A series of of short vignettes details the lives of Keith and Val, a couple of Americans living a double life. Half the year they’re in Silicon Valley, California and the other half they spend in St Remy de Provence, France.
After several years of to-ing and fro-ing, learning French, making friends and really digging deep to understand his adopted country, Keith’s unique take on life in Provence from an American perspective is funny, warm and endearing.
How come French people don’t get covered in crumbs when eating a croissant like I do he asks bewildered. What do French people think of fonctionnaires, those who work for the government – and he tells some French jokes to explain that one. He discovers that Le Nord is anywhere more than 50 miles from Provence and it rains there all the time. Nowhere is as good as Provence – as Frederic Mistral didn’t write about it. His take on the energy efficiency of wearing a scarf, how to make REAL bouillabaisse and why you should never call someone brave in France made me laugh out loud.
There’s clearly love for both the US and the ease of life with all conveniences to hand, and the rather slower and sometimes quirky way of life in France. Keith and Val make friends easily and that gives them an insiders view on the French way of, and outlook on, life. It makes for fun and at times fascinating reading.
Written with affection and a wry sense of humour, Are We French Yet? is a charming and hilarious peek into the lives of two Americans in Provence wholeheartedly embracing the difference between life in France and in the US. It’s a perfect read for all Francophiles!
Available from Amazon.
