French Book Friday -French way of looking at life

Submitted: 11th May 2018

Having read some very fine books set in France, and books by French writers, there is a way of looking at books to get the most from life. A life lesson in books you might say and so this French Book Friday brings hope and joy into your reading weekend.

Age is just a number

Book – A Grand Old Time

Evie Gallagher is regretting her hasty move into a care home. She may be seventy-five and recently widowed, but she’s absolutely not dead yet. And so, one morning, Evie walks out of Sheldon Lodge and sets off on a Great Adventure across Europe. Life really does begin at the age you decide it does! And what better place to explore than France? Evie travels from Brittany all the way down to Carcassonne which leads nicely on to BookTrail number 2….

Indulge in a little time travel

Book: The Burning Chambers

There’s nothing like travel and there’s certainly nothing like time travel, especially when you’re in the hands of Kate Mosse. She’s an excellent guide – a few books now set in Carcassonne but each one of them very different exploring new themes and relationships. The Burning chambers is set during the religious wars of the 1600s and the story really brings Carcassonne, the walled city, to gloriously vivid life.

Don’t just dream about travelling – do it!

Book – Dreaming of St Tropez

There’s lots of reasons for wanting to travel and in this book, a character wants to get over a few thingsin life so thinks the sun of the French Riviera is the way to go.She doesn’t like dogs but when asked to dog sit…well what could go wrong? There’s a lot of sunny humour in this book. Oh and plenty of yummy French food, so don’t read on an empty stomach.

Returning to a place you’ve left behind can be very eye-opening

Book – Her Mother’s Secret

If you’ve lived abroad or have stayed for any length of time, and then return, you see things through new eyes tinged with nostalgia. And that can be a very interesting view. In this story, a woman returns to her ailing mother only to find out some family secrets she could never have imagined. This is an extreme visit to the past but it explores how memories and expectations can throw up the most unexpected of surprises!