Two Dogs and a Suitcase: Clueless in Charente

Sarah Jane's Travel Memoir Series. #2

by Sarah Jane Butfield

The title says it all: what we have and where we are. This book, the sequel to Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure, follows our French exploits as we endeavour to rebuild our lives in another new country, after spending four and half years in Australia. Our goal, or hope for the immediate future, is to focus positively on the present, so that we can start a new, optimistic future back in Europe. Our main aim is to be nearer to the children, leaving the dark clouds of the challenges we faced in Australia as a distant memory. Journey with us as we arrive in rural South West France; enjoy my reflections, thoughts, and observations about my family, our new surroundings, and our lifestyle. Follow the journey of my writing career and how we start our renovation project while managing our convoluted family life. Once again, we will laugh, cry, and enjoy life to the fullest with a generous helping of positive spin thrown in for good measure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, France, Autobiography, Travel

156 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Author Sarah Jane Butfield is a UK-based author originating from Ipswich, Suffolk. Sarah Jane is a mother, Registered General Nurse, and an award-winning internationally published author. She has a growing family, with four children, three stepchildren, now grown up with children of their own, allowing Sarah Jane to enjoy playing an active role as ‘nanny’. to them all.
Sarah Jane enjoys a reputation as the roving Florence Nightingale, with a successful career as a registered nurse and nurse educator allowing her to work in UK and Australia. Her publishing portfolio consists of five best-selling travel and nursing memoirs set in the UK, Australia, and France.
Sarah Jane’s most successful memoirs to date make up ‘The Nomadic Nurse Series’, with both books winning awards and Ooh Matron! attracting Reader's Favorite awards and professional writing industry reviews.
Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure, her debut travel memoir, and the award-winning sequel Two dogs and a suitcase: Clueless in Charente, are regularly featured in travel blogs and author podcasts, whilst her culinary memoir, Our Frugal Summer in Charente was voted as one of the 'Top 50 self-published books worth reading' in 2015 after publication.
In addition, she has released the 'What, Why, Where, When, Who & How of Book Promotion Series' for aspiring, debut, and established self-published authors, based on her experiences in the independent publishing world since 2013.

Reviews

[Brenda Perlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The truth is that there is often no one particular solution to life's challenges, sometimes there is no solution just resolution."

Two Dogs and a Suitcase: Clueless in Charente by Sarah Jane Butfield is a perky escape. Insightful, telling and full of real life emotion. An honest memoir that at times was emotional and yet entertaining.

This is an uplifting tale that I loved cozying into. This book took me to an entirely different place and I felt I could see the beautiful landscape all around me. Inspired me and made me yearn to travel to that part of the world. The exhaustible task of starting over in a new county is a daunting thought. These people took on their projects with passion and great ambition. They make this quite brutal renovation work with each other and their two dogs with great love and fortitude. I am in awe of their commitment and strength. Beautiful story!

[Ruth Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. I wish that the author had continued on the story based around the renovation and the involvement into French life. The story starts with the new adventure/choice of Sarah and her husband to buy a home, renovate and integrate into French life in a small village. The trials of doing this on a small, disappearing budget, no French skills........ started as an interesting tale. However, as the book progressed and got into the famiy stuff...... I got confused and I must admit a bit less interested. I haven't read her first book Glass Half Full, so perhaps that is why. Sarah writes well.. just wanted more of what the book started with.

[Lynn Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been to France, but like most people, I’ve always wanted to live there. In my dreams, I am always sitting out on a balcony, relaxing, overlooking a gorgeous vineyard and sipping a glass of fine wine. After reading Two Dogs and a Suitcase, I now have a new dream. One of substance and adventure like the one this author and her family experienced. This book is not a glamorous, glittery tale. It’s way better than that. As with all of Sarah Jane’s books, after I read them, I am left feeling inspired and somewhat invincible. Traveling and subsisting vicariously through her trials, struggles, unrelenting determination, triumphs and victories, I am renewed. Much like the cottage in Charente, I have been renovated from the inside out by the flowing, poetic prose of this author.

[Frank Kusy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly absorbing and uplifting sequel to Sarah Jane's first book, 'Glass Half Full', which I also enjoyed immensely. Having lost her home in Australia to the Brisbane floods, Sarah Jane and hubby and kids relocate to the broken down cottage in Charente, France, with which she senses a "spiritual connection" and sets about renovating it in typical Butfield no-nonsense and determined style. The writing is clear and entertaining, the style compelling, and the whole book quite un-putdownable. Thank you, Sarah Jane, another winner!

[Samantha Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel, couldn't put it down (again), very well written, you should be very proud

[Julie Haigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable addition to this memoir series.

I enjoyed Sarah Jane Butfield's first travel memoir, 'Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure' so was pleased there was a follow-up already written and I didn't have to wait. This time they are hoping to buy a property in France to 'do up'/renovate. Sarah and her husband Nigel are hoping to buy something cheap so they will be mortgage free. So they throw themselves into cleaning, painting, buying items, encountering language barrier problems along the way. There's a bit of intrigue-I was wondering what was going to be in that box!. This book is about starting again, lack of money and doing up their new abode bit by bit depending on when any spare money is around. This quote in the book expresses it really well: "As each small piece of the renovation puzzle falls into place". I loved to read about the self-sufficiency. It all sounded wonderful-all those things they grow, gather, cook etc. They make Blackberry cordial, jams, homemade cider, it all sounds absolutely lovely as described here. (There is more of this in Sarah Jane's follow-up book 'Our Frugal Summer in Charente: An Expat's Kitchen Garden Journal'-I read this straight after and really enjoyed it!). There were some recipes included-these were within the book (not in a separate section). I love these bits-talking about life in a quiet little village in France, growing vegetables, making foods with them, it all sounds so cosy and the foods sound so tasty as you read. I thought the book seemed to flow more on the latter third, there were more happenings and ups and downs. You learn things about the different areas they visit in France, the history behind them etc-all very interesting. There are some terrible stories of what happened to these villagers in wartime, you can't help but be affected by this. I loved this part-where she was writing about the places they were visiting, staying, the foods they ate, markets, it was all good descriptive detail. She did a good job of writing about and making the outing sound interesting, some good word choices, a very entertaining chapter. There are parts included about her publishing journey for her Glass Half Full book-these will be interesting to both general readers and would-be authors alike. The book rounds off nicely with some good conclusions. I found it enjoyable and went straight on to read Sarah Jane's third book which I also recommend. I read this book a little while ago but I have hung on a bit before doing my review: I found there were quite a few issues with commas-lack of and extra ones-also quite a bit of repetition-eg Sarah Jane calls her dogs 'our boys' lots of times. What is so nice about this author is that she is always looking at ways to improve and make things better and I saw that she had brought out a new edited edition. That's why I delayed writing my review: Now I see that Sarah Jane has addressed many of these bits and bobs I found in my original copy and it is much better. This improvement has been reflected further in her 'Our Frugal Summer'-I gave five stars to this one-well done and fair play to the author for continuing to strive to be the best that she can be.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Sarah Jane’s previous book I was very interested to see how she and Nigel would cope after moving to France. They managed to buy a ramshackle old property in Charente with a view to renovating it. However they faced a huge challenge as they were on a limited budget and the house was barely habitable. You cannot fail to be impressed at the way they set about creating a home fit to live in and also creating a garden where they plan to grow enough produce to live on. Sarah Jane is certainly an optimist and her determination, courage and belief that things will turn out for the best sustain them through some tough times. ‘We only talk about positive things when we work on the house to give it good karma’ this must have been incredibly difficult at times for them! They have very little money yet somehow the house begins to take shape and Sarah Jane becomes adept at creating meals from very little. The couple deal with ongoing family problems too while Sarah Jane has a dream of being a published author. Fortunately for us she managed to achieve that goal. Sarah Jane writes very openly and honestly about their struggles and her own feelings. It’s certainly not always a comfortable or cosy read. I’ve also read her book Frugal Summer in Charente alongside this which I would highly recommend as well.

[Cynthia Ulmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed Sarah's first book, "Glass Half Full," I liked this one even more. Honestly, it deserves more than five stars. There is so much I can relate to in this book. I never moved to a far away country as she did in "Glass Half Full," but I have moved and dealt with the transitions that must take place. As a child, my family moved a total of six times before I turned ten. So I can relate to Sarah and Nigel's settling in process in France. I can recall vividly painting rooms in various houses, eating sandwiches while sitting on the floor, packing, unpacking, meeting new neighbors. It's something many have experienced. This book is written in such a captivating way that even if you have never experienced moving to a new place you will enjoy it. I am looking forward to Sarah's cookbook. As I was reading, I kept thinking, "She should write a cookbook." Needless to say, I was happy to read at the end that her next book will be a cookbook. Sarah is a very talented author and I hope that there are more books to come.

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Two dogs and a suitcase: Clueless in Charente (Sarah Jane's Travel Memoir Series Book 2)" by Sarah Jane Butfield is a beautifully written book. Many of us have dreams to live abroad and the author not only did it, but she shared her memories and experiences in a very enjoyable way.
I haven't read the first part of her travel memoir series but that isn't essential. If you wonder what it is like to live and renovate a house in France then this is the book for you. Plenty of fascinating anecdotes and a very reflective and at times philosophical perspective made this so much more than just a re-telling of what has happened to her and her family.
Combining popular themes, such as house design and travelling, this book hit the right spot for me.
Very recommendable.

[Sandra Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring story

Having lived in France for a few years, this story brought back many memories. I especially liked thinking of the fresh loaves of crusty French bread delivered to our door which we coated with butter and pate. Yum! Sarah has a talent for making you see, smell and feel her stories.

[Pat Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed catching-up with Sarah Jane Butfield, her husband Nigel and their 'boys' with their move to France - an achievement after what they went through in Austrailia - it's a down-to-earth read with some funny & heartwarming words - I am bias as I love travel memoirs - I will look forward to reading more from this Author.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good. Some people are so brave, to buy a house that needs years of fixing up in a country were you don't speak the language..

[Liz Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

I loved the easy flow of the language. I also appreciate the courage to try new things & places, and even the desire to become a published author.

[Linda Hawkswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Sarah´s first book Glass Half Full I was keen to follow their French adventures, surely this would be an easier path to tread.

They start this new adventures with the heartbreaking decision of Jamie to seek out her biological Father, a man who she has had barely met let alone had any contact with. The fears that Jamie will struggle with her dyslexia and dysnumeric issues and what if her Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome flares up again, will Jack be able to cope, these are all real worries for Sarah. Nigel is still deeply hurt by Jamie´s statement that she wants to live with her biological Father however at 16 years of age they fear loosing her altogether of they stop her. Leaving her at the Hotel in France breaks Sarah´s heart.
Buying a doer-upper in Charente, hopefully doing as much of the renovations themselves as they were on a very limited budget. You cannot help but admire their steel and determination when faced with a house that was barely habitable for the dogs let alone humans. Did this deter them? No they just got about creating a habitable home and a safe garden for their beloved dogs Dave and Buster.
Jamie comes over on a visit to France and not long after finding herself in hospital with a return of her CRPS after she had knocked her toe. Despite very little money and having topay over the odds for her flight Sarah flies over to be by her side in hospital, once discharged Jamie returns to Jack to give him a second change. Not long after Sarah receives a distraught cak from Jamie, Nigel takes over and tells her it is time to come home to them.
Along the way they encounter many more ups and downs but Sarah on the whole remains positive and upbeat. She is ever resourceful and creates a magnificent vegetable garden or French potager to sustain their vegetarian lifestyle, freezing and bottling various vegetables, living in true ´Good Life´style. I love how if the ingredients are not in their meagre store cupboard then Sarah improvises with what she has to hand with surprisingly amazing results, I too have done this as I am sure so have others. At one particular low point in their resources they accept a gift of some Wild Boar from their friends. Having being vegetarians since Australia they found it palatable and eventually turned back to meat. They got five chickens for eggs, they soon realised that they had four cockerels, these were soon dispatched and became family meals. I had to chuckle to myself over the fact that Nigel, as manly and strong as he is, could not bring himself to dispatch the chickens so Sarah had to become the butcher in the family.
Desperate times continue to the point where they were looking for one or the other to return to England to find work to support them. The obvious choice was Nigel due to Sarah´s fear of driving after an incident in Australia. At the eleventh hour so to speak there was a reprieve as Nigel was offered work in France as a laborer for Tim.
Living through the fascinating journey with them is evidence of their strength and love for one another. I loved both books and hope that there is a follow up of hopefully better and less frugal times.

Thank you Sarah

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I read this book, I think I glimpsed more of MYSELF! I guess that's fitting because Ms. Butfield states in the last chapters of her memoir that she is ever-searching, and that she hopes by her writing to inspire and help others who are searching. This memoir is engaging and I like it. Although, for about half the chapters, I didn't want to like it! As I read, I caught myself being judgmental and critical of Sarah and Nigel and of her writing. I have a chip on my shoulder, apparently, about self-published works. I suppose I believe that "real" writers are published by commercial publishing houses, that their work, if it has merit, would not need to be self-published! Incidentally, Ms. Butfield reveals that she shared these very thoughts. In the last two chapters, she shares her journey as a debut author, and her struggle with the decision to self-publish. She is knowledgeable about the process, though she is humble about this. I learned a lot about publishing from her. It was also good to see that someone who's had some success had the same feelings of inadequacy and ignorance that I battle when it comes to my writing. She was also a procrastinator early on. Boy, does she have my number! I am not much of a fan of her decisions to move to foreign countries to try new things, but I felt connected with her in her writing journey.

[Jill Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where do I start? There were so many typos, I stopped making “notes” of these errors in my Samsung tablet because it was slowing down my reading to a crawl. How could SJ Bufield publish this book with so many typos? Her misplacement of commas was atrocious! I sometimes found four or five typos on one page. Sara Jane, you need a proofreader, contact me!

The premise of the book started out fine and what I expected to read. She writes about her trials and tribulations of moving from Australia to a French rural countryside farm cottage that was an empty shell, needing much love. This story is why I bought the book, but halfway through, Butfield changes directions and writes mostly about her family relationships and the challenges she’s had over the years, especially from an ex-husband who has made her life unpleasant, and from health issues she does not go into. I couldn’t understand this change in the story when she never finished her telling of the cottage renovation which left me with many questions. Her book is as unfinished as her cottage renovation. The first half of the book was promising, while the back half was very disappointing and left me scratching my head.

[Janey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting travel book, loved the descriptions of the area and how the couple came to be in France. As other reviewers noted, the renovation parts were the best parts and that was what I expected the entire book would be about. The family dynamics were interesting as a side note, but I wanted so much more info about the house and renovations. The final sentence was a bit odd, not sure I’d end a book about shaking hands with someone who had just answered the call of nature as she put it. That said, I enjoyed it, it was a fairly quick and easy read, and the neighbors added some interest, but it did leave me wanting to know if the house ever became a finished home.

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. It felt like I was reading somebody's journal, with the exception that the story seemed to skip around as far as the timeline was concerned. The author suddenly mentioned people that you had no idea who they were - sometimes you found out much later, sometimes not. She plugged her previous book several times and even her next one. Recipes were included - filler!!! In the end I came to the conclusion that she must have sat down each day and just wrote what occurred to her, rather than having a plan to follow and give the storytelling logic and flow.

[J. A. Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started out thinking I was really going to like this Memoir. Unfortunately, the book is filled with editing errors. It skips about from buying a dilapidated house in France to inner thoughts on motherhood and frustrated author. I was so confused by the end, I really didn't want to finish it. Sarah should have determined what type book she wanted this to be perhaps before publishing it. I, for one, would have preferred the book I thought I was going to be reading. . . the adventures of buying a run down home in rural France and the process it took to renovate it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. She referring to things that happened in the first book with no explanation for those who have not read it. Through adversity they have lived in various parts of the world. They are British and moved to Australia. Floods and fires drove them out. They wanted to go to France to be closer to their family. They only had enough money to buy a deserted fixer upper in a small town. They didn't speak French and had limited money to rebuild a great deal of their home.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After spending 4 and a half years in Australia, Sarah, Nigel and their two dogs head to France to find an old house to renovate. Here they face yet another series of challenges; missing their children and family in the U.K., learning the language and customs of their adopted country.
An entertaining read, with Sarah's marvelous sense of humour thrown in.
This is the second book in Sarah Jane's Travel Memoirs, and I can thoroughly recommend the series.

[Mary Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many ups and downs

As Sarah Jane and husband Nigel embark on their dream to live in France with their 2 dogs, they find many challenges as they fix up a run down house in rural GlFrance.

[Penny Ogram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely memoir about moving to France. Have been to the area they now live and am familiar with some of the towns nearby.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging, warts-and-all memoir by a wonderfully likable writer. As is my wont, I approached it "bass-ackward." A sane reader would start with Ms. Butfield's first (and very successful) GLASS HALF FULL (which tells of her decision to immigrate from England to Australia) and then read this book (which tells of her decision to leave Australia and settle in France) and then read her third book THE ACCIDENTAL AUTHOR (which relates the development of her career as a writer.)

Not me! I started with THE ACCIDENTAL AUTHOR, which I enjoyed very much for its humor and its insights into the world of self-publishing. I'm not a writer, but I read so many indie books that I'm fascinated by the process. Then I realized that I had picked up a copy of TWO DOGS AND A SUITCASE because it sounded interesting and it was on sale. I STILL haven't read her first book, but I will.

The main thing that strikes me about this book is that the French should absolutely ADORE the English and Americans. Who else would buy all of the ancient, gonna-cost-a-kazillion-euros-to-make-it-livable piles that no Frenchman or Frenchwoman would spend a night it? This intrepid (i.e. crazy) couple landed in France with two Australian Sheep Dogs, one suitcase, and practically no knowledge of France or the French language (which is notoriously difficult to learn.) Being cash-strapped, they bought an uninhabitable old house and moved in. Dear God.

And this isn't a childless couple who have nothing else to worry about, either. There are children and step-children and in-laws and ex's. To be honest, I never really got them all straightened out and the author sort of explains things as she goes along and some things are only hinted at. I would have enjoyed the book more if she had started with a brief history of her family and identified the players in advanced. As it was, I was lost much of the time.

But she's a charming writer and her love of life comes through and pulls you into the story, almost against your better judgement. And she loves France and the French, which is more than can be said for many English ex-pats there. She and her husband have frequent contact with other ex-pats, but they actually get to know and love many of their neighbors. French bureaucracy and French bureaucrats are justly feared and hated, but French country people are usually kind and open-hearted.

Sometimes I thought they should both be committed to a mental institution, but I was never tempted to stop reading. This lady can tell a story.

[Bryan Spellman · Rating 4 out of 5]

73 of 75 for 2015. How do we categorize this work? Memoir? yes, certainly. Travel? That too. How to guide? Perhaps. And the question at the bottom of all is are the Butfields gypsies? The author poses that very question toward the end of her account of the family's first few years renovating a delapidated farm house in rural France. In her first book, Butfield tells the story of how this British family emigrated to Australia and their triumphs and tribulations down under. Two Dogs relates how the couple moved from Australia to rural France, and what they faced there. The title refers to the way they arrived in France with two Australian cattle dogs and one suitcase full of those belongings they felt necessary until their household goods could be shipped from Australia--a process that should have taken four months or so. The subtitle refers to the fact that we have two anglophones trying to survive in rural France where they neither speak, read nor understand the language. If you've ever had the dream of moving to a foreign country and reinventing your life--especially if that involves renovating a dilapidated piece of property, you need to read this book. It gets only four stars from me because the author's narrative style, while largely linear, skips back and forth in time enough that I was not able to tell how much time the story actually covers. Also the book is full of spelling and grammatical mistakes that should have been caught before the book was published, the kinds of errors that make me stumble in my reading. That said, given the situation Ms. Butfield faced, I can't say that I would have done any better, if as well. The reader does get the feeling that he's right there in the heart of the matter, and the local color is excellent--especially for any of us who have dealt with being in rural France, or had to deal with French bureaucracy. (It's hard enough if you speak the language. I can't imagine fighting it with no French language skills.)

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, as far as it went. As a person who has also moved to a country that I wasn't born in, I found some similarities with my life and found myself nodding along with some of the author's observations.

I did think that the last 4 or so chapters had a "tacked on" feel to them. I felt that the author was filling space, rather than continuing the story. I wanted to know what happens, and to find out more information about the house they are renovating.

A few more passes by a good editor would have helped as there were a few occasions where the wrong word was used (i.e., site vs. sight), or words were misspelled. However, overall, I did enjoy the book and would be interested in finding out how her life in France continues.

[Patricia Ruiz Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gutsy woman offers plenty of inspiration

This is the first book I've read by this author and she tugged me into her life and held me there as she showed me her perseverance and strength. There have been times in my life when money was scarce and reading her experiences and how she fought back was a marvel. Being so far from family is something else I am attuned to and reading her maternal thoughts in the midst of her burning desire to become a published author was especially touching. I will read her first book soon...and I have her gardeners cookbook already. I applaud her writing because it is real.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

It soon became apparent to me that this book was self published, as there was a distracting amount of repetition ( sometimes of words, but also of whole phrases) and there were the inevitable ( if you self publish and don't use a professional proof reader) typos. That's a shame because this book had real potential. It started well, the story of the renovation was hugely interesting, but this facet decreased as the writing progressed, and it became much more about the family dynamics.
Although my curiosity is aroused regarding the family's time in Australia, I am undecided as to whether I shall buy and read that earlier book.

[Chris Gregory]

Hire a professional copyeditor!

I usually enjoy these types of adventures. I haven't done much traveling myself and live vicariously through this genre. However, I can't really recommend Two Dogs and a Suitcase.

First of all, I didn't read her first book and that left me confused as there were references to events and people from that initial offering. Another problem with this story is it's jumpiness - it's disjointed and somewhat unorganized. But the most glaring problem was the lack of copyediting. It's an okay story of adventure, but I must recommend a serious rewrite with professional copyediting.