This is the true story of a couple from Northern Ireland, whose lives having been turned upside down, feel they have nothing left to lose. Together they grasp a second chance at happiness and selling everything, purchase a rundown ecclesiastical building at the heart of a tiny village in southwest France. Little do they know when they arrive in Saint-Allier, on a wet and windy November evening, that the old presbytery, not unlike the wardrobe in Narnia, would turn out to be the door that fast tracks them to the heart of village life. Once through that door their new life is peppered with colourful characters. Take for example their next-door neighbour, the ever-present Henri, who having married a much younger second wife, is on a constant quest to hone his body to perfection. In his effort to impress all and sundry, he proudly declares at every opportunity, "beaucoup de musculation!" Or there is, of course, 'Joyce' the colourful, eccentric English lady with the mad frizzy hair, who, propelled along by her two Shih tzu's Sybil and Thorny, calls everyone darling. She can be heard regularly across the supermarket, greeting the bemused French shop assistants with her theatrical cry of, "Bonjour, darling!" You must call by her little piece of England and meet her long-suffering husband, Jerry. The list goes on, turning this true story into a hilarious adventure that attracts comedy situations like the best French farce, culminating in a bedroom romp with a touch of 'O, la la', as they greet their first B&B guests! Don't get me wrong, however, this is a story of light and shade. When tragedy comes to the little village of Saint-Allier, Heather and Ronnie stand shoulder to shoulder with their French neighbours. Together their voices become one, as they experience an amazing feeling of total acceptance and integration. This book is a must read, for anyone who has ever dreamed of relocating to France, as we follow our intrepid pair on their journey to full immersion into French village life. In this case, made entirely possible by a unique and beautiful property at the heart of a close-knit community. The result, a genuinely amusing true tale of how laughter, for Heather and Ronnie, did in fact turn out to be the best medicine under the sun!
About the Author: Heather Francis is an author and writer of short stories and poetry. She grew up in Belfast against the backdrop of the 'Troubles' and since then has lived in Ireland, Germany and France, the latter providing the inspiration for her newly published travel memoir, 'Bonjour Darling'. Having found her feet as an author, she has discovered humour in her writing, along with a definite gift for conveying emotion. Currently on her second book, this time fiction, she once again draws on her experience of life in France, from Paris to the Côte d'Azur.