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Mill Of The Flea #7
French Lessons
Book by East, George
251 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2007
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
George East
36 books4 followersGeorge's eccentricity and sense of fun precedes him through life.
More information at http://www.george-east.net
To start at the beginning, George East was born on Hayling Island but grew up in Portsmouth where his mother ran a boarding house for fairground workers, circus entertainers and other interesting itinerants.
He left school intending to become a rock god, and his band met with early and moderate success when they performed as a support act to Billy Fury, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
After coming second to a 14-year-old trumpeter playing selections From South Pacific in the Butlin's All-England Search for A Star, The Rockin' Hot Rods struggled on until a short-circuit in George's home-made guitar resulted in a catastrophic loss of all the group's equipment when the venue caught fire.
George helped launch one of Britain's earliest commercial radio stations, working as a producer and DJ with, among other more well-known names, Kenny Everett. He became Editor of Food and Drink Magazine, was also a Marketing Executive for a large brewery and a freelance journalist. He has been a regular contributor to French Property News for the past 20 years.
George started writing about France 30 years ago when having organised the first ever Ferry Trade Show to Cherbourg, he fell in love with Normandie.
He now lives and writes on a small island in the south of England for half of the year. His travels through France and other foreign parts take up the other six months.
More information at http://www.george-east.net
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 26, 2025
Dreams die hard.
This is the last in the Mill of the Flea series and by far the most poignant and revealing. Beset by financial problems but determined to forge on as the best known English ex-pats in rural Normandy, the Easts make the heart-breaking decision to sell their beloved mill-turned-homestead (La Puce) and buy a large old manor house on the edge of a vast marsh. With some modernization, the large house would allow them to rent accommodations to their vacationing countrymen.
Well, that's the plan, anyway. Like all George's schemes, it's bold in outline and vague in details. In all fairness to George, some problems arise from the famous French bureaucracy and some from the lesser known advantages (official and unofficial) enjoyed by French natives when they are doing battle with non-natives. In a head-to-head between a native and an ex-pat, the decision will ALWAYS be made in favor of the native, regardless of the facts of the case. C'est les normes.
It spite of disappointments, it's a funny and upbeat book. George is the kinda guy who would crack up the guards on the way to his execution (and he's come close a few times.) He also has his priorities straight. He and his beloved Donella are a strong team and as long as they have each other, external circumstances can be dealt with. No matter where they hang their hats, Donella will surround herself with animals (domestic and otherwise) and George will find off-beat, entertaining characters to drink with and write about.
This author writes some of the best humor I've ever read and I can even re-read his books with great enjoyment. He writes fiction now and I hope that prospers and pays the bills, but I also hope he keeps us up to date on the progress (or non-progress) of all of his ex-pat friends living in France. After all, many of them relocated on the basis of his books. The least he can do is keep telling their stories.
This is the last in the Mill of the Flea series and by far the most poignant and revealing. Beset by financial problems but determined to forge on as the best known English ex-pats in rural Normandy, the Easts make the heart-breaking decision to sell their beloved mill-turned-homestead (La Puce) and buy a large old manor house on the edge of a vast marsh. With some modernization, the large house would allow them to rent accommodations to their vacationing countrymen.
Well, that's the plan, anyway. Like all George's schemes, it's bold in outline and vague in details. In all fairness to George, some problems arise from the famous French bureaucracy and some from the lesser known advantages (official and unofficial) enjoyed by French natives when they are doing battle with non-natives. In a head-to-head between a native and an ex-pat, the decision will ALWAYS be made in favor of the native, regardless of the facts of the case. C'est les normes.
It spite of disappointments, it's a funny and upbeat book. George is the kinda guy who would crack up the guards on the way to his execution (and he's come close a few times.) He also has his priorities straight. He and his beloved Donella are a strong team and as long as they have each other, external circumstances can be dealt with. No matter where they hang their hats, Donella will surround herself with animals (domestic and otherwise) and George will find off-beat, entertaining characters to drink with and write about.
This author writes some of the best humor I've ever read and I can even re-read his books with great enjoyment. He writes fiction now and I hope that prospers and pays the bills, but I also hope he keeps us up to date on the progress (or non-progress) of all of his ex-pat friends living in France. After all, many of them relocated on the basis of his books. The least he can do is keep telling their stories.
December 16, 2016
An ok read
I have read most of George's books. This one was OK. But not as good as his previous ones. The original Mill on the Flee series were much more interesting.
I have read most of George's books. This one was OK. But not as good as his previous ones. The original Mill on the Flee series were much more interesting.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews