63-year-old Kiwi journalist Maria Hoyle moves to rural France to live with Alistair, a man she has only dated a few times. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, she throws herself into creating a new life there. She has a degree in French and is smitten with her new partner. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out quite a lot doesn’t go to plan. She misses her urban life in New Zealand, she misses her daughters, she misses her friends and networks. While communicating with the locals is mainly fine, there are some fax pas, thankfully amusing. But less amusing is the challenge of communicating with a man whom she doesn’t really know and discovering they both have a lot of emotional baggage to sort through if they are to make their relationship work.
There are plenty of beautiful romantic moments, but there are also crushing arguments. Can Maria find enduring love with Alistair? Can their romantic beginning endure living in an old mill by a river in France?
Maria has a very engaging writing style, and I found myself captivated by her descriptions of life in France and her insights about her new relationship and trying to build a new life in a foreign country. A Very French Affair is an enchanting read with equal parts humour and pathos.
Karen McMillan
Allen & Unwin
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