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Beginning French
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
5 posts | 2 read | 74 to read
IN 2006, MARTY AND EILEEN purchased an old stone house in the Dordogne dpartement, a beautiful area between Bordeaux and Provence in the Aquitaine region of France. It was a dream come true. In France they could get a welcome respite from their demanding life in Silicon Valley. They could slowly settle into a real community, absorbing the language and the ways of the locals. In the summer they could meet up with their daughter Sara, a chef, in the very country that invented the word cuisine. On hot days they could swim in the pool, on cold days sit by a warming fire in the salon. So they did it. They bought a 400-year-old farmhouse from an ad on the Internet. What followed was different sort of dream. A freak accident destroyed the interior of the house before they could move in. An ancient wisteria threatened to uproot the kitchen floor. The wildlife continually tried to move in with them, and the pool became a watery hole that swallowed up euros. They managed to salvage their sanity by adopting a simple, time-tested mantra: "Have a setback, have a drink." Soon they were buying ros by the case.
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Bookishlie
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
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Pickpick

I really liked this novel. I'm loving biography and memoir lately and this is no exception. A nice read on expat life. I felt that maybe the recipes were nothing I was going to cook and the added website I didn't really use either. The book moves along at a good clip. Thanks net galley for allowing me the chance to read it in exchange for a review!

review
BookishMarginalia
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
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Pickpick

If you love books about foreigners finding themselves in France, do yourself a favor and pick up this charming memoir about a couple who falls in love with the French countryside and buys a decrepit stone cottage with a magnificent view, in order to spend summers living as the French do. Chapters are short, anecdotes vivid, and there are recipes! It's a fast, thoroughly enjoyable read. You'll be rooting for Marty, Eileen, and daughter Sara!

LauraBrook I love these types of memoirs and hadn't heard of this one before. Thank you! 8y
alisahar Adding this to my stacks! I'm looking at a potential move to France. 8y
Hollie I love when authors include recipes!! 8y
See All 9 Comments
TheCanuckReader Peter Mayle's books about France are great too! Year in Provence, Toujours Provence etc 8y
Elephantango My secret dream!! I'll have to add this to my stack! 8y
Dragon Love this type of book , on the list it goes 📚 8y
LauraBrook @alisahar Wow, that sounds amazing! Do you know where you'd like to move to? 8y
LauraBrook @TheCanuckReader Love those too! His novel, A Good Year, is similar to his NF too. And the movie adaptation was pretty good as well. 😊Has anyone read French Fried? Sounds similar, but for no real reason, I'm afraid the author will be a pretentious d-bag. 8y
Zelma This sounds like what I wanted Under the Tuscan Sun to be. I couldn't get into that one, but this sounds great. Peter Mayle has also been on my TBR for eons. 8y
120 likes22 stack adds9 comments
quote
BookishMarginalia
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
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A taste of Beginning French -- dealing with a plague of flies 😁

SaraFair This looks right up my alley! If you like this, would also like 8y
TheLondonBookworm 😂😂😂 brilliant 8y
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Nenacolours I Think I like this Book. I love french stories 8y
Clevercactus That is hilarious 😂 8y
JEMoutrageous I may need to get this for my sister, who now lives in France. 8y
Bibliogirl 😂 We just have dopey and belligerent flies here. 8y
BookishMarginalia @Nenacolours @JEMoutrageous I recommend it! It's like taking a little French vacation 💕 8y
Nenacolours Thank You @BookishMarginalia for your recommendation 8y
129 likes10 stack adds9 comments
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BookishMarginalia
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
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This memoir of summers in a French village is not only charming and fun, but also delicious: it has recipes for many of the dishes the authors talk about, like this goat cheese soufflé! Yum! ???

Gleefulreader Now I have to seek out that book because I want to make that recipe! 8y
Bibliogirl Yum! 8y
DrexEdit You've convinced me. I'm going to have to check this book out. 8y
BookishMarginalia @Gleefulreader @DrexEdit You won't regret it. It's a charming book! 8y
123 likes12 stack adds4 comments
blurb
BookishMarginalia
Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse | Marty Neumeier, Eileen McKenna
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Really enjoying this memoir by an American couple who bought a stone cottage in a quaint French village as a summer home.

DimeryRene That sounds like my kind of book! 8y
Jenshootsweddings Oooooooh 8y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I've read a number of these type books bc I was/am (to a lesser degree) French obsessed...Peter Mayle has a few good ones too! This one looks fun...wish I could remember the name of the book that had a hilarious scene with a cat on a plane..that one was good too. Can't wait for your review on this! After my serious French obsession, I became Hawaiian Obsessed, and that has remained with me a bit more. Au revoir et Aloha! 🌻 8y
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Pamwurtzler @drbethandherkindle did you see this? 8y
SaraFair My French obsession does not go away-- 8y
135 likes29 stack adds6 comments