Girl Gone London: An American's Guide to Surviving Life in the UK

by Kalyn Franke

From finding out the truth behind Christmas pudding to arguing over the proper use of dish soap, American expat life in the UK can be a particularly bumpy rollercoaster of experiences. After navigating the perilous expat roads for just over seven years (not to mention the actual perilous roads just wide enough for a sheep to fit through), Kalyn Franke takes readers through some of the most important questions, fears, concerns and triumphs that accompany American life in the UK.Whether you're already living in the land of towel rails and hidden meanings or you're still contemplating making the move across the pond, Girl Gone London uses true stories and a healthy dose of humo(u)r to show you that you're not alone, and, more importantly, that a successful life abroad lies just on the other side of the ability to laugh at yourself (but not too loudly - this is Britain, after all!).

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2019

Reviews

[Lily Mordaunt]

Good Overview

Many of the cultural differences outlined in this book I already knew from a combination of research (i.e. some mild anglophelia), family/friends in England and British customs I grew up because of my Caribbean mother. This isn’t to say I didn’t learn anything, like the rule about roofed venues for weddings or about the difference in care for pregnant women. But what made this book valuable to me was the discussion about expat life and the feelings that might arise. I will hopefully be studying in England in two months and some of the struggles Kaylyn pointed out I knew intellectually—the reality of your friends and family being in a different time zone, for example—but I hadn’t begun to think about the actual implications. I thought gleefully about how, if my mom called me at 7 am to tell me all of the things that absolutely could not wait another hour, it would already be noon for me so I wouldn’t be woken up. I didn’t think about the fact that my friends and family might be at work, school or even asleep if I was feeling lonely. I didn’t think about how important it might be to have dates planned out for when next you would be going home so that whatever issue you were currently struggling with wouldn’t feel like it would go on forever.
Another interesting thing I noted was how, depending on where in the US you’re coming from, different things might shock you. As someone from NYC, being able to get around (reliably) on public transportation is nothing new. For someone like Kalyn, whose from Florida where they drive a lot more, it sounds like it came as a bit of a shock. (I’m also blind, so I wouldn’t be expecting to drive no matter what country or state I’m in. Apparently it’s illegal or something.)
Overall, I thought this was a good, well-organized book. It provides a good overview of life in the UK (England more specifically though Kalyn does note regional differences you might find in certain situations) and great advice on the feelings and trials you might face as an expat.

[Jared]

Fantastic book for any expat considering moving to the UK or who has already arrived. Topics move from navigating immigration to attending a UK wedding!

[William Moses Jr.]

When you want to know about a culture, one of the best ways to learn about it IMO is to understand how it differs from a culture you already understand. I was fascinated with life in the UK and wanted to learn more. I already have some understanding of how things are in the US and so I thought this book would be worthwhile. It certainly was.

And not just in that it provides a glimpse into the UK culture. When you search on YouTube or elsewhere for differences between cultures, most articles and videos cover the more obvious differences. The problem is that it's hard to find someone who takes things a step further and uncovers those differences you won't notice until you really spend quite a bit of time observing people in both cultures. This book manages to take things one step further and so I rate it highly. The only drawback was that I did not quite enjoy the author's style of exaggeration and hyper-emotional discussions with the reader. Sometimes it was fun, but other times it was grating. Overall, a worthwhile book if you want to learn more about UK culture and have some understanding of the culture in the US.

[Stephen Ede-Borrett]

Okay, I am not an 'ex-pat' and currently have no plans to be one - I am a Brit and have lived here all of my life, nonetheless I found this book 99% fascinating and informative (there is a very small but that IS really only applicable to ex-pats).

The book is an elegant and well-written observation on England and the UK every bit as much as it is a guide to ex-pats and lets you see this Country through the eyes of someone whose 'natural environment' this isn't.

If you know Kalyn's YouTube channel (of the same name) you will know what to expect from the book and its wry sense of humour (Gads! she is almost British LoL - sorry Kalyn, couldn't resist).

I think I would unreservedly recommend this book as an interesting read that will make you think about things in the UK that you just take for granted and, sometimes, just ask yourself why? and at other times inwardly shout 'Yay, good olde England!' (sorry about that but the majority of Kalyn's observations are about England since that is where she lives).

I suppose my best recommendation is that I know three (Brit) friends who are getting this as a Christmas present.

Now, Kalyn, do we get a follow-up volume....

[Britt O'Duffy]

I feel like a part of excitement is anxiety. It's difficult to disentangle the fear of uncertainty from the thrill of adventure.

I've long wanted to live abroad, to immerse myself in other cultures and customs, to travel more of the world. However, in terms of personality, I'm very American. I'm shamelessly enthusiastic and wear my emotions on my sleeve. What are proper British academics going to think of this freakishly tall, awkward, energetic, "golden retriever" of an American girl? Will I be able to make friends?

Enter: Girl Gone London. Daniel gifted this book to me for Christmas and it became a fast friend. Kalyn has a wonderful sense of humor and a charming authorial voice. Her anecdotes about Christmas Pudding, the visa application process, and linguistic idiosyncrasies were super relatable and made me feel like maybe I will be able to weather this potential next adventure after all.

While there is still so much I don't know that I don't know, at least I do know that I'll need to pack Cheez-Its in stow.

[Christie McLaren]

Overall, a foundational, brisk, and easy read for any American moving to the UK. This guide is chock-full of practical information and amusing anecdotes, some of which left me in tears of laughter. I am weeks away from finally making my move to the UK, and already found myself quite literally screaming "SAME!! So it's not just me!!" page after page in the chapter about visas. I assume this trend will only continue as I reflect back on this book years from now after having established my life in the UK. I somehow feel like I'm now primed to have the "mid-grocery-store meltdown" or the "midnight booking of a one-way ticket home" fiasco.

My biggest peeve with this book is the handful of blatant spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. This might come off a bit harsh, as I understand this is just an expat sharing her story, not some world-renowned published author and novelist, but shouldn't the publisher have at least reviewed it for errors? :/

[W Timothy]

As I head to UK for 18 months I am finding this helpful, real, and reassuring.

Well done! She didn’t hold back. I appreciate the author’s insights and honesty. I will be referring to this “handbook” often. For real life issues.

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

What I love most is that she’s a fellow Gilmore Girls fan

[Gail Johnson, Ph.D]

The author, an American "expat", shares her experiences (transition) to London. A good book (words of wisdom) to read before moving to London.

[Caitlin Bell]

Witty, insightful, and at times very emotional. Kalyn does a wonderful job exploring the life of an expat in Britain. Everyone should read this book before moving to the UK!