Don WallaceBesprekingen

THE FRENCH HOUSE delivers an enjoyable tale, from the truly jaw-dropping repairs of their ruin of a house
to the memorable village characters and landscapes of Belle Ile.

NO bathroom! Septic, NON! NO Sink! NO Water! NO Land! NO Garden!
Eh, NON!
Readers may wonder what they DID get for $15,000!

The Wallace Family was brave to go ahead with the restoration of this far-away from NYC French dream.

If I had Mindy's expertise, I would open The World's First Vegetarian Dim Sum Restaurant featuring her Kim Chee!

(though not on a level with the Horrific French foie gras, what I wish I had not read: "clipped" and terrified to death duck.)

Readers may well wish for a sequel with a cure for Gwened and many more island adventuring with all the people
we have come to know and care about.½

Mindy and Don buy a house on Belle Ile, off the coast of Brittany, that needs to be repaired. Their families are not happy about it but they persevere. Life happens but the thought of the house and their chance to be there helps get them through the downs of life in America.

I enjoyed this book. I liked how we get a glimpse of life in the US for them (sometimes you have to read between the lines to know what has happened.) The thought of the house and the repair work being done gives them the strength to move past the disappointments of familial disapproval, job loss, and economic downturns. I love how they bring surfing to Belle Ile. I also like how they fit in as well as the thoughts they have when they think more like Americans than Bellilois while on the island. I loved the letter to the people who stay in their home when they are back in the US. It is great. I would love to have a dream like they did and to execute it. Loved this book

I really enjoyed reading all about "la maison Wallace" and its journey from ruin to treasured vacation home. Nestled in a little French Island village, with its unique characters and social "moeurs". Rekindled my desire to find my own little island getaway...

I have mixed feelings about this book; however, overall, I liked it. Wallace and his wife are impoverished, bohemian writers living in NYC. Through a friend they are convinced to visit a small island of the Breton coast. Falling in love with the island, they buy a small ruined cottage they can ill-afford to restore. This is a poor man's Peter Mayle. Over a long period of time they make the cottage liveable and insinuate themselves into the local community. The book jumps around a bit both temporally and geographically; however, once I became comfortable with the writing style, I enjoyed the ride.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review and rated the book 4 out of 5 stars.

Want to visit France? If like me you want to visit, but it’s not in your budget, picking up a copy of Don Wallace’s The French House will temporarily scratch your itch. Filled with memories, anecdotes and his love for the villagers he has come to know, Mr. Wallace’s book gives us insight into the Gallic approach to life. An approach I find very appealing.

While most people wouldn’t purchase a home in a foreign country sight unseen, Don and Mindy Wallace, two free-spirited New Yorkers did just that. Moving their family to France, the Wallace’s find themselves neck deep with necessary repairs and renovations on a “ruin”, cash flow problems and interesting neighbors. Falling in love with a different way of life, and staying strong despite the challenges, they slowly transform their “ruin” into a home over several decades.

While Mr. Wallace provides plenty of amusing home repair situations, it’s the relationship his family forges with the local villagers on the island of Belle Ile that really make his story standout. Filled with descriptions of the French countryside, comparisons between life in America, mainland France and Belle Ile, along with discussions about the French food, made me long to become a guest in their home. Especially when told in Mr. Wallace’s easy to follow style.

Reminding us that not everything in life has to be done in a “rush”, the Wallace’s worked tirelessly to change their lives. And embraced what life brought them. While there were some sections that moved a little bit slowly, overall this is an enjoyable book and one I’m very happy I had the opportunity to read. While I may never get to visit France, I do feel as if I’ve gotten to know the French philosophy towards life a little bit better just by reading The French House.