Read more
One grey dismal day, Janine Marsh was on a trip to northern France to pick up some cheap wine. She returned to England a few hours later having put in an offer on a rundown old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. This was not something she'd expected or planned for.
Janine eventually gave up her job in London to move with her husband to live the good life in France. Or so she hoped. While getting to grips with the locals and la vie Française, and renovating her dilapidated new house, a building lacking the comforts of mains drainage, heating or proper rooms, and with little money and less of a clue, she started to realize there was lot more to her new home than she could ever have imagined.
These are the true tales of Janine's rollercoaster ride through a different culture - one that, to a Brit from the city, was in turns surprising, charming and not the least bit baffling.
About the author
Janine Marsh lives in northern France with her husband and myriad pets. She is unable to resist a stray animal, and the word is out. She works from a converted pig sty when she’s not travelling around France doing research for her website www.thegoodlifefrance.com, which tells you everything you need to know about France and more.
She gave up a sensible job in London, where she was born, to renovate a bargain basement barn and turn it into a home – an ongoing project. Along the way she became maid to four cats, three dogs, four geese, nine ducks (that's a long story) and thirty-eight chickens! And about eight hedgehogs when they're awake.
She is an award-winning travel writer and social media fan who loves to share her life, explorations and photos on Facebook at The Good Life France.
Summary
Ten years ago, Janine Marsh decided to leave her corporate life behind to fix up a run-down barn in northern France. This is the true story of her rollercoaster ride from her early struggles and homesickness through personal tragedy, to her attempts to become self-sufficient, with her sharp observations on the very different way of life in France.
Foreword
Ten years ago, Janine Marsh decided to leave her corporate life behind to fix up a run-down barn in northern France. This is the true story of her rollercoaster ride.
Report
Warm, uplifting, and effervescent...Janine's voice and humor bubbles right off the page, making you want to pack your bags and visit her fixer-upper home in rural France Samantha Verant
