Les Américains

Eileen and Marty are Americans who dreamed of living in France. They bought a 400 year old farmhouse with a charming layout; they purchased it online. I am personally not that brave.

There is much style in their new home and as they begin renovating to their taste it becomes the home they always wished for. Oh, it’s full of issues here and there such as a bursting water heater that destroys all their furniture and carpets, electricty issues where it just goes out completely if more than two applicances are plugged in, and of course a small language problem.

I’ll hand it to them, they did learn enough French to get by in restaurants and shoppping, talking to neighbors and such. I always felt if we became ex-pats we would absolutely need to learn the language of the county.

There is French conversation sprinkled throughout the book and an interactive glossary embedded in the book. If your Kindle isn’t on airplane mode you can click on the French word and see the translations.

The book has many recipes, courtesy of Sara their chef daughter.

Goat Cheese souffle
Mussels with Almonds
Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese, wrapped in Pancetta
Tomato Peach Salad
Duck Burgers and Onion Jam

At the end of the recipe page it states you may go to BeginningFrench.com for more recipes and photos. When I tried that you will find that website doesn’t exist and the URL is for sale. I guess they abandoned it.

Also, it seemed enough time was spent explaining how Marty “unwittingly” flirted with the carpet installer, Jaqueline, and how Eileen actually left him for weeks for me think, this was a major event in their lives there. By the way, Jaqueline is described as looking like Marion Cotillard’s younger sexier sister. I had wondered if Marty and Eileen still lived between Califormia and France and had to look online. I guess they do.

Food inspiration for me wasn’t anything mentioned in the book, although I was tempted by the roasted figs. Instead I went with a French chef and recipe from Jacques Pépin. Here is Fettuccine with Summer Vegetables. I’ll be posting the recipe at Squirrel Head Manor tomorrow or Wednesday.

Much thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this complimentary copy of Beginning French, a travel memoir . This was originally published in 2016.… (más)

I really enjoy reading books about people packing up and moving to other countries and making a go of it and this book was no exception. This American couple bought an old farmhouse in France but only lived there in the summer as they had a thriving business in California and were not ready to retire. The farmhouse they bought was fully renovated but as we all know even renovated there are always problems with something that is 400 years old no matter how charming and that includes the barn which was not renovated. However, this American couple found a lot to love about the slower pace of life in France that included the food, the people and the markets and I loved reading about it. There is also the usual and expected humor that comes from the language barrier and the misunderstandings that arise due to the differences in customs. Added bonuses in this book are the French to English dictionary to, book club questions if you want use this title in your book club, recipes for the dishes talked about in the book plus a web site with downloadable and printable recipes and more. I enjoyed this book and I was given the opportunity to read this book through Netgalley.… (más)

"Beginning French" is a truly lovely gem of a story. The authors, along with their adult daughter, purchase a "home" in a tiny medieval village named Issageac, in the Dordogne area of France.
I know what you're thinking; you have heard this story before, right? I, too, have read many books with the same premise. However, in this case, the authors have created a different atmosphere, not all is sunshine and wine, nor gloom and doom. Their approach is one of honesty, whereby they lay bare their souls in describing their journey to try to "become French" (albeit with a good dose of humor).
Whether it's describing a local "night market", toads in the swimming pool, the Lascaux caves (fascinating descriptions), or an overly-amorous carpet salesperson, you will feel like you are standing next to the authors as they have their experiences.
They have some great insights into life also. That money doesn't equate with wealth. Wealth comes from investing in things that matter. Things like family, experiences, learning about other people and cultures.
I became emotionally invested in this book. So much so that at one point, I found myself genuinely concerned about their future (no spoiler allowed). That's a rarity for me these days, and it was a nice feeling.
And if the story isn't enough to pique your interest, there are numerous wonderful recipes in the book, created by their daughter, a chef.
Do yourself a favor and check this book out. You will not be disappointed!… (más)