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A review by sewfrench
Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull
4.0
Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull was an enjoyable read.
When asked how she came up with the book's provocative title, she said - "It's tongue-in-cheek. It sums up the main theme... expatriates' struggle with identity and their sense of belonging. On the one hand, after eight years in France, I've adopted some French customs and I've been very influenced by French ways of thinking. Yet I don't feel French at all and I know I never will. If anything, as each year passes I feel more Australian. This permanent state of only ever being ‘almost' French - never ‘entirely' or ‘completely' - is really the essence of my book."
Makes me want to return, but for a much longer time, next time.
When asked how she came up with the book's provocative title, she said - "It's tongue-in-cheek. It sums up the main theme... expatriates' struggle with identity and their sense of belonging. On the one hand, after eight years in France, I've adopted some French customs and I've been very influenced by French ways of thinking. Yet I don't feel French at all and I know I never will. If anything, as each year passes I feel more Australian. This permanent state of only ever being ‘almost' French - never ‘entirely' or ‘completely' - is really the essence of my book."
Makes me want to return, but for a much longer time, next time.