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My Four Seasons in France
- A Year of the Good Life
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Women
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Like many Brits, Dick and Angel had long dreamed of living in France, but where others might settle for a modest bolthole in the French countryside, the Strawbridges fell in love with a 19th-century fairy-tale chateau, complete with 45 rooms, seven outbuildings, 12 acres of land and its own moat. Throwing caution to the wind, Dick and Angel swapped their two-bedroom flat in East London for an abandoned and derelict castle in the heart of the Loire valley and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with their two young children, Arthur and Dorothy.
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Love this couple
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Summary
A little over 10 years ago, Janine Marsh and her husband gave up their careers in London to chase the good life in the countryside of northern France. Having overcome the obstacles of starting to renovate her dream home - an ancient, dilapidated barn - and fitting in with the peculiarities of the locals, Janine is now the go-to expat in the area for those seeking to get to grips with a very different way of life.
In this book, Janine regales us with the delights and dramas of a year attempting to live the rural idyll. Each month brings to light a new aspect of life in the French countryside: snow in January, resulting in a broken arm, which in turn leads to an etiquette lesson at the local hospital; wild winds in February; cuckoos in March; and giant hailstones in July that destroy cars and houses and bring the villagers closer together.
Told with warmth and humor, My Good Year in France showcases a uniquely French way of life: where two eternally ambitious expats drag a neglected farmhouse to life, and deal with the accompanying disasters, learn to grow vegetables, discover how to cook, and stumble across the hidden gems of this very special part of the world.
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What listeners say about My Four Seasons in France
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Renée
- 23-08-20
Poor narration
The story was very interesting and flowed well, but I did not like the narration. Every sentence had an irritating rhythm which put me off listening.
1 person found this helpful
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- Threeamigos
- 18-08-20
Love this book!
I really did enjoy this book, perhaps even more so than the first , which is saying something because I loved the first on kindle too. I think I might prefer the kindle version of this too. The content and wonderful tales of a full year in France are a delight to hear / read. However the narration really did take away from my enjoyment. The lilt and intonation followed exactly the same pattern - up down up down. Delivered slightly like a TV game show presenter- I found it utterly distracting and not enjoyable. That aside, the story itself is delightful. Overall I absolutely loved the book, aside from the narrative style.
1 person found this helpful
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- Mrs. Linda Hall
- 12-05-20
An excellent book
An excellent book which I believe I would have enjoyed more except for the narration. I can't put my finger on why I found the narrators voice so bland and unbalanced without pause. I shall now read the kindle edition and enjoy much more.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jane Stanley
- 03-01-21
Lovely insight to everyday French Living
Easy to listen to. I love France so it was easy to get lost in the way of life. Cert3 listen to it again.
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-05-20
Wonderful
Just made feel as if I was in la belle France! However I also learned lots from Janine's experiences! Superb xx
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- Sarah, Viking Queen
- 15-06-20
Ruined by the narration
I LOVE Janine Marsh. Her writing is so sweet and engaging and I look forward to her emails every week. I so want to like this book, but the narration is SO AWFUL! Please, Janine, keep writing! And please, Janine, FIND ANOTHER NARRATOR! I feel disloyal not rating this audiobook higher, but I cannot. The reader’s voice sounds so affected, pretentious, and totally repetitive that I can barely listen for 30 minutes at a time before i blurt out unattractive commentary which I’m glad no one overhears. Hope I can finish listening, but I’m not optimistic. Bummed.
1 person found this helpful
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- Nick
- 22-01-21
Makes you wanting to hear more.
Lovely book! So enjoyed it. Made my travels to France so much more memorable with her literary details. Makes you come back for more from this author.
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- Anonymous User
- 14-08-20
Charming Vision of France
Full of warmth, charm and humorous stories, this book is an utter delight. All my senses and emotions were busy. Loved the virtual experience <3. Thank you Janine and Susan.
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-07-20
A magnificent story of life in rural France
Thoroughly enjoyed Janine's second book of her and Mark's life and experiences in rural France; and most fervently hope for a next installment, as well as an update on how the building is coming along, and how all the lovely neighbours are doing.
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- Joanne
- 23-05-20
If you love France ... or even if you don't!
I stumbled upon Janine's Marsh's first book "The Good Life in France" and fell in love with this down-to-earth and passionate author. With over 150,000 facebook followers, she still takes the time to interact and reply as she shares her expertise on the country she loves. Listen to the first book and then get into this equally enjoyable and humerous follow-up!