A Yank Back to England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns

by Denis Lipman

Denis Lipman left London’s East End for Washington, DC more than 20 years ago, but made an annual pilgrimage year after year to visit aging parents, a pair of cantankerous, real-life Cockneys. He endured the visits as best he could. Enter an American wife. Not content with a grin-and-bear-it attitude, she declares that since the trip to England was inevitable, then it was to be enjoyed: see things, go places! Against his will, our expat becomes a tourist in his homeland and discovers it’s not so bad after all, certainly better than remembered! Here is a travel memoir more carbolic than bucolic. Discover a place where the sun doesn’t always shine, where going to the loo can be an adventure, and where canned beans on toast is a cornerstone of cuisine. Taste the real East End and tour with a colorful group as they rent cottages, host outrageous relatives, meet the locals and discover the English countryside.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, British Literature, Memoir, Family, Travelogue, Autobiography

310 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2009

About the author

Transplanted Englishman happily living in New Hampshire.

Reviews

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening and Fun Read Took Me Back To The England Of My Youth

My Air Force father was stationed to England in the 50's. I loved it there and always wanted to return to visit. A Yank Back To England:The Prodigal Tourist Returns,stirred many memories of our rural residences there,and visiting London and so many charming villages. The touch of humor was especially fun,as was reading about some of the foods.Everything goes good with toast,LOL!

Loved the many vivid descriptions of the places visited and the foods. Felt I was there with them!

I can still picture all those little fields separated by hedgerows and low stone walls. I wonder if they still exist?

Highly recommended for those who love to read about what life was like in England a few decades ago.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir/travelogue was extremely well written and chronicled the author’s annual vacations back home to England over (approximately) a decade. His descriptions of the villages, pubs, castles, and byways of England were superb; I actually felt like I was tagging along with his family. And that was perhaps his greatest strength, his ability to incorporate the backdrop of his aging parents and his evolving family dynamic as each year progressed. I was as invested in the author’s family and their idiosyncrasies as I was in venturing around the English countryside. Overall, achingly beautiful and highly recommended.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for travel memoirs. But I find so many of them are solitary pilgrimages, lonely adventures. In this book, though, the author takes the reader on family trips; I met (in the story) his bride, his parents, cousins, brother, and eventually his daughter. And it was not a one-time meeting. We returned to different spots for holiday all over England, and through the pages and the years, I experienced the joy of a new baby, sadness of watching parents age, a marriage deepening and a heart divided by the Atlantic Ocean.

I was delighted to visit E.F. Benson's town in the travels and really, truly hoped to catch a glimpse of Lucia and Mapp!

I'll read this book again and again, I know.

[Laurel Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a joy. Denis Lipman takes his wife and child back to England each year to show them the land of his birth and to visit with his cockney parents. With understated humor, he shows us the land, the people, and once in a while, his heart.

..."an absolutely wonderful book, not only about going home again but also about love and family and tradition and the passage of the years.” –Michael Dirda

[Reza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been helpful if a few maps were included.

[Christine Bode · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

December 30, 2009
by Christine Bode

I have spent my Christmas vacation relaxing and reading a delightful, splendidly written travel memoir by Washington, DC playwright and author Denis Lipman entitled A Yank Back To England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns.

I made Denis’ acquaintance last year through his interesting and colourful blog, England Rents, Raves & Rants and after reading his book about his family’s annual trips to England over a six year (actually nine) period, I feel as if I know not only him but them as well! His writing is fluid, to the point, and extremely witty, and his English sense of humour and Dagenham, Essex upbringing sparkle in A Yank Back To England which is charming and authentically English.

Denis Lipman, at first glance, may seem an unassuming sort of English gentleman who has become fairly Americanized, but his life has been anything but mundane. He dropped out of school at the age of 15 to become an apprentice printer and within a week realized that magic was his calling so he left to pursue a career as a magician and magic dealer. It was this endeavor that initially led him to the United States where he would later meet his wife, Frances Erlebacher, and together, they and their only child, Kate, would spend their annual vacation visiting Denis’ elderly parents, the somewhat eccentric Lew and Jessie, in the Old Country.

When magic lost its luster, Denis experimented with writing scripts, songs, and even album production and after years of trying on different occupations for the right fit, he ended up relocating to Washington, DC where he became a senior writer for a major advertising agency and a playwright for the Washington Theatre Festival. In the early 1990s, Denis and Frances started their own agency, The Creative Shop.

It was Frances who decided that they should take advantage of their yearly sojourns to England when they would visit Denis’ parents and relatives and really get to know the country, both as tourists, and as their second home. Denis wasn’t initially all that keen on traipsing around to see the sites, but in spite of his reluctance, discovered that he really did enjoy his homeland and even fell in love with it. I certainly fell in love with the England (Hammill, close to Sandwich) he described in Year Six: A Regency Cottage on a Bridle Path as their accommodation at Madrigal Cottage is how I have always envisioned the beauty and charm of the English countryside.

This affectionate memoir actually reveals more about the characters portrayed in it than the sites that they visit. Restaurant and hotel names are not mentioned, although cities, towns and villages are, as well as some of the prominent sites one would associate with those places, which according to Denis are all within a half-day trip from London. Meals are described in such a way that you sometimes salivate and occasionally crinkle up your nose in disgust while tea and Jack Daniels flow copiously. The weather is always a force to be reckoned with and the countryside as charismatic and as challenging as one could imagine. This is a depiction of the reality of travel and it’s not always brilliant but it is remarkable.

A Yank Back To England is just as much about Denis getting to know his aging parents as adults, friends and grandparents as discovering what makes England the historical, magnificent country that it is. The events here are not sugar-coated in any way and Denis describes his parents, in particular, in a very honest and not necessarily flattering manner but you fall in love with them anyway. We also meet Denis’ aunts Flo, Vi and Mary and cousins Pam and Kevin and his wife Maxine, and briefly Denis’ brother Tony and his wife Tricia. We get a glimpse of Kate’s early years and recognize that Frances is ever thoughtful, practical, diplomatic, and easy to get along with and Denis owes the success of this book to her.

A travel memoir cannot be easy to write as it would be hard to remember entire conversations the way that Denis has written them here, but because he has managed to do so, the book reads like a novel and when it ends you find yourself sighing, smiling, reflecting and utterly yearning for your next vacation abroad. And don’t forget to dress in layers and place a bet on the horses while you’re at it!

[Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was horrible. I normally love travel memoirs and love reading about England, but this book was a total slog to get through. I'm not fully sure what it was that bothered me. At first it seemed to have started off well with the returning back to England, but it was just his thoughts about being England. I did not get much of the sense of an American (or foreigner) traveling in England.

It seemed to be more of complaining and writing about his parents, which was fine at first, but started to drag on and on. I'm also somewhat confused--he tended to alternate between referring to his parents by their first names and both Mum and Dad. I've only encountered this in writings by English authors, but I'm not really sure what is the convention or reasoning behind this.

Overall it really just wasn't all that interesting to me and it was really just some traveling complaining about the usual problems people have when they travel. I can easily log onto a review site if I wanted to read that.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this travelogue/memoir of a family visiting the father's aging parents in England. His wife, an American, plans visits to historic sites and villages within a short distance of London. An interesting look at some places and areas I hadn't read about.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dennis Lipman, raised in the East End of London, now lives in the United States with his wife, Frances, an American. They make an annual trip back to England to visit his parents and other family. Frances wants these trips to be enjoyable adventures as well as family get-togethers, so she plans sites to see and interesting places to stay. Dennis becomes a tourist in his own country. The five years of trips that the books describes are both touching and funny as Frances gets to know his parents and they get to know her. Each trip takes them to a new location - away from London. Eventually, they are also joined by their infant son - so issues of parenting and grand-parenting come up.
It is lost of fun to travel with this family.

[A Hudak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing travel memoir that includes the bad moments as well as the highlights of travel.

[Sonvy Waidler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. The author seems blindly selfish in the way he makes his aging parents travel with him when it seems clear that's not their preference.

[Marcia P. Luety · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping it would be funny.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part memoir, A Yank Back to England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns is a wonderful new book written by Denis Lipman. Former magician and playwright Denis grew up in Dagenham which is a little town in Essex, England but he moved to the USA over twenty years ago to find his fortune. A Yank Back to England chronicles Denis's annual visits back to England to see his aging, Cockney parents. While England is old news to him, his new wife Frances insists on seeing the countryside and convinces Denis to become a tourist in his old homeland.

The book is divided into six years but actually covers eight different visits. In all of the chapters, Denis and Frances hire out a cottage in the English countryside and are joined by Denis's parents Lew and Jessie and often by Denis's aunt and cousin too. Denis and Frances's gorgeous little girl Kate makes her appearance in Year Two.

While reading this wonderful travelogue, I was overcome by a desire to spend a summer holiday in a cottage in the English countryside and this feeling hasn't gone away. In fact, this is the kind of book that makes you want to follow in the Lipman's footsteps and the see all the things they saw, no matter how quirky or frustrating they were at times.

And they were quirky and frustrating. A Yank Back to England details shockingly bad service, classic English mediocrity and unpredictable English weather. Poor American Frances was quite bemused at times while I'm sure Denis was thinking "I told you so"! The massive appeal of this book though is that it takes you away from all of the traditional sights and sounds in England to ancient towns, stately homes, magnificent castles and a country so breathtakingly gorgeous when the sun is shining. The sense of heritage is amazing as the Lipman's encounter attractions from many different eras including Viking, Roman and several millennia of English history.

The most touching aspect of this story though is the relationship that Denis shared with his parents Lew and Jessie and how he came to respect and understand them over time. At times hilarious and at times incredibly touching, this is an lovely book that will certainly appeal to anglophiles. As I chuckled to myself while travelling on the London Underground each day, I realised that this is a book that will appeal to just about everyone but certainly lovers of travelogues, memoirs and humour.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than I thought I would. Writers often create a mushy, unfocused muddle when mixing genres, but this one combines memoir and travel narrative quite well - one continuous, attention-holding narrative. Definitely recommended ... with one quibble: not enough backstory.

During the course of the book, it's not made clear how long the author has been in the States. So, assuming he still retained a British accent (to a significant extent), I suspect the reason he was sometimes mistaken for a Yank was his flouting the "Mustn't Grumble" rule (and possible American speech usages, regardless of pronunciation). Denis alludes to his inability to cope with the English class system (as best I can put it) as a motivation for emigrating. However, I really could've used a bit more on his time since then, as well as some information on Frances. They're very likeable and interesting, but I didn't really get a full sense of who they are. As far as Frances is concerned, as an American I would've liked more on where in the States she's from, what did she study at Barnard ... that sort of thing would've helped.

Perhaps, though, that'll be in the next book (hint! hint!)

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the sections of the book reflect six years of the author’s family holidays to his country of birth, his endnotes state that he actually condensed his reminisces from about nine years of vacations.

Lipman’s American wife Frances has a keen interest in visiting historical sites, which was great for them, but became a bit tedious fairly early on for me. Perhaps pictures or even a map of where and what they visited at the beginning of each chapter would have made for a more enriching and relatable experience.

His parents, Jessie and Lew are prominently featured throughout and they travel with the author’s family on most of their adventures. I was hoping for more humor. Maybe I just have a different sense of what’s funny. For me, there’s a fine line between amusing tales of bickering, aging parents and using their relationship as a tool to avoid having to reveal your own personal frailties to your reader, although a few did show through, i.e., when his aunt became very ill.

I read the Kindle version, which was poorly converted. Most sentences and proper names did not begin with capital letters and there was improper punctuation throughout. It became a frustrating experience and definitely contributed to my dissatisfaction with the book.

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow -- I was looking at other folks' reviews, and people seemed to really like this book. I don't -- I'm finding it terribly dull. It basically describes a series of yearly visits to England by Lipman and his wife and then their child, visiting Lipman's elderly parents and many times renting cottages and visiting historical buildings, etc. I find Lipman's parents annoying, and reading this book makes me feel like I'm dealing with annoying relatives. I also had very little interest in the historical sites he visits (or the bad and good lunches he ate, etc.) I expected more from the first chapter and introduction, but then it goes downhill. His dialogue is good (Lipman is a playwright, after all), but otherwise I've been bored. I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island or Sarah Lyall's The Anglo Files.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book would be strictly a travel adventure as Denis Lipman(an Englishman who had moved to the US as a young man) shows his wife & daughter the charms of the English countryside & its history, detailing four separate trips back to his home country. But in addition to visiting pubs, Roman ruins, cathedrals and lovely little villages, the book turns into a memoir as Denis invites his elderly parents along and discovers more about THEIR history and also his own. I enjoyed the way he paired history and humor and was impressed with his descriptions as well. It seems as if there are only so many ways to describe sunsets, countryside and water yet Denis came up with new ones!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book about a man who now lives in the US, but is originally from England. After he marries, he and his wife start to take annual trips to England to visit his parents. On these trips, they pick up his parents and go to visit some other area of England, renting a cottage for a week or so. Lipman's recollections don't always square with the reality of modern England. Over the course of the book, his parents and other family members age, and that becomes an integral part of the story. This is a fun, sometimes bittersweet, look at England through the eyes of one who grew up there, but ended up in the US.

[Heather Hoerle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book this year... couldn't put it down. The author -- a reluctant tourist in his own country (prodigal tourist)-- spends several years heading back to visit his East End family with his new wife and eventually lovely young daughter ... madcap adventures ensue, and so does family bonding. If you love England, this book is for you. If you love stories about finding your roots... this book is for you. If you like humor, mixed with pathos... this book is for you. If you like brilliant writing... this book is for you. It needs to be in audio form next. Don't miss it!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met this author recently. He is a friend of a friend and a small group of us were invited to review chapters of his new book. I decided to read this after meeting him - this was thoroughly enjoyable. Part travelogue, part memoir. He lives in the US but returns to England with his wife and daughter for several years to see his parents, rent a place to stay for a week, and be a tourist. The memoir part about his parents is touching and it's clear he cares for them yet is frustrated with their limitations. Very poignant.

[Mimi V · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book. it's a bit memoir, a bit travelogue. written by an englishman who has moved to america, it chronicles his visits back to England, in which he became a tourist in his home country; along with his aging and somewhat difficult parents. Denis Lipman shows warmth and (mostly) patience in his travels and has a completely different perspective on traveling in England than you usually read.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Denis Lipman writes so candidly and makes his Cockney parents pop right off the page. What I enjoyed the most, was just snooping along on the two week-long vacation the Lipmans took to England each year.

They visit all sorts of "lovely" bed'n'breakfasts, a few "nafty" holes in the wall, and several well-described sites of interest like Winston Churchill's grounds and painting studio. I was sad to see the book come to an end. Can't wait to see if Denis writes more....

[Nette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was charming, although it's more of a travelogue than a travel essay, with detailed descriptions of the food at tea shops and the amenities at the B&Bs. But the family's adventures with the author's very, very old and crotchety parents (instant access to tea and toilets: critically important!) are funny and sweet, and made me wish my own parents had survived to such an advanced age.

[Mary Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guy from London's East End goes to the US where he gets a job & an American wife. This account follows several of the couple's yearly trips back to England to visit the family & tour the country. The dialog is wonderful, especially since it's real!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denis Lipman allows us to enter his life completelty, even sharing mental thoughts we usually hide from public view. I totally enjoyed every moment with all of his family and could relate to so many amusing but honest moments.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half memoir, half travel book. An Englishman who now lives in the US makes a yearly trip home with his American wife to visit relatives and site see. A little James Herriot along with a little Bill Bryson.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combination of travel writing for day trips near London and the story of a man dealing with living across an ocean from his parents as they age. Engaging writing with vivid characters. And now I want to rent a cottage near Sandwich.

[Margaret Pinard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this travelogue-cum-memoir of the author's new life mixing with, and savoring, the old. Touching picture of how one can come to terms with aging parents amid all the culture clash. Also lots of funny anecdotes of Londoners in the countryside, and neat places to explore in the Smoke!