liked this recent edition as much as the last. Its the continued story of Janine and her husband buying a house in a rural village in the north of France. It was laugh out loud funny, heart warming, interesting and very engaging. I enjoyed the book as both a Francophile and animal lover especially, learning about the nuances of small village life and reading of their escapades with the myriad of animals they've taken in.
This book is the follow up to My Good Life in France. I liked this recent edition as much as the last. Its the continued story of Janine and her husband buying a house in a rural village in the north of France. It was laugh out loud funny, heart warming, interesting and very engaging. I enjoyed the book as both a Francophile and animal lover especially, learning about the nuances of small village life and reading of their escapades with the myriad of animals they've taken in.
June 1, 2020
I welcomed this book, as it offered me several gentle days imagining myself in a tiny French village. Yes, there were ups and downs - cue a very bossy rooster, an immovable cow, a destructive hail storm and several other misadventures. Add the delight of local markets, mouth-watering regional food, tiny bars serving local tipples, warm, generous neighbours, language muddles and a genuine feeling of actually belonging and you have a most enjoyable memoir. What a wonderful and long awaited follow up to My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream.
March 12, 2021
I was so delighted to find out that there is a second book by Janine Marsh!
I instantly knew — it will be such a pleasant reading for a couple of rainy summer evenings (got to keep up with the french northern weather, right?). It felt like meeting your old friends from the village: Claudette, Jean-Claude and Bernadette, Madame Bernadette, the Bread Man, and others. It felt joyful, cozy and very homely. Oh, and also mouthwatering! If you love France, you should definitely add this book to your reading list.
“A cheese course in France isn’t just a stage in the meal – it’s a history lesson on a plate.”
“Madame Bernadette surprised no one when she announced that this year’s goal was exactly the same as last year’s. And the year before. Rumour has it that she has been on a diet since 1972. Sometimes it’s tough living here in the rural north of France. We’re surrounded by little villages with tempting boulangeries and pâtisseries, and I guarantee that the aroma of fresh-baked baguettes from a wood oven, lifted out by a ruddy-faced baker on the end of a long paddle, or the scent of flaky, buttery and golden just-cooked croissants, is utterly irresistible.
And then there are the cakes. Cake makers in France are craftsmen. They train for years learning how to make perfect little edible works of art. Opera cakes, Paris-Brest, eclairs, macarons – classic French cakes really are in a league of their own.”
“Galette des rois cakes, which are traditionally eaten for the Epiphany on 6 January when the Three Kings turned up to give gifts to the baby Jesus, creep onto shopping lists a few weeks before the day. Within this sweet, flaky and buttery frangipane tart, bakers hide a charm called a féve, which can be anything from a mini religious figure to a Disney figure to a celebrity. Whoever gets the charm in their slice of cake tries not to break a tooth or swallow it, and is then ‘crowned’ king or queen with a paper crown that comes with the cake.”
I've made a lot of notes for our future travel plans (hopefully, when the pandemic is oveeeer):
“If you go to Burgundy and chat to the locals, it won’t be long until the conversation turns to food – from the best wine for poaching eggs, to how to make proper boeuf bourguignon (opinion is divided over whether it’s best to cook a whole piece of beef or do it in cubes à la Julia Child, the great American cook).”
“There are some places that don’t live up to all the hype – Monet’s garden is the complete opposite. It surpassed my expectations. Inside the house, it feels just as if the great artist has popped out to take a wander round the flowerbeds or collect eggs from the chickens. Copies of his paintings hang in the rooms, and vases of flowers scent the air. His bedroom window was thrown open to reveal the glory of the garden and, as I stood there looking out, I could see why he was so obsessed with colours.”
“If you’ve never had Calvados before, be warned – this apple brandy from Normandy, the region that neighbours mine, can blow your socks off. And, I have to tell you, we were all pretty much sockless after a couple of hours.”
“The legend of Beaujolais Nouveau Day seems to be more celebrated than the taste, which Jean-Claude describes as ‘simple, with no depth, no complexity’, though he never says non when I offer him a glass!
If you read the papers here you’ll think that all French people loathe the tradition. Critics insist it’s nothing more than a marketing operation, a cunning ploy to rid Burgundian winemakers of undrinkable wine in large quantities. Wine snobs claim they would rather down a bucket of cat wee.”
I instantly knew — it will be such a pleasant reading for a couple of rainy summer evenings (got to keep up with the french northern weather, right?). It felt like meeting your old friends from the village: Claudette, Jean-Claude and Bernadette, Madame Bernadette, the Bread Man, and others. It felt joyful, cozy and very homely. Oh, and also mouthwatering! If you love France, you should definitely add this book to your reading list.
“A cheese course in France isn’t just a stage in the meal – it’s a history lesson on a plate.”
“Madame Bernadette surprised no one when she announced that this year’s goal was exactly the same as last year’s. And the year before. Rumour has it that she has been on a diet since 1972. Sometimes it’s tough living here in the rural north of France. We’re surrounded by little villages with tempting boulangeries and pâtisseries, and I guarantee that the aroma of fresh-baked baguettes from a wood oven, lifted out by a ruddy-faced baker on the end of a long paddle, or the scent of flaky, buttery and golden just-cooked croissants, is utterly irresistible.
And then there are the cakes. Cake makers in France are craftsmen. They train for years learning how to make perfect little edible works of art. Opera cakes, Paris-Brest, eclairs, macarons – classic French cakes really are in a league of their own.”
“Galette des rois cakes, which are traditionally eaten for the Epiphany on 6 January when the Three Kings turned up to give gifts to the baby Jesus, creep onto shopping lists a few weeks before the day. Within this sweet, flaky and buttery frangipane tart, bakers hide a charm called a féve, which can be anything from a mini religious figure to a Disney figure to a celebrity. Whoever gets the charm in their slice of cake tries not to break a tooth or swallow it, and is then ‘crowned’ king or queen with a paper crown that comes with the cake.”
I've made a lot of notes for our future travel plans (hopefully, when the pandemic is oveeeer):
“If you go to Burgundy and chat to the locals, it won’t be long until the conversation turns to food – from the best wine for poaching eggs, to how to make proper boeuf bourguignon (opinion is divided over whether it’s best to cook a whole piece of beef or do it in cubes à la Julia Child, the great American cook).”
“There are some places that don’t live up to all the hype – Monet’s garden is the complete opposite. It surpassed my expectations. Inside the house, it feels just as if the great artist has popped out to take a wander round the flowerbeds or collect eggs from the chickens. Copies of his paintings hang in the rooms, and vases of flowers scent the air. His bedroom window was thrown open to reveal the glory of the garden and, as I stood there looking out, I could see why he was so obsessed with colours.”
“If you’ve never had Calvados before, be warned – this apple brandy from Normandy, the region that neighbours mine, can blow your socks off. And, I have to tell you, we were all pretty much sockless after a couple of hours.”
“The legend of Beaujolais Nouveau Day seems to be more celebrated than the taste, which Jean-Claude describes as ‘simple, with no depth, no complexity’, though he never says non when I offer him a glass!
If you read the papers here you’ll think that all French people loathe the tradition. Critics insist it’s nothing more than a marketing operation, a cunning ploy to rid Burgundian winemakers of undrinkable wine in large quantities. Wine snobs claim they would rather down a bucket of cat wee.”
July 31, 2021
Ten years ago Janine Marsh saw an old farmhouse in rural northern France and experienced what the French call a "coup de foudre," a bolt of lightning, and she knew that she needed to make this place her home. She and her husband gave up their life in England and off they moved to France. This book is the story of some of their experiences in their new home, one for each month of the year.
Delightful. Humorous. Charming. It makes me want to pack up and move down the street from Janine.
Delightful. Humorous. Charming. It makes me want to pack up and move down the street from Janine.
October 22, 2025
This was such a charming and fun listen. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
April 11, 2022
As you would expect from the title, this book follows a year in the never-dull lives of Janine and her husband Mark. I really enjoyed this format, watching the seasons change as village life rolls gently on, and experiencing the extreme weather that hits the Seven Valleys, the rural corner of northern France that they call home.
We meet their neighbours, join in with village activities and experience rural French life at its best, and worst. We are introduced to their vast collection of dogs, cats and feathered friends, whose antics alone could fill a book, and anyone with any experience of rural village life will no doubt see and enjoy the similarities. I certainly found myself nodding in agreement at the ups and downs of a close-knit village community and some of the cultural differences between us Brits and the French.
Janine’s writing style is friendly and fun and she certainly brought this region of France alive for me. As I found from reading her first book, she made me want to set aside some time to explore an area of France that we usually drive through at speed, without really seeing it, on our way to or from the ferry ports to the UK. Shame on us!
If you love reading memoirs about real life in France, this is one is for you.
We meet their neighbours, join in with village activities and experience rural French life at its best, and worst. We are introduced to their vast collection of dogs, cats and feathered friends, whose antics alone could fill a book, and anyone with any experience of rural village life will no doubt see and enjoy the similarities. I certainly found myself nodding in agreement at the ups and downs of a close-knit village community and some of the cultural differences between us Brits and the French.
Janine’s writing style is friendly and fun and she certainly brought this region of France alive for me. As I found from reading her first book, she made me want to set aside some time to explore an area of France that we usually drive through at speed, without really seeing it, on our way to or from the ferry ports to the UK. Shame on us!
If you love reading memoirs about real life in France, this is one is for you.
May 27, 2020
My Four Seasons in France ~ A Year of The Good Life by Janine Marsh is the writer's own personal experience and memoir of what brought her to buy a ramshackled old farmhouse in the Seven Valleys of Rural France.
It's been 15 years since the Brits bought their French farmhouse and this is Janine and her husband, Mark's story of how they have lived, renovated and added provencal charm to it with much love, patience and restoration.
Some of it was 'fun' like choosing the 'blue' for painting the French window shutters and some of it horrendous like repairing and renovations of the roof and various other parts of the farmhouse.
Throughout all the dramas and set-backs Janine and Mark continue with their triumphs and start to adore their new French way of life by delighting in their new neighbourhood activities, local festivities and the cuisine of the village and nearby locations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the new book, My Four Seasons in France by Janine Marsh, the follow-up to My Good Life in France.
Note: The book for Australian readers can be ordered through amazon.com.au
Important Note: You can find Janine from The Good Life France on her website: www.thegoodlifefrance.com
It's been 15 years since the Brits bought their French farmhouse and this is Janine and her husband, Mark's story of how they have lived, renovated and added provencal charm to it with much love, patience and restoration.
Some of it was 'fun' like choosing the 'blue' for painting the French window shutters and some of it horrendous like repairing and renovations of the roof and various other parts of the farmhouse.
Throughout all the dramas and set-backs Janine and Mark continue with their triumphs and start to adore their new French way of life by delighting in their new neighbourhood activities, local festivities and the cuisine of the village and nearby locations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the new book, My Four Seasons in France by Janine Marsh, the follow-up to My Good Life in France.
Note: The book for Australian readers can be ordered through amazon.com.au
Important Note: You can find Janine from The Good Life France on her website: www.thegoodlifefrance.com
September 2, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable memoir.
An entertaining and amusing read; covering twelve months of author Janine and her husband's life in the North of France.
I love the writer's sense of humour as she tells of the locals and their customs, and her menagerie of pets with names of the famous. The food of the area is mouth wateringly described, as are the local markets and the irresistible produce.
This is an extremely well written memoir, and I can't recommend highly enough.
An entertaining and amusing read; covering twelve months of author Janine and her husband's life in the North of France.
I love the writer's sense of humour as she tells of the locals and their customs, and her menagerie of pets with names of the famous. The food of the area is mouth wateringly described, as are the local markets and the irresistible produce.
This is an extremely well written memoir, and I can't recommend highly enough.
August 5, 2021
As with the numerous other books by expats who have moved to France and bought a dilapidated home in a small village, the reader gets a lot of stories about quirks of the locals and stories of trying to get work done on a home. This one was okay but I think I'd have enjoyed it more had I not already read similar books by others in the past.
November 2, 2020
She did it again!! It was just what I needed as I, once and a while, have to read something that is not full of 21st. century angst, bitterness, or societal woes, but yet has to satisfy my curiosity and help me renew myself. I read her first book and loved it, especially, because she did not serve up the suffering of an earlier life which brought her to France, like so many other ex-pats in France I have read who left England or Canada because of life problems, etc. You do learn in both books the love for her father and her homeland, so we don't have to rehash anything else, whether it is actual or not. She has a skill for the language with excellent discriptions, and she helps me re-visit places where I have been and, possibly, linguered. I have crossed to/from Calais to Dover and other ports between England and France, and she makes it clear why the Pas-de-Calais is a natural for Brits on holiday, as I personally once found out about their being the usual travelers to Southwest France when I was once at Penne d-Agenais, and I was stopped by an English person who asked me "what was I doing there?" because she observed my American accent. I could tell she was really asking, sort of "were any other Americans on the way too?" as if she would rather go where we did not visit. I am especially fond of Normandie and Bretagne rather than the Riviera. My favorite is the Luberon, so that gave me the enjoyment of Peter Mayle who could poke fun at himself, other English, and the French, but all in good spirit and with respect.
Marsh loves her neighbors and the things she is learning in her new homeland. I cannot wait for #3, so Vive la France!!!
Marsh loves her neighbors and the things she is learning in her new homeland. I cannot wait for #3, so Vive la France!!!
November 30, 2020
Thank you O’Mara books for sending me a copy of this book. My parents live in France and I have visited more times than I can remember since a young age, so couldn’t wait to read this!
I absolutely loved Janine and Marks story and how Janine takes you through a year of living in France and everything that entails from the involvement with the Mayor to the many festivals happening to all the wonderful food they eat! So many of her stories are relatable- the many drives to the brico depot in the next town, neighbours coming to stand and watch you renovate the house, to the bars in peoples living rooms!
I feel like my parents could have written this with their very similar experience but I still can’t wait to pass this on to my Mum to read and will also be checking out Janine’s blog.
I absolutely loved Janine and Marks story and how Janine takes you through a year of living in France and everything that entails from the involvement with the Mayor to the many festivals happening to all the wonderful food they eat! So many of her stories are relatable- the many drives to the brico depot in the next town, neighbours coming to stand and watch you renovate the house, to the bars in peoples living rooms!
I feel like my parents could have written this with their very similar experience but I still can’t wait to pass this on to my Mum to read and will also be checking out Janine’s blog.
April 6, 2022
Ah, to live the good life in the French countryside! If you're not quite ready to have your own abode in a foreign land, Author Marsh gives a delightful view of life in the French village that captured her heart. Month by month, we'll get her insider's view of domestic happenings, trips to neighboring towns, the weather's ups and downs, events and holidays, and of course the wonderful foods and spirits enjoyed in each of the seasons.
I enjoy Author Marsh's charming, downhome, narrative style. Her neighbors and friends are a delight, and let's not forget all the animals who have made their home with the Marsh's! This was an enchanting read, and someday, I hope to travel and enjoy the scenery and foods of the region in person. Until then, this is the next best thing for minds that love to travel and explore--a highly recommended read!
I enjoy Author Marsh's charming, downhome, narrative style. Her neighbors and friends are a delight, and let's not forget all the animals who have made their home with the Marsh's! This was an enchanting read, and someday, I hope to travel and enjoy the scenery and foods of the region in person. Until then, this is the next best thing for minds that love to travel and explore--a highly recommended read!
October 10, 2023
Really enjoyed this book about life in a small village in Northern France of a man and woman who moved there from England. They slowly renovate a dilapidated house that they buy for less than 100,000 euros. This book covers their lives over a 12 month period. Such a charming life they have! They are successful I think because they pretty much adopt the French culture. The people they live among are very interesting as are all of the animals (dogs,cats, ducks, geese, hedgehogs, chickens…) that live with them, which are named Humphrey Bogart, and Ginger Rogers, to name a few. I didn’t care for the narrator as much as the one who read the first book. She often read in a monotone voice.
June 14, 2021
An enjoyable look at life in a very small village in Northern France today. Marsh has a nice writing style and makes it quite clear that she loves her life in France. She and her husband have renovated a derelict farm house and left behind their lives in London. Perhaps there is a bit too much attention given to her numerous dogs, cats, chickens, and geese. Lots of attention is also given to food and it sounds delicious.
June 2, 2020
I loved the first book, and I loved this one too! It's delightful, charming, funny, entertaining, and makes you feel like you're right there in middle of nowhere northern France. I just hope there'll be a third book sometime soon!
April 19, 2023
This was such a fun and truly enjoyable read! I loved the characters, like the chicken “Ken the Psycho” and all Janine’s kooky and lovable neighbors. What a charming little village in Calais, France. I’m looking forward to reading Marsh’s other books about their renovated French farm!
October 16, 2023
An enjoyable recounting of expats living in a small French village for a year. Amusing antics, along with cultural and historical tidbits in this narrative, were a nice short read. Travel memoirs are almost like diaries and I find that somehow appealing to read.
October 24, 2021
The book was delightful - I loved it.
March 20, 2024
Enjoyable night read.
December 16, 2020
It's a good way to savor the French countryside if you want to learn something else other than Paris.
January 5, 2023
This I my kind of book, the stories of a life abroad. I enjoyed every season.
July 15, 2025
nice little history/informative read or northern France 🇫🇷
March 2, 2021
A thoroughly informative and entertaining read. Janine makes me want to get on the next flight to France. The personal stories are straight from the heart, humorous and honest. Great tips at the end for any expats wishing to make the move.
March 31, 2020
MY FOUR SEASONS IN FRANCE combines the perfect ingredients for an engaging and fun story: the seasons, the festivals, the delicious food, a dash of France’s history, a cast of colorful side characters, and, more importantly, Janine’s forays, foibles, and adventures as she adjusts to country French life with her husband and an army of pets–including a psycho chicken named Ken. A former city girl from London, she shares the ups and the downs with warmth, sharp wit, and laugh out loud humor. Educational and, oftentimes, hilarious, this book is the perfect escape for those who need to take a virtual vacation.
June 18, 2021
Janine Marsh tells of her life through the four seasons in France with great humour. She gives us a wonderful insight into her busy life which includes a menagerie of various animals, all named, and her endearing neighbours with all their foibles. This is her second book (which is just as good as the first) and will have you smiling throughout. Sign up to her newsletter to enjoy more of Janine and her life.
August 6, 2021
A quick and easy read with some amusing moments, this book reads more like a series of magazine articles than a book. It is organised by month and charts the highs and lows of the author's year in northern France while integrating with the locals and doing up their ramshackle house. It is perfectly sweet and easy to dip in and out of.
January 8, 2025
Francophiles and foodies will especially enjoy this tribute to life in the French countryside. The book is filled with wonderful mouthwatering culinary descriptions!
April 1, 2020
Oh boy, I love books about France and this is one of the best.
France is full of fascinating places to visit, like Paris, Provence, the Riviera, Normandy, and more. There are so many that it’s hard to decide where to go! Well, it just got harder because Janine Marsh’s description of her tiny village in “middle-of-nowhere-France” is so delightful that you’ll want to go there, too. I know I do.
Fifteen years ago, Janine and her husband Mark bought a wreck of a house in the Seven Valleys region of northern France. They didn’t plan to buy a house; they were on a shopping trip from their home in London and stumbled into a real estate office to get out of the rain. The next thing they knew they were looking at a place that cost “less than a Hermes handbag.” They bought it as a bit of a lark, thinking it would make a nice place for vacations and the occasional weekend getaway.
But life had other plans. The little village captured their hearts and soon they packed up and moved to France. The next dozen years were spent refurbishing the house (including a septic tank explosion that earned Janine the nickname Madame Merde), collecting a vast collection of farm animals (including a demented chicken named Ken) and settling into the local community.
Janine and Mark are those rarest of birds, expats who have really become members of a French village. They drink at a local bar that looks like someone’s living room circa 1955. They play charades with their neighbors, where everyone fights to play Johnny Holliday or Edith Piaf. They chat with the bread delivery man—their village is too tiny to support a boulangerie—who occasionally has questions about English (“What means the expression, ‘It sucks?’”)
The best part of the book is the way Janine writes about of her neighbors, a friendly and occasionally eccentric crew who have welcomed Janine and Mark with great warmth. There’s Jean-Claude, who teaches them how to trim hedges and make crow pâté. And Claudette, always ready with a hot cup of coffee and a plate of something tasty. And “Miss Pepperpot,” the tiny lady who occasionally needs help getting wayward cows out of her flowerbed, and offers jars of homemade jam as thanks.
I love Janine’s writing and laughed when she described a young couple falling in love over a shared passion for mushroom hunting (“one fungi led to another…”) And her description of a strong local drink (“Calvados can blow your socks off, and after a couple of hours we were all pretty much sockless.”)
If you are stuck at home and looking for something to brighten your day, think about taking a trip to this delightful corner of France. I just loved this book and I think you will, too.
France is full of fascinating places to visit, like Paris, Provence, the Riviera, Normandy, and more. There are so many that it’s hard to decide where to go! Well, it just got harder because Janine Marsh’s description of her tiny village in “middle-of-nowhere-France” is so delightful that you’ll want to go there, too. I know I do.
Fifteen years ago, Janine and her husband Mark bought a wreck of a house in the Seven Valleys region of northern France. They didn’t plan to buy a house; they were on a shopping trip from their home in London and stumbled into a real estate office to get out of the rain. The next thing they knew they were looking at a place that cost “less than a Hermes handbag.” They bought it as a bit of a lark, thinking it would make a nice place for vacations and the occasional weekend getaway.
But life had other plans. The little village captured their hearts and soon they packed up and moved to France. The next dozen years were spent refurbishing the house (including a septic tank explosion that earned Janine the nickname Madame Merde), collecting a vast collection of farm animals (including a demented chicken named Ken) and settling into the local community.
Janine and Mark are those rarest of birds, expats who have really become members of a French village. They drink at a local bar that looks like someone’s living room circa 1955. They play charades with their neighbors, where everyone fights to play Johnny Holliday or Edith Piaf. They chat with the bread delivery man—their village is too tiny to support a boulangerie—who occasionally has questions about English (“What means the expression, ‘It sucks?’”)
The best part of the book is the way Janine writes about of her neighbors, a friendly and occasionally eccentric crew who have welcomed Janine and Mark with great warmth. There’s Jean-Claude, who teaches them how to trim hedges and make crow pâté. And Claudette, always ready with a hot cup of coffee and a plate of something tasty. And “Miss Pepperpot,” the tiny lady who occasionally needs help getting wayward cows out of her flowerbed, and offers jars of homemade jam as thanks.
I love Janine’s writing and laughed when she described a young couple falling in love over a shared passion for mushroom hunting (“one fungi led to another…”) And her description of a strong local drink (“Calvados can blow your socks off, and after a couple of hours we were all pretty much sockless.”)
If you are stuck at home and looking for something to brighten your day, think about taking a trip to this delightful corner of France. I just loved this book and I think you will, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews