Almost French

Sarah Turnbull's "Almost French" is a real eye-opener about the realities faced by an outsider trying to make a life for herself in France. An Australian who failed French in school, she meets by chance a Frenchman and takes him up on an offer to visit him in Paris. She ends up never leaving, and she recounts in painful detail several years of trying to assimilate into French culture (painful because you feel her pain and frustration as she makes faux pas after faux pas by just being herself). The glaring cultural differences between France and Australia really make life challenging for her, but she must truly be in love (which she never writes about) because she sticks it out and eventually marries her beau, Frederic.As an American who's always wanted to live in France (albeit Provence, not really Paris), I was eager to read this story and learn from Sarah's experiences. I was a bit bummed, though, by how long it took her to assimilate (although, several years after living there, she is still known as "l'Australienne") and by the reasons for it. While we Anglo-Saxons, particularly Americans and apparently Australians, are an open and friendly lot, eager to welcome newcomers and get to know them, the French are decidedly not. They don't mingle at cocktail parties, women aren't supposed to laugh out loud and they are very competitive with each other as far as men go, even if they're married. Women aren't girlfriends there the way they are in the U.S. Sarah has had to content herself with making close friends with other ex-patriates from England, Germany, etc. who were dealing with the same problem. It took her years to feel included, even with Frederic's family and close pals. I did find it funny, though, that she gained acceptance after recounting a story in which she told off an old man at a patisserie who made a snide comment about her dog. Her French acquaintances were glad to see her behave in a French way and rewarded her for it with greater friendliness. I wonder how pathetic they must have thought her beforehand, always saying, doing and wearing the wrong thing!If you are considering living in France, and you're a woman, I would definitely suggest reading this book. I do wonder, though, how different her situation might have been had she been a strong French speaker, had learned more about French culture before attempting to really fit in and respected those differences, and had more self-confidence. Even when she learned the hard way about the cultural norms, she tended to ignore them and just behave the way she normally would, and then took it personally when she was still rebuffed. I am sure it would be quite discouraging, having to change so much that's natural to you so that others would accept you, but she seemed insecure, and she complained a lot while repeating some of her mistakes. She eventually embraced a big part of French culture: getting a froofy little dog and taking it with her everywhere -- therefore automatically becoming "almost French".Overall, it's a bit discouraging to realize how hard it would be to become even a small part of French society, but I am curious if it's the same in Provence, less so or even (gulp) more so. I am a little less enthusiastic about the possibility of living there after reading this book, but perhaps I needed to take off my rose-colored glasses anyway. We friendly Americans can just seem overbearing to others, so it's good to get that perspective.If you're just tickled reading stories about foreigners trying to fit in while living in France, you will probably get more of a kick out of this book than someone who actually wants to live there and will face the same battles! It does indeed focus on creating a new life in Paris, and unfortunately, that means the "Love" part is left out almost entirely (you really do wonder about their relationship because she always talks about what they're doing, never about how they feel, and you'll wonder the entire time, "When do they get married?" and kinda, "Why?" But overall, it's a good read and extremely insightful.

Loved every minute of this book. If you are curious about assimilating into Parisian culture as an outsider then this is for you. Extremely well written and interesting story. Didn’t want the story to end. Highly recommend!

I don't know if Sarah Turnbull author of "Almost French" could be described as 'spoiled' as one reviewer suggests, but I do know that reading the memoir of her years adjusting to life in Paris provides enough proof to allow me to categorize her as 'adventurous' perhaps, 'impulsive', throughly 'enamoured' with her adopted city and possessing that "je-ne-sais-quoi" that gives us pause.Meeting Frederic while on a journalistic assignment in Bucharest throws a curve ball in Australian-born Sarah's easy-care wash-and-wear lifestyle where getting dressed up means making sure there isn't any caked mud embedded in the soles of her Doc Martens. On a romantic whim, she takes Frederic up on his offer to visit him in Paris, and suddenly Sarah finds herself living in the City of Lights where her honed communication skills become meaningless in the whirlwind of French.Language is not the sole barrier keeping Sarah outside the proverbial candy store window with her nose pressed up against the glass. She doesn't quite understand the French social situation where quiet mannered restraint is the order of the day. In chapter after chapter of amusing Anglo-Saxon vs. French/Latin anecdotes and speculations, Sarah allows us a sparkling glimpse of her personal epiphanies: how acquiring a dog allowed her otherwise forbidden entry, why wearing sweatpants in the street lowers the standards of an entire city, how she could NEVER eat low-fat again, how the Latin interpretation of the law leads to furtive games played opposite the French authorities, how wording something in seemingly flowery language lands her the money needed to sponser her journalism course and why becoming "almost French" isn't nearly as important as "just being yourself." Sarah is certainly not 'spoiled', she's just a victim of intense culture shock. Her revelations are imparted with a cozy friendly narrative sprinkled with just enough dialogue to imbue each character with some depth. I would like hear more from her in a further book as the shock wears off or new shocks electrify with new situations.Readers expecting the details of Sarah's personal relationship with Frederic, her future husband, to be spun out like a rich romantic fairytale, be warned; even though the book is subtitled love and a new life in Paris, the love portion remains private; she relates only that they met in Bucharest, connected and suddenly were living together in France. The reader catches glimpses of Frederic as the quintessential Frenchman; the memoir focuses on Sarah's adjustment, not to Frederic, but to his country and its occupants. It makes for charming light reading and is recommended to all who like travel essays and don't mind a change from finding the provincial country idyll to discovering the heartbeat of a city.

Sarah Turnbull is a twenty-something journalist from Australia taking some time off to backpack around Europe. She meets Frederic and goes to visit him in Paris and ends up staying.Sarah has a lot of problems with the language, the politics and each chapter is mainly about various facets of her life in France.Frederic does not live in Paris proper, so eventually he and Sarah buy an apartment in the city and we learn the intricacies of French real estate. When they decide to have a window put in, they have to do it on the sly to avoid all the red-tape and then pay off any neighbors that complain.I skimmed most of the politics stuff, but I enjoyed all the food discussions and her foray into fashion journalism.My favorite chapter was when she and Frederic decide to get a dog, Maddie. The French may be very reserved but not when it comes to their pets. Sarah finds her fellow Parisians become very talkative and interested in Maddie. I love that dogs are welcome in all the cafes, shops, and even the butcher shops. And they have lots of very fancy dog groomers that are not just for the rich but anyone that does not want to be scorned and yelled at for not taking proper care of their dogs.This was billed as a look at love and life in France but it is much more life than love. Which is fine, no one needs another sappy, romantic memoir. I enjoyed this very much and is a great addiction for any Francophile.my rating 4/5

An enjoyable tale of living in Paris with a Frenchman. I like the writing style. She does not hide the difficulties, but avoids making it depressing. I love the descriptions of the different areas and people. Fascinating comparisons between French people, particularly females, and other nationalities. The fashion scene is amazing in several different ways. The interview with Christian Lacroix is magical. Maddie is a revelation. Useful insights to French cuisine and hospitality. One of the best books I have read, and I am sorry to have finished it.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so well written and I really enjoyed following Sarah’s journey adapting to her new life in France.As a fellow Aussie, who lives in the UK but spends a lot of time in Paris, I found myself nodding enthusiastically at some of the situations Sarah encounters. Trying hard to navigate French ways, being frustrated at trying to learn the language and it’s various nuances and never knowing what to wear. I always ask my lovely French neighbour (who has warmed to me eventually as her dog likes me!) why on Earth when I’m speaking French (badly) but really really trying why people always just answer me in English?! She just shrugs and laughs and says she has absolutely no idea and if she does well she’s not telling!There were some real laugh out loud moments for me, her family calling her husband Freddo Frog had me roaring plus the farting tourist story had me in tears of laughter! Such a great book, funny, touching and entertaining, thoroughly enjoyed every page and am looking forward to reading the sequel very soon!

This account of adjusting to a new life in Paris by a resourceful young woman who is not easily daunted, is pleasingly vivid and entertaining. She falls in love with Frederic who presents here as a sort of benign presence in the background, while Sarah encounters the paradoxes of the French. She persuades him to move to Paris from the leafy suburbs in order to be in the hubub of the city, but eventually begins to yearn for unmanicured lawns and more open spaces. She resists running back to Sydney, and compromises by having a hole made in their apartment wall, creating a window onto the rooftops of Paris.Initially, her friendly Aussie demeanour is not always well received, but after some painful beginnings she and the natives acclimatise better. Sarah's cooking skills and tastes improve, and as a freelance journalist she gets to interview some key cultural figures. Her descriptions of daily Parisian life are witty and informative. This is a light, bright read.

I found this book quite unputdownable. Sarah tells her story warts and all. As she points out, you can't judge the whole of France on the basis of life in Paris. And she does venture to northern France to the birthplace of her partner near Boulogne. She clearly adores Paris, and for her its pluses outweigh the negatives. At first she is disappointed with northern France but eventually grows to love it. I laughed at the many faux pas she made with the language. I found her observations on the attitudes of the people extremely interesting. My only disappointment was that she skipped rapidly through the transition of her relationship with Frederic from friend to partner. I know it's difficult to write about one's relationships and I don't expect a blow-by-blow account, but more mention of the excitement of new love would I feel have improved the tale. Full marks though for producing a professionally written book with very few errors in the text.

An intelligent, in-depth look at the real Paris and its inhabitants. The authoress has even taken the trouble to research the history and backgrounds of the various wards (arrondissements). Although written in the first person there is none of the usual self-centredness found in the majority of similar books, and none of the hysteria about producing three-course meals each day - a quite normal occurence for many in Europe. Even the women appear normal: well-dressed and possibly chic yes, but not the artificial models usually forced on the reader. There is a sense of humour throughout which makes reading enjoyable and Mme Turnbull has that endearing quality of being able to laugh at herself.