Two Steps Backward

by Susie Kelly

Susie Kelly and her husband Terry had long dreamed of owning a home in France, but ironically it wasn't until they were facing homeless penury in England that they realized their dream. With five dogs, two parrots and their elderly horses, they moved to an old farmhouse in the Poitou-Charentes region with dirt floors, no water and a primitive electricity supply.While Terry was back in England trying to support them all, Susie Kelly contended with a homicidal gas cooker at the bottom of the garden, burst pipes, a guinea fowl that turned somersaults and bit people on the shin and a constant stream of people turning up at her door with needs of their own. Sometimes the enormity of renovating a house with insufficient funds and little help seemed overwhelming. She saw her husband infrequently. Their English neighbour was imprisoned on drug-smuggling charges. And when Terry developed a condition that brought him close to death, the dream threatened to turn into a nightmare.There were times when Susie and Terry seemed to be taking two steps backward, but the kindness of the local community and the tranquillity of the landscape inspired them to make a new life for themselves and their animals in the place they now called home.

Genres: France, Memoir, Travel, Humor

289 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Sarah Coller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Best Foot Forward a few years ago and really loved it so I've been looking forward to reading this one, as well. I did like it---but not nearly as much as BFF---for two reasons.

The most frustrating thing about this book was the difficulty I had respecting Mrs. Kelly. She really let a lot of people talk down to her, walk on her, and take extreme advantage of her. She's obviously a strong woman but it seemed she thought it would be easier to allow so many complete jerks to wreck her peace than to stand up to them and set some boundaries. This is a recurring theme throughout the entire book and made me annoyed and angry with her in turns.

Secondly, and this probably sounds silly to most, but the book is VERY heavy on animal stories. She's got a lot of pets, and lives in a rodent and insect infested hovel, so I get it that animals and bugs are a big part of her life. It's just that I really have no interest, sympathy, or understanding of those who choose to live with animals (is that horrible??!!)---it's just not my thing. So animal stories tend to bore me silly. (Though my family feels completely opposite and that's why I find myself caring for a Yorkie named Mr. Darcy and a cat named Guinevere. If they are going to bring them into my home then I get to name them!!!)

Mrs. Kelly really put up with a lot to build her dream in France. I'm planning to spend some time researching her today and see how she's faring now.

[Wayne Jordaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a different type of economic migrant, instead of a story of a couple who have a bit to spare and looking for somewhere cheap, here we have a couple with hardly anything to spare. And it is a struggle at times, but told in such a light and and often humorous way, that it didn't depress the reader. Got very annoyed at first with the author's handling of those who wanted/took advantage of her willingness to help, but this turned to respect when I realised that it in fact shows real strength of character. Definitely recommend this and looking forward to reading her other work.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, interesting read about an Englishwoman who purchases a home in rural France with her husband. Although she's in the house alone with a menagerie of animals most of the time while her husband is working in England.

The book is an honest look into Kelly's attempt to fulfill her dream of owning a home in the French countryside.

[Grace Tierney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as part of my Defeat January Blues by reading about sunny places plan. Reasonably fun read but not brilliantly written and might suit a pet/animal lover more than it did me as the author is really into animals. I love the details of how an overseas home it "done up" by the new owners and those details simply weren't in this book.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow at first but narrative draws you in. Action-lovers would not like this book but Francophiles and those who enjoy reading about human struggles would love it.

[Corinne]

Quite charming, seemed pretty honest and funny in parts

[Janie O · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy this book... It was well written, the humor had me laughing out loud but I realized that it was more an account of what went wrong, over and over. I didn't relax like I wanted to. What some of what the neighbors expected her to do for them - just stressed me out!! Overall, I would recommend it as a well worth your time read. She has a good speed as she takes you on her journeys. Perhaps there were quiet, peaceful times, but this book made it seem like day after day was full of incidents that were upheaving to their daily life.

[Miriam Schoenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book - but sometimes frustrating since the author was so enabling of quirky neighbors.