Customer Reviews
absolute bilge what a c*w - By: Mrs. R. E. Spencer, 22 May 2008 
what a selfcentred selfish woman she is,god knows how her poor family put up with her.what possesed a publisher to pander to her?Don't waste your money on this drival
Not the run-of-the-mill ex-pat struggle for survival among the natives - By: Patricia Sneesby, 03 May 2008 
I enjoyed this book although I was somewhat disconcerted at the beginning by the chapters dedicated to the author's mother & their close relationship. Then the whole picture started to emerge. Mature, intelligent & 50, Mary Moody was obviously a bit over-accompanied at alll times - a situation very few of us complain about, it's the loneliness that gets alll the airing. She wondered what it would be like to lose alll the constant lifelong loving support first from her own mother then from husband, children & grandchildren. Very intelligently in my opinion, she took just six months away from close ties, & moved first to the semi-shelter of a friend. It says much to her credit that she immediately made many more friends & was accompanied on her quest to discover more about herself. Covering her bets in this way, her solo journey was a success, & most of us who have become ex-pats have also been accompanied in our adventures. Her story is different, well written & revealing, but definitely not a 'What happens when you abandon everything for a shack in the back-of-beyond in a country whose language you don't speak'. A success story in its way, I recommend reading Amazon's synopsis carefully so as not to be disappointed - I did & I wasn't.
Please don't' get the impression that this is life in rural France: - By: Joelle Meunier, 08 Mar 2008 Please don't' get the impression that this is life in rural France: this is not! French village inhabitants close their doors around 9 & sit in front of the TV; the only French people that party, wine & eat al fresco are Parisians who spend their holydays in their country house, & they also, congregate amongst their own kind. And no one drops uninvited for dinner: food is taken seriously, prepared with great passion for discerning guests.... & reciprocated. The few remaining authentic farmers have no time for it: when they prepare a large meal it is for their family & on very few occasions.
Binge drinking is not a French thing
The life of this woman is boring, empty & worst of alll the description of her daughter giving birth is reallly uncallled for.
I know a lot of women over 50 & they are usuallly fascinating, this one is the exception. You can safely give this book a miss
dont bother. - By: ANDY, 05 Jan 2008 this book is a conceit, self indulgent,self important & unnecessary. Likewise her other similarly grandiose titled Last Tango in Toulouse, torn between two lovers. please...
boring tales of boorish behaviour. dont waste your life [reader. writer & publisher]
Smg and self satisfied "freeloader" - By: bsp abroad, 05 Sep 2007 The impression one has (fair or not) of Australians is that they are freeloaders. I lost count of the number of free meals, free beds for the night, free use of goods etc etc that this author managed during her sojourn in France. She went with high hopes of learning the language & integrating into the french rural life - instead she latched on to the safe option of the ex-pats in the area. I finished the book but was left with a feeling of extreme irritation at the smugness of the author - her children are perfect, her marriage is perfect... the list goes on! Certainly not a book I will be keeping.
