The French House
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.25 (982 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1402293313 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-10-20 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
You can visit DonWallaceFranceBlog.tumblr for updates on Belle Ile-en-Mer. Don Wallace was born in Long Beach, California and has spent most of his life as a journalist and editor in New York City and Honolulu-that is, when not in France. His essays, articles and fiction have appeared in such various publications as Harper's, The New York Times, SELF, Fast Company, Wine S
WestMetroMommy said A delightful slice of French island life. This was one of those cases when I expected a different book than I actually got. From the above summary, I thought I was going to get a French twist on The Money Pit. There are definitely elements of that in this book, although not in the same slap-stick vein. But, instead, this is really a love story that an American couple has about a way of life.Don and Mindy Wallace are what others may call Bohemians--although they would proba. A great guidebook to the quirks of a tiny French island off the coast of Brittany! The basic plot: girl of Korean descent in a dysfunctional family from Hawaii and a boy from a dysfunctional family in Southern California meet in college in Iowa, eventually marry and with no money to speak of, tromp around Europe for awhile before settling down in New York City in a two-room illegal-sublet apartment, he as a writer for various publications, she as an attorney. The last stop in their travels was a tiny island off B. "Four Stars" according to Clara. A gift for someone
Instead, they embraced it.Redolent with the beauty and flavors of French country life, The French House is a lively, inspiring, and irresistibly charming memoir. Plagued by emergency repairs, a stock market crash, and very exasperated French neighbors, Don and Mindy could have accepted their fate. A great read!"What reviewers are saying about The French House"Don Wallace has crafted a delicious French bonbon of a bookfull of humor, hope, and lessons on how to live a life full of meaning."-Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of Devotion and Still Writing"Village life vignettes, the sensual celebration of island pleasures, eccentric neighbors, cuisine, beach life, natural history-readers will find a smattering of all that in these pages, but it's the story below, like the unshakeable foundations of the house itself, that makes this such a satisfying read."-Rain Taxi Review "The French House is a darling book that mixes local history, memoir, quirky characters, architectural challenges (what will the village elders do if they add windows to the second floor?) and humorIt was a lovely adventure and perfect
She tells them that a house has become available for sale in the small village they’d visited on Belle Île. The arrival of a baby adds to their stress, and their French project balloons into a multiyear, cash-consuming, transatlantic endeavor before the house is finally ready for occupancy. What should have generated a financial windfall for them turns sour when the recession hits. --Mark Knoblauch . From Booklist As part of a lengthy European sojourn, Mindy and Don Wallace spend a few weeks on Belle Île, an obscure island off Brittany’s southern coast in the Bay of Biscay, where they fall in love with both the wild landscape and the locals. They mortgage themselves to buy the property, really a ruin, and begin long-distance plans to restore the house. Then their Manhattan apartment building goes co-op. Having resumed their careers in New York, they receive a let