Almost French MP3 CD – MP3 Audio, 1 Dec. 2015

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!

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.

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.

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 loved this book. It could only have been written by an Australian. She describes everything with an openness and sense of fairness derived from her country of birth. I do not think an English writer could have written in this non-biased way and yet we English can learn so much from her experiences. She is a combination of naivety and straight talking and determination that allows her to conquer all her problems and thoroughly enjoy the experience. Her intelligence shines through and it is easy to see why I think her French boyfriend must have been fascinated by her. Very well written and a joy to read.

As a fellow ex-pat I shared a lot of the feelings and it was good to hear that I'm not the onlyone who suffers for her bad language mistakes or fashion faux pax..but I did begin to feel that there was a lot of fill as the book went on as if it was an article which grew a bit too much for the magazine and got stretched into a book..Maybe that's harsh as it is well written and conjures up Paris well.