Annemarie Rawson and her husband Steve decided they wanted a lifestyle change and moved half way round the world from New Zealand to France. Their adventures brought challenges they never imagined and made for a fabulous book – My French Platter: A Journey to a Dream Life in France. Things didn’t quite work out as planned and they were forced to find a new home and work. But this couple are nothing if not determined!
The sequel, My French Platter Replenished: In Search of a Dream Life in France is a warm memoir that follows up on their joyful escapades in France…
Review of My French Platter Replenished
Since reading My French Platter, Annemarie’s first book, I’ve often wondered if she and husband Steve found their happy place in France. After just the first few pages of My French Platter Replenished, it becomes apparent that they do. Annemarie’s story telling is wonderful, she makes you feel like you are there with the couple, enjoying a coffee and pastry at every little café they find. I found myself day-dreaming at work about the book, wondering what the next part of their journey would be and who they would meet along the way. For Annemarie and Steve to be able to share such a special experience with family and friends from back home in New Zealand, makes the book more personal. It’s full of emotion and new found friendships. I found myself wishing them more and more luck and happiness with everything they tried.
The attention to detail in the book really brings it to life. The way the weather is described, how food is presented, the pace of French life. Everything Annemarie writes about makes me want to pack up and go right now and experience it for myself. Reading about their time in France and being the guardians to a grand house, the descriptions of fabulous French food, village fetes and the joie de vivre of life in small town France made me feel joyous as well as envious! I loved how Annemarie and Steve take everything in their stride and get stuck in with every task with gusto and pride.
I actually felt sad to reach the end of the book knowing their journey was coming to an end, saying goodbye to friends made along the way and the place they had called home. But when you read about the precious time they get to spend with family members at home it’s not all bad. The recipes at the end take you back to the parts of the book where Annemarie made them so the book doesn’t really end and the memories linger. It’s pure escapism, a relaxing read and heartwarmingly charming. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment of the journey, where ever it may take them.
Available from Amazon and online book stores everywhere: Book 1: My French Platter: A Journey to a Dream Life in France; Book 2: My French Platter Replenished: In Search of a Dream Life in France
Review of My French Platter: A Journey to a Dream Life in France;
French bookworm lives in London but loves to visit France at every opportunity.
