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| Book review Fat Dogs and French Estates |
My review today is for Fat Dogs and French Estates - Part 1
by Beth Haslan, a newly released memoir about a journey to France with a
difference. Beth, her husband Jack and their two tubby dogs Sam and Biff are in
France to begin the search for their dream property like many have done before,
but theirs is not quite a run of the mill wish list. Beth and Jack are keen on
the great outdoors, so are looking to buy an estate with land, wildlife and a
habitable but modest property, certainly not one with lots of bedrooms or a
swimming pool. How hard can it be?
by Beth Haslan, a newly released memoir about a journey to France with a
difference. Beth, her husband Jack and their two tubby dogs Sam and Biff are in
France to begin the search for their dream property like many have done before,
but theirs is not quite a run of the mill wish list. Beth and Jack are keen on
the great outdoors, so are looking to buy an estate with land, wildlife and a
habitable but modest property, certainly not one with lots of bedrooms or a
swimming pool. How hard can it be?
This book launches the reader
straight into the not so unusual husband and wife bickering that a long car journey
invariably creates. Beth has an amusing style and is very tongue in cheek
‘moaning’ about her grumpy husband and his antics. By the halfway point I’d
decided that this good-natured grumpiness (mainly on Jack’s part), rather than
being a domestic disaster actually showed the strength in their relationship, as
without a solid foundation Beth wouldn’t have been able to entertain us with
such honesty. I always looked forward to seeing how Jack would react when yet
another viewing didn't quite live up to expectations.
The book moved at a good pace,
with lots of interesting facts about the areas they visited (I felt I was a
more appreciative ear to these snippets of information than Jack was) and lots
of humour too. Beth is a great storyteller, especially when describing the
characters they meet on their search and the somewhat bizarre (and dangerous) situations they often found
themselves in. All too soon I had reached the end and was left wanting to know
more as Beth and Jack were still on their journey and still searching for and viewing domaines. Thankfully I have insider knowledge and know that part
two is well on its way, so the rest of their journey will be told very soon,
phew!
I can recommend this book to
any memoir lovers wanting a good chuckle, especially if the house hunting process in rural
France and the quirky characters you are likely to come across interests you.
Fat Dogs and French Estates Part 1 is available in paperback and ebook format. Links to Amazon can be found below.
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