Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas.
Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessay on Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.
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About the book
Can she find her recipe for happiness?
Del and her husband Ollie moved to a beautiful village in Provence for a fresh start after years of infertility struggles. But six weeks after they arrive, they’re packing the removal van once more. As Del watches the van leave for England, she suddenly realises exactly what will make her happier… a new life in France – without Ollie.
Now alone, all Del has is a crumbling farmhouse, a mortgage to pay and a few lavender plants. What on earth is she going to do? Discovering an old recipe book at the market run by the rather attractive Fabian, Del starts to bake. But can her new-found passion really help her let go of the past and lead to true happiness?
A heart-warming tale about reclaiming your life, set amongst the lavender fields of Provence.
Unless you have experienced it first-hand it's really hard to fathom how some people can move to a foreign country and build their own home country bubble inside said foreign country. The British are particularly talented at it. It's like a throwback to times of colonialism. One might be abroad, but one has to live as if one were at home darling.
It's probably also the very reason Brit ex-pats tend to stick together and move into the same areas. You have to be willing to adjust to your new surroundings by learning the language, the culture and becoming part of your new country. Although to be completely frank you will also possibly always be the foreigner who moved in ten years ago.
The difference between Del and Ollie is that Del has recognised the bubble her fellow ex-pats live in and that she wants to be part of the community instead. Ollie is done with being an ex-pat in the French countryside, and Del is done with him and their marriage. She embarks upon a new life, which brings various highs and lows, but ultimately she knows it is worth all the emotional turmoil that comes with it.
It's a story about discovery of self and being brave enough to acknowledge you want something more or different for yourself in life.
Immersed in this story is a point that is quite poignant, especially during the uncertainty of our current situation, which is trying to connect with and help others. Society teaches us not to trust, to look away, to judge and to discard. The difference just one person can make to the lives of others is the best part of this story.
Thomas infuses the story with the love, food and lavender, but more importantly with an atmosphere of hope.
Buy Escape to the French Farmhouse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Transworld Digital: pub date 7 May 2020 - Paperback 9th July 2020 | £7.99. Buy at Amazon com.
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