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blondierocket's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of my most recent reads and came highly recommended from my lovely friend, Trish, (who helps me with all my author stuff and creates this amazing list you get to read every month). Having spent some time in Italy, but not France, I was excited to learn more about the country and experience some differences and similarities to the European way. And how dare she leave it on a cliffhanger to force me to pick up the next book in order to find out what happens after France?
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
My Grape Year by Laura Bradbury
Starts out with her leaving BC, Canada and heading to France=not her first choice for one year of school abroad.
Lots of travel and new things for her to get used to. The girl that she's taking the place of is leaving to head to the USA for her year abroad.
Lots of things to consider and wonder about as she is served coffee in a bowl rather than a mug.
She had studied French in school but didn't like it so didn't learn so much. She is able to pick out a few words when others are talking. When she arrives her lugguage didn't make it-lucky she had packed shorts and a shirt in her carryon bag.
After spendng a day at the grandmothers they arrive back at the familys house where there is a older son who speaks English who's most helpful to her lack of speaking in French.
After school starts she finds everything so confusing. Especially love the lesson in how to taste wine-i knew some of the parts but not all of them. Love that there are grapes nearby and by the title know I will learn more about the vineyard.
For the most part there is French being spoken and she has no idea what's being said-she can't study that way or learn anything and the book does not translate what is being said to us reading it.
There are four different host families that she stays with and she learns so much about the culture. There is food everywhere and it's described so much in detail you get hungry.
Laura is able to learn and harvest the grapes and the processes of making the wine. Learned so much about the grapes, so glad I read this book from the start to the finish.
Loved the four major parts of a good wine and how to tell once it's poured.
Her friend has a brother and when she meets him it's love at first sight....love family gatherings and all the food.
Especially liked the places visited, so much detail to descriptons.
Excerpt from the next book in the series is included at the end.
Starts out with her leaving BC, Canada and heading to France=not her first choice for one year of school abroad.
Lots of travel and new things for her to get used to. The girl that she's taking the place of is leaving to head to the USA for her year abroad.
Lots of things to consider and wonder about as she is served coffee in a bowl rather than a mug.
She had studied French in school but didn't like it so didn't learn so much. She is able to pick out a few words when others are talking. When she arrives her lugguage didn't make it-lucky she had packed shorts and a shirt in her carryon bag.
After spendng a day at the grandmothers they arrive back at the familys house where there is a older son who speaks English who's most helpful to her lack of speaking in French.
After school starts she finds everything so confusing. Especially love the lesson in how to taste wine-i knew some of the parts but not all of them. Love that there are grapes nearby and by the title know I will learn more about the vineyard.
For the most part there is French being spoken and she has no idea what's being said-she can't study that way or learn anything and the book does not translate what is being said to us reading it.
There are four different host families that she stays with and she learns so much about the culture. There is food everywhere and it's described so much in detail you get hungry.
Laura is able to learn and harvest the grapes and the processes of making the wine. Learned so much about the grapes, so glad I read this book from the start to the finish.
Loved the four major parts of a good wine and how to tell once it's poured.
Her friend has a brother and when she meets him it's love at first sight....love family gatherings and all the food.
Especially liked the places visited, so much detail to descriptons.
Excerpt from the next book in the series is included at the end.
tessanne's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll admit that the nostalgia of my own study abroad in France plays a large role in my five stars for this book. So much of what Laura Bradbury relays, especially in regards to the first part of her time in France, really resonated and reflected my own experiences. It’s powerful knowing someone else felt many of the same things you did.
The theme of the author searching for her true love felt rather juvenile, especially contrasted with the very mature vocabulary and style of writing, which made it very clear that it had been many years since these events took place and the time of writing.
I loved the descriptions of the places, people—as individuals and groups—and food. Very evocative writing, it has made me desperate to get to France again. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!
The theme of the author searching for her true love felt rather juvenile, especially contrasted with the very mature vocabulary and style of writing, which made it very clear that it had been many years since these events took place and the time of writing.
I loved the descriptions of the places, people—as individuals and groups—and food. Very evocative writing, it has made me desperate to get to France again. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so long and detailed and so many things happen that I was genuinely a bit confused about whether it was memoir or fiction. Which kind of makes it better! What would be boring in a typical novel becomes tolerable because it reads more like a journal entry of a true experience. It’s kind of wonderful. I had no idea it was part of a series but I’m not surprised now that I’ve finished. I’m not sure I’ll be picking up the next one any time soon but I am curious what happens with the love interest.
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars, actually.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Bradbury's account of her year abroad with four different families in Burgundy, France, while not the most philosophical and plot-centric story, does provide quite a lovely read and some delicious food porn.
Laura goes to France with a heart and seemingly bottomless stomach for wine, cheese, and love. She wants desperately to fall in love-- with her family, with Burgundy, and with some missing part of her soul.
In the inevitable way only hindsight can provide, the account of her near-misses and then final meeting with her now-husband, Franck, is a romantic tale that will please anyone on the lookout for a HEA. But really for me, what made this book stand out, is Laura's unabashed descriptions of cheese, (from runny, garlicky Jura cheese you scoop out of a jar to sharp Comte) baked goods (crunchy baguettes and flaky breakfast pastries), spreads (home made currant jams and rich headcheese) and rustic dishes such as coq au vin and the making of black sausage.
Just her recounting of eating pigs feet in a cafe to please her host mother by itself is not only a gastronomical adventure, but also wincingly humorous.
While the main "theme" of the book, about how we change and that changing might not please the people we love most, seems a bit self-consciously tacked on at the end, really the point of reading this book is just waiting for the next meal-- or her next meeting with Franck.
Romantic, delicious, a lovely escape.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Bradbury's account of her year abroad with four different families in Burgundy, France, while not the most philosophical and plot-centric story, does provide quite a lovely read and some delicious food porn.
Laura goes to France with a heart and seemingly bottomless stomach for wine, cheese, and love. She wants desperately to fall in love-- with her family, with Burgundy, and with some missing part of her soul.
In the inevitable way only hindsight can provide, the account of her near-misses and then final meeting with her now-husband, Franck, is a romantic tale that will please anyone on the lookout for a HEA. But really for me, what made this book stand out, is Laura's unabashed descriptions of cheese, (from runny, garlicky Jura cheese you scoop out of a jar to sharp Comte) baked goods (crunchy baguettes and flaky breakfast pastries), spreads (home made currant jams and rich headcheese) and rustic dishes such as coq au vin and the making of black sausage.
Just her recounting of eating pigs feet in a cafe to please her host mother by itself is not only a gastronomical adventure, but also wincingly humorous.
While the main "theme" of the book, about how we change and that changing might not please the people we love most, seems a bit self-consciously tacked on at the end, really the point of reading this book is just waiting for the next meal-- or her next meeting with Franck.
Romantic, delicious, a lovely escape.
katiedermody's review against another edition
5.0
I love memoirs and this one is so well done! The fact that I've chatted with the lovely Laura on IG after reading her fiction books (and loving them!) made me excited to read her memoirs. The writing style is so inviting and the descriptions made me feel like I was there, including being jealous about eating food I'm not even convinced I would like! This is the first in the series and I look forward to continuing.
smerc's review against another edition
4.0
Really great memoir. Made me feel like I was there in France with the author. Definitely recommend and look forward to reading the others in the series.
a_hutchinson19's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
This story was predictable and boring and had no plot
zeba's review
3.0
This isn’t the type of book I’d normally read (or admit reading), but I was looking for something easy that I didn’t have to think too hard about.
The first half of the book is great, the food, drink and scenery descriptions are brilliant. They really do transport you to Burgundy - every time I put this book down I felt like I’d just returned from holiday. The book was comforting and an escape.
I would have given this a higher rating - but I didn’t care much for the romance. I found it tedious and it took up far too much of the book. I know it’s a memoir so I can understand why the author wanted to include it - but I don’t think she should have made it such a focus point. It’s hardly the world’s most epic love story.
The first half of the book is great, the food, drink and scenery descriptions are brilliant. They really do transport you to Burgundy - every time I put this book down I felt like I’d just returned from holiday. The book was comforting and an escape.
I would have given this a higher rating - but I didn’t care much for the romance. I found it tedious and it took up far too much of the book. I know it’s a memoir so I can understand why the author wanted to include it - but I don’t think she should have made it such a focus point. It’s hardly the world’s most epic love story.