In Foreign Fields: How Not to Move to France by Susie Kelly: book review

In Foreign Fields: How Not to Move to France (2018) is a memoir set in Nouvelle Aquitaine, southwest France, from 1994.

British couple Susie and Terry Kelly, with their five dogs and two parrots, move to their dream country, buy an old farmhouse, and all is well – there are cockatoos, sunflower meadows, Tuesday market days, plenty of village events, and excellent villagers.

Elderly Madeleine is the last remaining goatherd in the area, Eglantine Grimaud feeds chicken soup to her chickens, Mr Meneteau knows all about the local wildlife, Bill fixes things, the Roly-Polys have a passion for birds, and old Mrs Malucha has a wild thunderous laugh. And there are other British couples Bill and Gloria, and Carole and Norrie.

It is idyllic – until the initial excitement wears off. The house is old and crumbling – built before electricity arrived in 1934 – and the nearest town is six miles away with no public transport. In summer, there are mites, horseflies, wasps, hornets, and mosquitoes. And rats on the bed, and spiders that ‘growl like tigers.’

Their French dream turns into a nightmare when the pipes burst and Terry almost dies.

Simply, but delightfully told, this memoir is an enjoyable read about a couple who make light of difficulties and laugh at misfortunes, due to their ‘have-a-go’ attitude, but mostly due to their new-found friends.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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