Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. I live part-time in France and have often dreamed of buying a home in the south of France. Books like this always remind why I rent and don't buy. This book makes for good stories, and laughs if you aren't the one with the 'new' home but is a cautionary tale.
It is hard enough moving from one culture to another and especially to a small village.

If you are thinking of moving, read up and learn!!!

I love books like this, ex-pats move to foreign country. If I were younger, and no so set in my ways (I want conveniences!), I would loved to have move to Italy, Spain, or France myself. Even Germany, England...etc... I still enjoy reading about the brave souls who do it. So daunting and brave! Taking such risks and starting over in a new culture with a new language! I cringed and laughed my way through this book and vicariously imagined what Susie Kelly lived. Heart stopping, but so entertaining! For anyone who has ever thought of moving abroad, this one is for you! Kudos Susie!

I need to start this review by saying that I sometimes like reading a well-written memoir even if there is not as much content in it as one would expect out of a standard fiction novel. In this case, there is a lot of content but a few people may not see it the same way. Years ago, I recommended James Herriot books to a lot of people, very few of whom actually liked it as much as I did. This particular book reminded me of James Herriot and the place he called home. 

Susie and her husband (mostly Susie was by herself) move to rural France because of strained financial circumstances. They buy a house and land which needed a lot of work to be comfortably habitable. Then her adventure begins. As her husband travels up and down to maintain a job in England, she spends a lot of time on her own navigating the routines of her new life and assorted neighbours and possible friends. There are a lot of animals and a few birds thrown into the mix, some of them came with her from England while others get added because of one reason or another. It is a slow and painful undertaking with some respite in between. Despite all of the hardships, the humour of the situations does not escape her(on almost all occasions). The narration is not always linear but it was easy to follow. I liked the author's style of narration and enjoyed the way she talked about her surroundings. Every aspect of living her life is tackled within those pages ranging from food to medical treatments. It is filled with details and anecdotes and if that sounds like something you would be interested in, I highly recommend reading it!

In Foreign Fields: How Not To Move To France by Susie Kelly


Not just another entry into the ever growing collection of books about moving to a foreign country and restarting your life in a new place, In Foreign Fields: How Not To Move To France, is a quirky and amusing take on this trend. Susie Kelly and her husband, Terry, had dreamed of buying land in rural France, someday. Then the recession of the 1990s happened, and suddenly Susie and Terry go from owning two businesses, a home, a small plane, and two cars to being hounded by debt collectors and losing almost everything except their dogs, two old horses, and some plastic lawn furniture. With nothing left to lose, they decide to make their someday dream of moving to France a present day reality. And, of course, hilarity ensues.

Susie Kelly writes in a voice that leaves the reader feeling as if they know her, or even are her. This is not your typical moving-to-France memoir. She meets not only French natives, but a lot of English ex-pats as well. So very many of them are quirky characters. She seems to attract off-beat personalities, making for a much more interesting story. And it offers her more challenges in her attempts to create a bucolic country life and carve out time for being a writer. Rather than feel lonely, she finds herself longing for some undisturbed “alone time.”

Reinventing one’s life isn’t easy when you do have access to money. It can be even more of a challenge when you don’t. Trying to restore a decaying farm house into a livable home without much in the way of disposable income challenges the author and her husband to become much more creative in their problem solving abilities and brings ever more interesting characters into their lives. These disadvantages of limited resources also show them what they are made of and who the people around them really are, allowing them to recognize how important the kindness of people, especially strangers, are to each of us. It is also in trying times that one finds out who really is a true friend.

Overall, a really enjoyable read that will leave one with the sense that no matter how difficult things seem to be at any given time, it is still possible to make your dreams come true. Especially if you possess a sense of humor and a willingness to adapt.

What starts out as your typical "I bought a ruin in France" book quickly evolves into a romp into the crazy people the author meets and has to deal with on a daily basis.
Sure, everyone wants to find that needle in the haystack old ruin in France/Italy/Spain, and easily restore it to a beautiful estate, where one can sit and watch the sunsets while drinking incredible wine. The author did too, except she bought what, on a good day, probably should have been condemned. And then, with the financial crisis, quickly found herself out of money.
Choosing to stay in France with the home, while her husband returned to England to work, she valiantly attempts to put the home together. Dealing with unscrupulous agents and construction workers almost makes her give up. BUT...then you throw in the hodge-podge of ridiculously crazy neighbors (mostly also expats), and you really have a odd story to tell!
I don't know how the author survived the experience. I hope that now she has found it worthwhile. I know that it makes me hesitant to try this myself.

"In Foreign Fields: How Not To Move To France" follows Susie who decides to full-fill a life long dream and moves to France with her husband. They found the perfect house in a rural area of the country. There is lots of space for their animals and the weather is neither too hot nor too cold.

However, - oh, yes, there is a BIG however - their dream comes in a different size and shape than one would imagine. This book is not about the fashionable lifestyle that you could find in Paris and it's even less about tight and tanned bodies that are posing for #instagood photos at the Côte d'Azur.

Susie and Terry's plan turns into a big hassle and almost everything one could image goes wrong: there is no bathroom or heating - combine this with the coldest winter yet, and numerous other mishaps and accidents.

Despite this, the book is not written like a tragic romance novel. Throughout the book her good humour and sometimes sarcastic voice shines through. In addition, I adore the way she describes life in rural France: in one part, she explains how she had been waiting in line to buy a book and when it was her turn, the cashier decided to flick through it and ask everyone else in the queue what they thought of a particular recipe. Nobody got angry or impatient, instead they cheerfully added their own opinion.

Sometimes reading "In Foreign Fields" felt like stepping into an alternative universe where everyone is very relaxed and at the same time a lot of things go wrong. Almost always when it does, Susie keeps her head held high and approaches the issues with a "can do" attitude.

Despite this upbeat and humorous memoir, it does drag from time to time. There is no perfectly defined plot per se and at times you're not quite sure where this book is going. As far as I can work out, it is only loosely written in a chronological order and each chapter discusses a topic about her French life.

Overall, "In Foreign Fields: How Not To Move To France" is a humorous account riddled with mishaps. It is enjoyable to read and gives new insights into another country and the way of living. All unashamed and without any make-up to hide the uglier bits. It is the book you can read when relaxing in a hammock with the sun shining on your face and a glas of French wine in your other hand ...

... but it's February and far too cold for that .... and I am afraid about accidentally knocking down two walls when installing my dream hammock ....

This sounds like something that could have happened to Susie as well ...

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

Take the author seriously when she says this how not to move to France. A British expat and her often absent husband move to France where they set up housekeeping.They are grandparents, not kids, and yet throughout the story are struggling to make ends meet.

They buy a shack of a house and a barn, but for a very long time have no electricity, no plumbing ,no kitchen, no bathroom, no doors, no windows that close, and no real furniture. Need I go on? Then they buy a car that barely runs.

They acquire any and every animal imaginable and won’t kill a thing, including the mice and rats that they share space with. Six dogs and 2 horses are a constant. No matter that they can barely feed themselves or put gas in the car, more animals appear on a regular basis.

It’s a generally entertaining stream of vignettes about the characters they meet, the friends they make and the village they come to love. It will give you insight as to how others choose to live their lives, which may contrast or actually parallel your own.

Susie and Terry dream of living in France but when they move there it is not bas idyllic as they thought it would be.They share with us their adventure. The quirky people they encounter the difficulties dealing with them.So entertaining so much fun a wonderful read,#netgalley #blackbirddigitalbooks.

An entertaining and enjoyable book. I love this book full of funny anecdotes and quirky people.
I laughed out loud from time to time and read it in one setting.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC