Postcards from France

by Megan McNeill Libby

Could you leave all the things you love for the adventure of a lifetime?
As a junior in high schoool, Megan McNeill Libby left behind the familiar comforts of suburban New England to live abroad as an exchange student. Now, in this charming collection of thoughts and vignettes, she takes readers of every age on a delightful, memorable tour through her year in France. Poignant and endearing, innocent yet wise. Postcards from France captures her adventure in vivid waging war with the French language and the magic moment when she finally understood everyone around her; her wonderfully hilarious attempt at making Thanksgiving dinner--with a deer; her feelings of lonliness on the first day at a foreign school, and so much more. The perfect letter from a friend, Postcards is a rare gem of a book that will delight anyone who has ever dreamed of traveling or living in a foreign country.

Genres: Travel, France, Nonfiction, Memoir, Teen, Biography

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Rachel Horon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a Rotary exchange student in Germany in 1992, just before Megan's exchange year in France. Her writings brought back many memories and impressions from my own time abroad and a little more perspective about the type of person who is an exchange student. While this book prepares anyone visiting France to reject many stereotypes, it also enlightens the reader with insight about studying abroad and learning the culture of other countries. It is difficult to say if this is the book for outgoing exchange students as technology has changed how we can keep in touch with friends and family at home, but it is definitely a wonderful book with those who have experience the life as an exchange student.

[Cathie Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely little book. I'm going to France next month and wanted to read something that gave me the flavor of the country. I found this book next to the Fodor's Guides in the library. What a pleasant surprise.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan, a junior in high school, tires of her normal routine and opts to study abroad in France as an exchange student. She publishes a series of “post cards” in her school paper about her experiences as a student in France; the pieces are collected in this book. It was an incredibly challenging and mind-blowing experience for her. Megan thought she knew enough French to get by, but she quickly found herself out of her depth and spent several months trying to assimilate the language alone. Add to that the culture shock, the differences between life in the states and life in France, and the isolation before she was able to make friends and communicate and you have some serious stress! Once she adjusted, however, Megan felt like she could take on the world and accomplish anything. She manages to capture the people and essence of France as she relates her story with enthusiasm and humor.

Megan captures the experience of studying abroad – the challenges one faces and the sense of accomplishment one attains after overcoming them. Being outside of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to gain a new perspective of the world. If you’ve got a thirst for adventure and a hankering for a challenge, I recommend studying abroad and immersing yourself in an unfamiliar place or culture. Megan’s experiences will light a fire under you to get out in the world and see/learn/experience something new.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Libby spends her junior year of high school in southern France as an exchange student and convinces the local paper to let her write a column about her experiences. The chapters are well thought out pieces that discuss a variety of topics like food, the language and cultural comparisons. There are great anecdotes that deal with a bad pizza experience, trying to have an American Thanksgiving in France, learning a language by immersion and hitting that Ah-ha moment. This was somewhat dated being written in the mid-nineties, but much is likely to be still true.

[Mark McTague · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming account of an American high school girl's year abroad in a French lycee, and her encounter not only with France, the culture and the people, but also with herself. By turns witty, insightful, and uplifting, this collection of episodes should delight as well as inspire any young person who wonders whether they should take such a leap. Meghan's answer is a clear affirmative. That her tale is well-written enough to make an old man want to go is testament to her ability as a writer.

[TIMONY · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this fight after "Bonjour tristesse" by Françoise Sagan which was a perfect little combo. An interesting slice of life story that I found enjoyable though not particularly memorable.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this little book! This is my second reading and it was just as good. Megan Libby does such a good job of the writing and tells everything we want to know about being an exchange student in France for a year. I liked how things were grouped (food, school, dreams, etc.) and how fairly she told the story. For instance, my mother and I have been to France 4 times (my mother more) and we have both read books about Americans settling in France, or buying a house there, and all that they learn and deal with as they try to get thru French life and bureaucracy and the language. What we would both LIKE is a book written by a Frenchman or woman, who goes to live in AMERICA and how they maneuver thru life, or an exchange like this one, and what they think of the way Americans do things. Would they like it? Possibly not. Especially the food. These books possibly exist, but in French, sold to the French people.....(anybody know of one in English?)

I had only high school French and could not possibly carry on a conversation or understand the news on the radio, so I am VERY interested in how Megan suddenly could understand, after months of trying. It's like learning to whistle or where the notes on the harmonica are! I think it would be such a transcendent moment!! I am starry-eyed.

Also, at the end, after school is out, her family comes to France and they go on vacation in Provence. They go to Bonnieux, and I've been there. Only for the day. The first time I read it, I thought, "hey, Bonnieux, I've been there! I can sort of picture it!" But just last fall, my sister and her husband went to France and rented an airbnb in Bonnieux and stayed there for a whole week! This chapter will interest her!

I wish I had done an exchange when I was in high school. Imagine the growth! But I would have been WAY TOO CHICKEN, I was very shy and not adventurous. I lived at home until I was 20, whereupon my sister and I moved from NY to Maine. That was our adventure.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in exchanges, France, French, or visiting France. Or just teens! It's an exciting story.

[James Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book! Here's my amazon.com review:

On the cover of this book, the publisher exudes, "A delightfully irresistible, charming account of a young American girl's year abroad." For once, this kind of description is actually an understatement. Yes, the book is in fact "delightfully irresistible" and truly charming. But the writing is also exceptionally limpid and evocative and betrays an exceptional maturity and talent. Megan McNeill Libby gives us beautifully impressionistic portraits of France, the French, and her very personal struggles, disasters, and triumphs. Her depiction of the French is extraordinarily perceptive and from my own experience living in France totally accurate. At times, I laughed until I cried; more frequently, I caught myself involuntarily smiling and nodding in agreement. But the deeper reward of reading this book is simply seeing the way that Ms. Libby writes and thinks. She is one of those rare authors with whom one falls in love after (no, during) a single reading. I am normally sparing with my praise, but I readily admit to being a gourmand for this book. Merci bien, Megan, and please give us more!

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet -- the author wrote a column for her home newspaper while she was abroad in France, and she later compiled the pieces into this book. Not exactly high stakes or anything like that, but she has some good insights and obviously enjoys her time there.

I am curious about some of the things she doesn't go into depth on -- why she switched host families, for example (my family used to host AFS students; a house switch often indicates something gone awry). I also would have loved to see deeper characterisation of the people she met in France. It makes sense that those things aren't there, given that this is based on that column, but a girl can dream.

Definitely a good, easy read for students considering studying abroad.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book last year at a library book sale. I had never heard of it but it was short and it sounded like it could be good so I got it. This book was written by the author when she was a junior in high school initially as postcards sent to a newspaper to be published. She talked about her experiences as an exchange student in France. She would send postcards every month for the year that she was in France. She then took those and turned them into this book. I don’t really have a lot to say about this book. It wasn’t one of those books that blew me away and it wasn’t one that I hated. It was just ok. I think the author did a good job at getting her feelings across. This was a quick read and it kept my interest throughout.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect little book for a snowy day (or maybe a day at a coffee shop). The author is a teen-age exchange student. Each chapter is about a different topic (school, food, language, etc). The chapter about dogs made me think of Mrs. Fuller. She may want to AVOID France. All-in-all, a good read, though it did depress me a bit....why didn't I travel when I was a student? I guess money and I was a wimp.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a high school junior. She went to France for a year as an exchange student. She spent the year in a Lycee, a french high school. The book is a remarkable series of essays on various aspects of the experience which she wrote for her hometown newspaper. She discusses the difference between french and American schools, food, culture, transportation, etc.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written. I am quite impressed that Megan wrote this book as a high school junior. Her writing is impeccable. As someone who has spent a great deal of time in France as an adult, I enjoyed reading a teenager's perspective on living in France as a foreign exchange student. A must for high school libraries.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure I reviewed this when I read it, but WHOOSH. Maybe I said something "scathing" about the author. It's possible. But now I don't remember anything of substance to say about the book, except that I thought all the experiences were pretty ordinary. Maybe I would have liked it when I was a teenager.

[Kailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An overall good book. I enjoyed hearing about how she adjusted to life in France and all the activities she became involved in and all the people and customs, but its just not something too memorable or something I'll probably ever reread. It was enjoyable and I did really like it, just not a favorite book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An American high school student spends a year abroad and sends back impressions to her local newspaper ... the essays are then compiled in a book. I think I originally bought the book thinking some of my French students might read it and be inspired to travel as well. The book is okay.

[CathyMW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in advance of a visit to France. Short, sweet read. I would have liked more details, especially about the people that she met. Perhaps this was lacking because the book was adapted from short newspaper columns.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was an AFSer. Enjoyed the book. It brought back memories.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

its out of print which is sad... but it was really a cute short memoir.

[Vonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read. Good read for anyone planning to be a foreign exchange student. Good writer.

[Lu]

Comedy living in France

[Mikicha Goitia rueda · Rating 4 out of 5]

didn't like it too much