At Home in France: Tales of an American and Her House Abroad

by Ann Barry

Ann Barry was a single woman, working and living in New York, when she fell in love with a charming house in Carennac in southwestern France. Even though she knew it was the stuff of fantasy, even though she knew she would rarely be able to spend more than four weeks a year there, she was hooked. This spirited, captivating memoir traces Ms. Barry’s adventures as she follows her dream of living in the French countryside: Her fascinating (and often humorous) excursions to Brittany and Provence, charmed nights spent at majestic chateaux and back-road inns, and quiet moments in cool Gothic churches become our own.

And as the years go by, and "l’ Americaine," as she is known, returns again and again to her real home, she becomes a recognizable fixture in the neighborhood. Ann Barry is a foreigner enchanted with an unpredictable world that seems constantly fresh and exciting. In this vivid memoir, she shares the colorful world that is her France.

"AN INTELLIGENT MEMOIR."

*The New Yorker

Genres: Travel, France, Memoir, Nonfiction, Travelogue

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

An avid reader and bibliophile, Ann Barry was a founder of The Ladies Literary and Liberation Society, a community reading club. A student of life writing, she is expanding her interests in the craft of writing with this work of creative non-fiction. She resides in her little house overlooking the water on the south shore of Nova Scotia, not far from where this story took place, Sweet Ride is her first book.

Reviews

[Nish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook was engaging at first, a lovely adventure in Provence buying and remodelling a home. Story line at times was devoid of feeling and merely a record of events.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some moments were warm and funny, most moments it was like reading a housewifes not so interetsing diary. Too much use of French without translation. I guessed at what the French probably meant based on the context of the paragraph, but really would have liked English, at least in paranthesis, to tell me what was being said.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on actual events in the author's life, and, as such, was enjoyable to read the experiences of another American in the Provence. This was fun to read, and I'm going to go back and read it again soon.

[Karijean31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I read books: you slip into a story, someone else's adventures and you get whisked away into another world. So fun to read the little fun things that happen to her. Made me want to eat and travel.

[Deborahkemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book. I read it again every few years. Great about life in France, about living in another culture, about growing older. Barry was a New Yorker editor. Sadly, she died of cancer at age 53.

[Todd Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Poignant End to Reading ‘A Home in France’

After I read “A Home in France,” I did what I always do, I wanted to know what the author did after she published it. Author Ann Barry was not able to share more tales of her life in her second home near Carennac, France, since she died of cancer at age 53 and sadly the book was printed posthumously.

We have things in common; she was from St. Louis, a city I now call home, and a graduate of St. Louis University, where my husband teaches. If she was still a live, I might have reached out to her, but regrettably this is not possible.

Now for the review, she provided a vivid picture of her day-to-day life in France. This was her second home, she was always an outsider, but she was able to become friends with some of the locals and share insights into their lives in this pastoral setting. She gave the reader glimpses of the French language sharing her translations throughout. Her meticulous notes made you feel like you were with her watching the sunrise over the hills or grabbing a French baguette. I wished she had lived longer, more tales of France, but this was to be the end of her journey in life as in the book.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How many Francophile memoirs about Americans living in France can a person read? Evidently always one more, in my case. Delightful escapism, although the the author is clearly a thinking/sensing type and merely transcribes what she sees and does, with minimal reflection or commentary.

It was sad to reflect that she died the same year this book was published. But how wonderful that she lived such a rich and memorable life in the time she had, in her old farmhouse in Carrenac and traveling all over France.

Also, in case I ever wondered, this book showed me that I am not cut out for ownership of any ancient homes in the French countryside, as there is way too much maintenance and hassle involved. 😄

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed exploring this part of France with the author. Loved the description of food and her adventures getting acclimated into the French culture. Also enjoyed the descriptions and dialogue with the various characters, some of whom became family. It took me some time to get used to her changing scenes rather quickly without warning. Didn’t really get a sense of the passage of time and how much she really spent “at home” in the US. Loved the French phrases interspersed in the story. Overall I really enjoyed this glimpse into living in a different culture. Makes me want to try it too!

[J. Federer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eine angelsächsische Invasion einer New Yorkerin, die sich im Südwesten Frankreichs den Traum vom Haus auf dem Land erfüllt. Ihre neue Heimat besetzt sie mehr als dass sie sie erkunden würde, ihre Erzählungen lassen keinen Zweifel daran, wer im Mittelpunkt ihres Lebens steht: Die Autorin selbst. Mit feiner Feder geschrieben und mit grobem Werkzeug editiert, ist At Home in France wie eine zu lange geratene Reisekolumne einer New Yorker Stadt-Narzisstin. Ein Buch wie ein alltägliches Mittagessen. Ganz o.k. bis das nächste Mahl den Gaumen reizt.

[Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suspect I have read this book before, but it was not recorded on Goodreads, nor had I initialed the date inside the cover. Much of it seemed awfully familiar. However, I enjoyed it, so, not a problem! There was a bit of French with no translation, but still enjoyed.
The book was published posthumously following the author’s death in 1996. It was interesting to enjoy her experiences in France through reading her story.

[Claudine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gloriously detailed and beautifully written this book covers the years Barry has a wee cottage in the Dordogne. I loved her descriptions of the people and places that she wrote about. It reads very much as though she is taking to the reader and I was shocked and saddened to read that she passed away in 1996.

[Anna Simson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book and will enjoy reading it again. Ann Barry has a charming way of writing about her house and the people she meets. It’s obvious how much she loves her time there and you can’t help but enjoy it with her. She draws you into her story as a friend. A lovely snapshot of her life in a beautiful area of France.

[Monica weitzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like getting long, newsy letters from a close friend. It was casual yet personal, fascinating yet humble. I got to the end and wanted to write to Ann Barry to tell her how much I enjoyed her book. I was so saddened to read she had succumbed to cancer at the age of 53, and it appears this memoir was published posthumously the following year.

[Calee Spinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute book about a woman’s experiences owning a house and living part-time in France. There was a bit of everything: quirky neighbors, house improvement trouble, delicious food descriptions, and the travails of finding your place in a new space. I wished there was more!

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great memoir of Ann's time owning a home in France and getting to know the neighbors. Makes you want to jump on a plane!

[Tif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me forever to read because I keep setting it aside. I liked her descriptions of her little town in France. Makes me want to move there—but everything does.

[Eb Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted this book to continue. This is a beautiful part of France, and I lived vicariously through the author’s time and experiences there.

[Cyndi Berve]

Fun book about living part time in France

[Ruth Chatlien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quiet descriptive book about a single woman’s holiday home in France. I’ve read it three times. It keeps alive my dream of someday experiencing more of France than ten days in Paris.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of Ann Barry of Manhatten. She had travelled to a small village in France while on vacation, staying at the cottage of a friend. She loved the area and ended up purchasing a nearby rustic cottage in Carennac in southwestern France. There are beautiful descriptions of the local food and her week trying to find the best bread. Barry has actually written food and travel articles for The New Yorker and the New York Times, which is probably why her book excells in this detail. As a single woman living alone for only a few weeks a year in a village of 300 people, she is widely known as "the American." She has close neighbors, who go out of their way to help her. It was a nice story in a charming setting. A movie is even filmed here during one of her stays. The story would probably be even more enjoyable to someone who has traveled in the area.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book led me to want to visit the Dordogne section of SW France, and it became one of my favorite regions when we visited in 2006. It might have been my very favorite region, full of castles, rivers, small villages, and 15,000 year-old cave paintings, but I couldn't completely get past their obsession with foie grois and duck pate. We visited many of the villages and monuments that Barry describes, and I was never disappointed. Of all the memoirs about buying a house in France, this one is very real and not overly romanticized, which I really appreciated.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

nonfiction. Author is single, lives in NY and falls in love w/a home in Carennac in the sw of France. This book is endearing as it really describes everything about her getting her house fixed up to live in, her neighbors, her life. I wanted to go there from reading her book! Ann was a writer for the New Yorker and the NYTimes. I couldnt wait for her next book; however, Ann died of cancer in 1996. This book is very special to read and be glad she enjoyed her short life so much!

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming memoir by American journalist and editor Ann Barry of making her dream of life in France come true after she purchase of Pech Farguet, a small house in the Dordogne region.No renovations to this house, but lots of local friends and food and travel. An example of what a single woman can do if motivated!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My French teacher loaned this to me - a nice escape. Wish I was there! This was a very fun read. The experiences of the author/home owner were exciting enough to keep your interest and mundane enough to support the title of the book - I felt right "at home". (or wished ...)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10/2004

[Kimberlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

an American journalist buys a home in the Lot district in France. Nice stories

[Pippin · Rating 3 out of 5]

this got pretty tedious. i lost interest.

[Cheryl Sharkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a little sad , beautfully written and sincere but i felt like she was a little distant for my taste maybe even a little boring at times

[Jayne Niemi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent diary of buying a house on one's own in France. More ordinary than I expected, but I admired her bravery in doing things on her own.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book...I felt like was in France with the author.