What do you think?
Rate this book
One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence
Keith and Val had a dream – to live in Provence, the land of brilliant sunlight, charming hilltop villages and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.
But there were two problems: they weren’t French speakers and they had full-time jobs. So they came up with a plan…
Follow their adventures (and misadventures) as they quit their jobs, become consultants and split their time between two countries. Laugh along as they build a life in Provence, slowly mastering a new language and making friends with the locals over long meals and just a bit too much wine.
This light and breezy memoir is full of wry observations on France, like the power of cheese to sway elections, the right and wrong ways for men to kiss each other, and the law requiring that blood donors must speak French.
If you’ve ever dreamed of changing gears and learning what joie de vivre is really all about, you won’t want to miss this delightful book.
But there were two problems: they weren’t French speakers and they had full-time jobs. So they came up with a plan…
Follow their adventures (and misadventures) as they quit their jobs, become consultants and split their time between two countries. Laugh along as they build a life in Provence, slowly mastering a new language and making friends with the locals over long meals and just a bit too much wine.
This light and breezy memoir is full of wry observations on France, like the power of cheese to sway elections, the right and wrong ways for men to kiss each other, and the law requiring that blood donors must speak French.
If you’ve ever dreamed of changing gears and learning what joie de vivre is really all about, you won’t want to miss this delightful book.
210 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2017
196 people are currently reading
1020 people want to read
About the author
Keith Van Sickle
4 books52 followersKeith Van Sickle grew up in Alameda, California, the son of public school teachers. He got his first taste of overseas life while spending a college term in England and later backpacked around the world for six months.
Grateful for the scholarships that helped him pay for college, in 1987 he started a foundation that helps students from Alameda pursue a college education.
Keith fell in love with Europe during a five-year expat assignment in Switzerland, where he and his wife Val lived in a village with more cows than people. After returning to the US, Keith helped start a company whose product was so geeky that he still doesn’t quite understand it.
Keith and Val dreamed of living abroad again but were unable to find another expat gig. So they decided to invent their own. Now consultants, they and their trusty dog split their time between Silicon Valley and Provence, delving ever deeper into what makes France so endlessly fascinating.
Grateful for the scholarships that helped him pay for college, in 1987 he started a foundation that helps students from Alameda pursue a college education.
Keith fell in love with Europe during a five-year expat assignment in Switzerland, where he and his wife Val lived in a village with more cows than people. After returning to the US, Keith helped start a company whose product was so geeky that he still doesn’t quite understand it.
Keith and Val dreamed of living abroad again but were unable to find another expat gig. So they decided to invent their own. Now consultants, they and their trusty dog split their time between Silicon Valley and Provence, delving ever deeper into what makes France so endlessly fascinating.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 23, 2017
The French like to drive much too fast. No matter what road you are on or how fast you are driving, you can be sure that a French driver will be tailgating you. I think it is required by law. You could be setting a new land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats and if you looked in your rearview mirror you would see a French driver just inches from your tailpipe.
Pleasant and charming may be adjectives more appropriate to a tea party than a book, but so be it - this book made me happy. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading about two Americans spending a few months each year in Provence. There are long, lingering meals with new friends, and hours spent roaming outdoor markets. Oh, and wine - bottles and bottles of wine.
Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy. I truly looked forward to reading a few essays each evening. The moments of peace and tranquility this book provided were greatly appreciated.
Pleasant and charming may be adjectives more appropriate to a tea party than a book, but so be it - this book made me happy. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading about two Americans spending a few months each year in Provence. There are long, lingering meals with new friends, and hours spent roaming outdoor markets. Oh, and wine - bottles and bottles of wine.
Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy. I truly looked forward to reading a few essays each evening. The moments of peace and tranquility this book provided were greatly appreciated.
September 3, 2023
Travel journals became popular in the mid 19th century. Female travelers in Japan would sale their journals to book salesmen. Thus one of a kind journal would be snatched up by collectors.
Now there are travel television shows, a travel network, and travel vlogs. Shoot! There was this reporter writing under the pen name of Nellie Bly where she proved one could travel the world in 72 days and night.
This book was no different in this tradition of documenting ones travel through France. After making the big decision to become one's own boss. I especially loved the butter vote.
Now there are travel television shows, a travel network, and travel vlogs. Shoot! There was this reporter writing under the pen name of Nellie Bly where she proved one could travel the world in 72 days and night.
This book was no different in this tradition of documenting ones travel through France. After making the big decision to become one's own boss. I especially loved the butter vote.
February 28, 2017
This is a series of anecdotes, penned by an English-speaking American dabbling in life in France. It is an easy to read, short book with the capacity to raise a smile, if not to add a great deal to one’s own understanding of the entente cordiale. The author’s joie de vivre is infectious, even if one is sometimes left a little nonplussed about quite why.
As the author points out himself, his and his wife’s, um- no actually, his, difficulties with a very different culture and language, provides the colour to this book. Note well, that the author declares himself as anything but some bilingual Québécoise superhuman. Van Sickle is the average, and more usually male, voyager who struggles in anything but a native lingo. Well, that’s the picture he paints. I suspect that in reality, he is the sort of person that brings enough of himself to any social situations to compensate for those that make little positive impact, whatever language is being manipulated. He certainly has the confidence to point out his insufficiencies to his reading audience, which does help draw one into his ‘sips’.
In the connections that make up the thin thread of connective story we see the couple dip in and out of ‘francophone’ culture, in varying, if generally geographically close, locations. The book is not so very different from a couple of dozen books written by British and Irish individuals that have tried escaping the perpetual grey for the nicer bits of France. So this doesn’t add much in the way of knowledge to anyone that has read any of these, nevertheless, this book is well worth a read if one has any sort of interest in ‘French-English’ détente. This is lightweight draft, from a bonhomme raconteur that can only appeal to the many Anglophones that have faced the torture of trying to use school level French for real communication. So yes, definitely, this reviewer is amongst its natural audience.
Van Sickle seems to be particularly keen on making the Swiss, the people of my adopted nation, the butt of several stories. He, and of course his misses, his linguistic enabler, lived for a while in the Swiss Romande Canton of Neuchâtel. While en Suisse, we are more inclined to find the butt of humour amongst the people of the ‘Hexagone’ that is truly French, and particular amongst thsoe fine residents of Paris that feel only they can speak la langue française. Certainly, in that superior capital, not even the people of the once officially independent province of Provence are recognised as speakers of anything close to acceptable French.
Worth a read during the bon voyage.
As the author points out himself, his and his wife’s, um- no actually, his, difficulties with a very different culture and language, provides the colour to this book. Note well, that the author declares himself as anything but some bilingual Québécoise superhuman. Van Sickle is the average, and more usually male, voyager who struggles in anything but a native lingo. Well, that’s the picture he paints. I suspect that in reality, he is the sort of person that brings enough of himself to any social situations to compensate for those that make little positive impact, whatever language is being manipulated. He certainly has the confidence to point out his insufficiencies to his reading audience, which does help draw one into his ‘sips’.
In the connections that make up the thin thread of connective story we see the couple dip in and out of ‘francophone’ culture, in varying, if generally geographically close, locations. The book is not so very different from a couple of dozen books written by British and Irish individuals that have tried escaping the perpetual grey for the nicer bits of France. So this doesn’t add much in the way of knowledge to anyone that has read any of these, nevertheless, this book is well worth a read if one has any sort of interest in ‘French-English’ détente. This is lightweight draft, from a bonhomme raconteur that can only appeal to the many Anglophones that have faced the torture of trying to use school level French for real communication. So yes, definitely, this reviewer is amongst its natural audience.
Van Sickle seems to be particularly keen on making the Swiss, the people of my adopted nation, the butt of several stories. He, and of course his misses, his linguistic enabler, lived for a while in the Swiss Romande Canton of Neuchâtel. While en Suisse, we are more inclined to find the butt of humour amongst the people of the ‘Hexagone’ that is truly French, and particular amongst thsoe fine residents of Paris that feel only they can speak la langue française. Certainly, in that superior capital, not even the people of the once officially independent province of Provence are recognised as speakers of anything close to acceptable French.
Worth a read during the bon voyage.
March 5, 2018
Many people dream of chucking it all and moving to the south of France. This author and his wife really did. You might with good reason call them "intrepid," as they spoke hardly any French before starting out on their adventures, chose small villages where they knew no one, and even brought their dog. This is a great book to keep handy on your bedside table. Read a few short chapters before turning out the light and you'll fall asleep with a smile on your lips. You may even dream of sunny Provence. Can't ask for more than that.
June 5, 2022
Typically when you say a book cures you of insomnia, it's meant as an insult; however, Keith Van Sickle's travel memoir "One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence" helped alleviate my insomnia in the best way possible. In the very wee hours of the morning when I am asleep, my mind diabolically sends out one thought after another, creating a thought-tornado that tosses me from my slumber and slams me back down into full wakefulness. There I assess the damage, picking up, putting down, picking up each thought again and again. This is a hard life. Recently I have learned to try and leave my thoughts where they lay and pick up my Kindle and send my mind to Provence instead.
Keith and his wife Val can't quite pick up and move permanently to France, so they do the next best (and possibly better) thing: rent a house in Provence for three months every year. Each year they choose a new location, and therefore, have a multitude of new experiences. Because of the transient nature of their part-time life in France, this is not as substantial as memoirs by those lucky bastards who have moved there full-time. However, this does not stop this book from being an absolutely delightful read. His warm and light memoir is full of anecdotes of acclimating to French culture, the language, and making friends. When one of my friends and I travel, she wakes up every morning and asks herself, "I wonder what adventure we are going to have today," and he and Val embody this open and "roll with it" attitude one needs when in a new country. He shares his struggle with trying to master the language and communicate effectively with others. One of the challenges when traveling is having to be vulnerable, knowing full well that you are going to look stupid at some point. Keith leans into this vulnerability and it makes his successes all that more enjoyable.
So if you are ever in a "Provence, take me away" state of mind, join Keith and Val and leave your troubles behind-- and maybe just also get a good night's rest.
Keith and his wife Val can't quite pick up and move permanently to France, so they do the next best (and possibly better) thing: rent a house in Provence for three months every year. Each year they choose a new location, and therefore, have a multitude of new experiences. Because of the transient nature of their part-time life in France, this is not as substantial as memoirs by those lucky bastards who have moved there full-time. However, this does not stop this book from being an absolutely delightful read. His warm and light memoir is full of anecdotes of acclimating to French culture, the language, and making friends. When one of my friends and I travel, she wakes up every morning and asks herself, "I wonder what adventure we are going to have today," and he and Val embody this open and "roll with it" attitude one needs when in a new country. He shares his struggle with trying to master the language and communicate effectively with others. One of the challenges when traveling is having to be vulnerable, knowing full well that you are going to look stupid at some point. Keith leans into this vulnerability and it makes his successes all that more enjoyable.
So if you are ever in a "Provence, take me away" state of mind, join Keith and Val and leave your troubles behind-- and maybe just also get a good night's rest.
November 12, 2017
Note : I received a review copy from the writer via France Book tours.
First hand account of an English Speaking American couple moving to France on their own will - You don't need anything more enticing than that. The writer and his wife, spend time in Switzerland and eventually decide to relocate to France, though not permanently. This book is a chronicle of their experience in France.
Each chapter focuses on one aspect of their stay, namely, the driving, the markets, the people, the food and the culture in general. In spite of being a work of non fiction, the book thoroughly entertained me. The book had a large potential to be this boring guide of Provence and France. Thankfully the writer turned this one into an interesting and humorous read making it a complete entertainer.
One aspect I missed much in this narration is the vivid details of the environment and the people in general. There were parts of the narration which sounded a bit too superficial for my taste. Nevertheless, the book is an eye opener of sorts for people like me who are from another part of the world and haven't visited France.
First hand account of an English Speaking American couple moving to France on their own will - You don't need anything more enticing than that. The writer and his wife, spend time in Switzerland and eventually decide to relocate to France, though not permanently. This book is a chronicle of their experience in France.
Each chapter focuses on one aspect of their stay, namely, the driving, the markets, the people, the food and the culture in general. In spite of being a work of non fiction, the book thoroughly entertained me. The book had a large potential to be this boring guide of Provence and France. Thankfully the writer turned this one into an interesting and humorous read making it a complete entertainer.
One aspect I missed much in this narration is the vivid details of the environment and the people in general. There were parts of the narration which sounded a bit too superficial for my taste. Nevertheless, the book is an eye opener of sorts for people like me who are from another part of the world and haven't visited France.
November 5, 2017
My first book by this author and it was a great read. This was a short read and it was a travel memoir. I really like reading travel memoirs and going back into time. Just something I enjoy reading about.
The writing style of this book was good. I liked how he described the two places and how that I could feel I was right there. You could definitely tell he knew what he was doing when writing his memoir. A job well dome for sure.
If you like memoirs and traveling books this is one for you. He did an excellent job writing this. Definitely give this a try.
The writing style of this book was good. I liked how he described the two places and how that I could feel I was right there. You could definitely tell he knew what he was doing when writing his memoir. A job well dome for sure.
If you like memoirs and traveling books this is one for you. He did an excellent job writing this. Definitely give this a try.
January 14, 2019
The Blurb :
Keith and Val had a dream – to live in Provence, the land of brilliant sunlight, charming hilltop villages and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.
But there were two problems: they weren’t French speakers and they had full-time jobs. So they came up with a plan…
Follow their adventures (and misadventures) as they quit their jobs, become consultants and split their time between two countries. Laugh along as they build a life in Provence, slowly mastering a new language and making friends with the locals over long meals and just a bit too much wine.
This light and breezy memoir is full of wry observations on France, like the power of cheese to sway elections, the right and wrong ways for men to kiss each other, and the law requiring that blood donors must speak French.
My Thoughts :
I really enjoy Travel Memoirs and at 192 pages long this book will leave you long giggling into your cup of tea.
Home is the USA for Keith and Val Van Sickle but we follow then to Provence, France, where they live part time. Year after year they return for three months to immerse themselves in the beauty and way of French life. This a very easy read and we we are treated to many delights including the French countryside, French culture, the locals and above all some yummy French food and wine. I love the way they take on the French language and are prepared to give it a go even if it may not be right. Getting into a car that is not yours, is just one highlight of the story. This memoir is filled with vivid descriptions that it easily allows you to put yourself in keith’s position as he is telling his story and providing us with a fun filled journey. This was a joy to read and I am looking forward to more adventures from Keith Van Sickle in the future.
Keith and Val had a dream – to live in Provence, the land of brilliant sunlight, charming hilltop villages and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.
But there were two problems: they weren’t French speakers and they had full-time jobs. So they came up with a plan…
Follow their adventures (and misadventures) as they quit their jobs, become consultants and split their time between two countries. Laugh along as they build a life in Provence, slowly mastering a new language and making friends with the locals over long meals and just a bit too much wine.
This light and breezy memoir is full of wry observations on France, like the power of cheese to sway elections, the right and wrong ways for men to kiss each other, and the law requiring that blood donors must speak French.
My Thoughts :
I really enjoy Travel Memoirs and at 192 pages long this book will leave you long giggling into your cup of tea.
Home is the USA for Keith and Val Van Sickle but we follow then to Provence, France, where they live part time. Year after year they return for three months to immerse themselves in the beauty and way of French life. This a very easy read and we we are treated to many delights including the French countryside, French culture, the locals and above all some yummy French food and wine. I love the way they take on the French language and are prepared to give it a go even if it may not be right. Getting into a car that is not yours, is just one highlight of the story. This memoir is filled with vivid descriptions that it easily allows you to put yourself in keith’s position as he is telling his story and providing us with a fun filled journey. This was a joy to read and I am looking forward to more adventures from Keith Van Sickle in the future.
January 6, 2018
I've been to the UK (three weeks) and Italy (three weeks). However, I've never visited France. Reading this small book gave me a taste of France.
August 27, 2017
Have you, as a reader, ever read anything that makes you laugh so hard that you embarrass yourself in public by letting loose a loud snort? Well, One Sip at a Time is one of those type of books. So, my warning, dear reader, this book is not for public reading! Unless you enjoy public humiliation! I laughed so hard so many times throughout. I love seeing what it was like to travel through France as an American. I learned learned so much about how things are done there. Things I never thought of, such as, driving, pharmacies, stores, politics, etc. My high school French teachers certainly did not teach all that I learned from this book.
One Sip at a Time is indeed, a fun, entertaining, and delightful read, packed full of humor. I honestly did not expect to like it that much, as memoirs are not my favorite kinds of reads. I am so glad I chose to give it a chance. I absolutely loved it!
Highly, highly recommend it.
5+ stars.
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
One Sip at a Time is indeed, a fun, entertaining, and delightful read, packed full of humor. I honestly did not expect to like it that much, as memoirs are not my favorite kinds of reads. I am so glad I chose to give it a chance. I absolutely loved it!
Highly, highly recommend it.
5+ stars.
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
July 11, 2017
My friend Patricia said, “I can disappear into a story easily, and if the writing is good, I can BE there.” Keith Van Sickle’s book, ONE SIP AT A TIME, is exactly that kind of book. Reading it out loud, back and forth with my husband on a road trip makes us want to return to France for another adventure.
October 10, 2022
This was charming and very adorable, Peter Mayle-esque. A little simplistic. As someone who splits time between two countries myself, I was dying to know more about the logistics of how he and his wife do it, and there wasn't really so much about that. Very cute, sweet little stories though.
April 14, 2020
A month into full quarantine, I’ve decided since I can’t travel I will read travel related books instead. Up first was this in audiobook format. It was amusing enough and reminds me somewhat of my current experiences living in Spain, albeit the Spanish are different :)
November 5, 2018
Learning French one sip at a time
Une belle histoire . Je parle un peu le francais. I like how Keith was self -effacing; admitting his mistakes. My husband and I visited Provence this year and for six months prior to our trip, I practiced listening in the car and reading children's books (they have easier vocabulary and have illustrations to boot). I was able to use my "menu" French for pomme frites. Haha.
Une belle histoire . Je parle un peu le francais. I like how Keith was self -effacing; admitting his mistakes. My husband and I visited Provence this year and for six months prior to our trip, I practiced listening in the car and reading children's books (they have easier vocabulary and have illustrations to boot). I was able to use my "menu" French for pomme frites. Haha.
February 6, 2017
Visit France for a few days as a tourist, and you'll come back talking about the Louvre and rude waiters. Try living in France for a sustained period and your stories will be richer, earthier and funnier. In "One Sip at a Time," Keith Van Sickle shares more than 60 vignettes of his time in Provence -- where the bread is astonishingly good, the plumbing is hopeless, and a visit to the emergency room costs $30. He might be a high achiever on the other side of the Atlantic, but when he's in France, he settles into the notoriously curious, clueless and optimistic role of The American Abroad. It's a famous trope, and he plays it well. The stories are delightful; the winks at the audience are even better.
This is a delightful book to bring on any trip, big or small. I recommend it for everything from intercontinental plane flights to a lost morning waiting in the holding pen at jury duty. It's a quick, easy read that will pick up your spirits, if that's what you need. It's also a quietly subtle collection of parables that will leave you thinking about the human condition in a new way. I hope there's a sequel in the works.
This is a delightful book to bring on any trip, big or small. I recommend it for everything from intercontinental plane flights to a lost morning waiting in the holding pen at jury duty. It's a quick, easy read that will pick up your spirits, if that's what you need. It's also a quietly subtle collection of parables that will leave you thinking about the human condition in a new way. I hope there's a sequel in the works.
February 1, 2017
One Sip at a Time is probably not a book I would have automatically picked up off the shelf. Nonetheless, I am glad the author approached me to review because I really enjoyed it. At 130 pages this is a quick little read, but it was one brimming with fun that often made me laugh aloud. If you've spent any time in France, you'll appreciate the nods to french baking or French drivers, and even if you don't have any personal experience of the country, I'm sure you'll still find it amusing. Full of delightful anecdotes, this will appeal to anyone thinking of moving abroad, those who love France, and readers who simply like humorous non-fiction tales along the lines of someone like Bill Bryson. By the end I was longing to return to France myself. It's been years since I was last there, and I've never been farther south than Paris. This account certainly made me all the more keen to explore Provence in the future.
I received this book as a free review copy from the author.
I received this book as a free review copy from the author.
April 24, 2017
Keith and his wife quit their jobs to go live in Provence. There are funny stories about speaking french, coffee and much more. This is a story about an American couple living in France. They have different customs such as a man drinking "cafe au lait" which is usually for women.
I loved this book because Keith is my brother's godfather. They speak French and in the acknowledgment section my mother is in there. I would recommend this book to adults and teens who would like to go to France.
I loved this book because Keith is my brother's godfather. They speak French and in the acknowledgment section my mother is in there. I would recommend this book to adults and teens who would like to go to France.
March 22, 2017
One Sip at a Time is a kind of a memoir of the author’s romantic tryst with France. The author Keith and his lovely wife Val are both Americans who fell in love with France and with the idea of living in France..
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/foreign-a...
Read the full review here - http://bookgeeks.in/entries/foreign-a...
November 18, 2017
Very entertaining to read.
July 17, 2017
At its heart One Sip at a Time is a travel memoir. And yet it is different than most travel memoirs I’ve read in ways both good and … not really bad, not really good, definitely different. I’ll try to explain.
There are two things I tend to look for and expect in a travel memoir. The two words in that phrase are a hint. For the travel part I’m hoping to get a sense of the place the person is traveling to or through. That might include something about the scenery, the culture, the people, or whatever it is that made this place special, different, or worth visiting to the author. The memoir part is the more personal. It’s what sets a travel memoir apart from a guidebook or brochure from the local tourism office. Ideally this part is not only how they react to the experience of traveling, but also how it changed them.
Typically, that last item comes from a narrative that is mostly chronological with (sometimes literally) one foot in front of the other, going from point A to point B. This book isn’t like that. Although it has two parts that are tied together chronologically, it’s more like a series of essays or true stories that related different experiences with no obvious order or transition from one to the other. What that meant was that rather than having a climax or realization of how the trip had changed the author near the end, it happened (or the reader noticed and realized it was happening) through a gradual process. If anything, that’s more realistic in how change really happens and it worked for me as a reader.
As for the travel part, I thought the author’s insights into the culture and people went much deeper than a typical travel memoir would, largely because his goal wasn’t to be a traveler, but to be an actual resident (even if short term) of the area of France he was visiting. That paid off, for him and for us.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
There are two things I tend to look for and expect in a travel memoir. The two words in that phrase are a hint. For the travel part I’m hoping to get a sense of the place the person is traveling to or through. That might include something about the scenery, the culture, the people, or whatever it is that made this place special, different, or worth visiting to the author. The memoir part is the more personal. It’s what sets a travel memoir apart from a guidebook or brochure from the local tourism office. Ideally this part is not only how they react to the experience of traveling, but also how it changed them.
Typically, that last item comes from a narrative that is mostly chronological with (sometimes literally) one foot in front of the other, going from point A to point B. This book isn’t like that. Although it has two parts that are tied together chronologically, it’s more like a series of essays or true stories that related different experiences with no obvious order or transition from one to the other. What that meant was that rather than having a climax or realization of how the trip had changed the author near the end, it happened (or the reader noticed and realized it was happening) through a gradual process. If anything, that’s more realistic in how change really happens and it worked for me as a reader.
As for the travel part, I thought the author’s insights into the culture and people went much deeper than a typical travel memoir would, largely because his goal wasn’t to be a traveler, but to be an actual resident (even if short term) of the area of France he was visiting. That paid off, for him and for us.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
May 17, 2017
One Sip at a Time reminds me why travel memoirs endure as a literary fascination. The books still let people who might be shy on money or time go in their minds to places about which their hearts only dream. The genre was a major entertainment source in past centuries. Keith Van Sickle's work shows that the strength of the tradition endures.
He and wife Val shake off the "gotta get ahead" pace of life in the United States for life in Provence, a region in southern France, where wine, good food and conversation gain major importance. With prose that is tight, elegant and easily read, the author pulls the reader into his struggle to fit into a different world. The stories are honest and often filled with humor with the right combination of details that make a reader feel present.
Van Sickle, a high tech guru by trade, debuts as an outstanding storyteller. I loved the way he packed so much understanding into a turn of phrase. For example, during their first long-term living experience outside this country the couple lived in Neuchatel in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, "in a village so small that the streets did not have names and the cows outnumbered the people." That is a sample of the wit, clarity, insight and personality in the prose that makes the work an attractive read.
One Sip at a Time is blunt about how one might struggle to fit into another culture. At the same time, the author and his wife show readers that an effort can capture a dream. Most readers will finish the book's last page and wish they could hear more. The memoir ends, yet the author offers Francophones, dreamers, travel-lovers, and those who might want to try a similar trek, a blog -http://keithvansickle.com/portfolio/#... - filled with insights into France and the adventure that is life.
He and wife Val shake off the "gotta get ahead" pace of life in the United States for life in Provence, a region in southern France, where wine, good food and conversation gain major importance. With prose that is tight, elegant and easily read, the author pulls the reader into his struggle to fit into a different world. The stories are honest and often filled with humor with the right combination of details that make a reader feel present.
Van Sickle, a high tech guru by trade, debuts as an outstanding storyteller. I loved the way he packed so much understanding into a turn of phrase. For example, during their first long-term living experience outside this country the couple lived in Neuchatel in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, "in a village so small that the streets did not have names and the cows outnumbered the people." That is a sample of the wit, clarity, insight and personality in the prose that makes the work an attractive read.
One Sip at a Time is blunt about how one might struggle to fit into another culture. At the same time, the author and his wife show readers that an effort can capture a dream. Most readers will finish the book's last page and wish they could hear more. The memoir ends, yet the author offers Francophones, dreamers, travel-lovers, and those who might want to try a similar trek, a blog -http://keithvansickle.com/portfolio/#... - filled with insights into France and the adventure that is life.
December 6, 2018
Have you ever wondered or dreamed of what it would be like to live in Provence? Well, the dream came true for Keith and Val van Sickle. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence is a colorful collection of little stories documenting their time in the sunny, south of France. It is a delightful read that will not only have you laughing at the hilarity of the predicaments they come to be in, but it will also fill you with nostalgia and sometimes just downright confusion on how, and why, Provence can be such an amazing and frustrating place all at the same time!
Whether you’ve experienced the same situations (because it’s happened to you in Provence) or you have been dreaming of having a life in La Provence, Keith’s stories will keep you turning the pages all the while wondering if his next adventure will have you laughing out loud or gasping in wonderment.
I thoroughly enjoyed “living” in Provence with Keith and Val.
Because the south of France is so near and dear to me and many of the experiences Keith has written about I know first- hand due to having also experienced them, I was able to smile the whole way through the book, even through the craziest parts! I love reading about others who are living in Provence. Knowing other people’s “adventures” here gives us expats a connection, a grounding, a commonality in this wonderful, yet sometimes infuriating, place.
This book isn’t just for those of us who live here, this book is for everyone who loves the idea of living in Provence. So, laugh, gasp, fill full and drink to your hearts delight as you enjoy this fantastic adventure of Keith and Val as they take it One Sip at a Time.
Whether you’ve experienced the same situations (because it’s happened to you in Provence) or you have been dreaming of having a life in La Provence, Keith’s stories will keep you turning the pages all the while wondering if his next adventure will have you laughing out loud or gasping in wonderment.
I thoroughly enjoyed “living” in Provence with Keith and Val.
Because the south of France is so near and dear to me and many of the experiences Keith has written about I know first- hand due to having also experienced them, I was able to smile the whole way through the book, even through the craziest parts! I love reading about others who are living in Provence. Knowing other people’s “adventures” here gives us expats a connection, a grounding, a commonality in this wonderful, yet sometimes infuriating, place.
This book isn’t just for those of us who live here, this book is for everyone who loves the idea of living in Provence. So, laugh, gasp, fill full and drink to your hearts delight as you enjoy this fantastic adventure of Keith and Val as they take it One Sip at a Time.
August 7, 2017
There is something about that feeling of peeking into someone's life. Hmmm... did that just make me sound like a creeper?! Lol! I didn't mean it that way! But seriously, I love reading books that let you feel like you're living the writer's life right along with them. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Province gives you that feeling.
I picked this book up for a few reasons. First, it was coming up on my tbr anyways. Second, I just like books like the (like I already stated). And third, I was getting books together for a read-a-thon and this one seemed to be a good pick for the challenge.
Again, I like reading books that give you a glimpse of someone's daily life, especially when adventure is included. This book gives you just that. I love the thought of picking up and moving away somewhere and starting fresh with new adventures! I don't think that I could ever do it but I love the thought of it!
This was a fun, true story of the adventures of Keith and Val as they pick up and start a life in Province. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this! Thank You, Keith Van Sickle for sending this book my way!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I picked this book up for a few reasons. First, it was coming up on my tbr anyways. Second, I just like books like the (like I already stated). And third, I was getting books together for a read-a-thon and this one seemed to be a good pick for the challenge.
Again, I like reading books that give you a glimpse of someone's daily life, especially when adventure is included. This book gives you just that. I love the thought of picking up and moving away somewhere and starting fresh with new adventures! I don't think that I could ever do it but I love the thought of it!
This was a fun, true story of the adventures of Keith and Val as they pick up and start a life in Province. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this! Thank You, Keith Van Sickle for sending this book my way!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2017
One Sip at a Time - Learning to Live in Provence by Keith Van Sickle, written in narrative form as a travel memoir, contains excellent cultural tidbits. It is light, easy-to-read, full of humor, and yet packed with useful information that anyone desiring to travel to or live in France should know. Keith Van Sickle describes concepts such as boulangerie, Intermaché, Course Camaguaise. He explains the French dining experience, language tips (and funny mishaps), French business culture, and more. For instance, one paragraph explains: "We learned that Americans are generally more risk-taking. We change jobs more often and it is not a scary thing to join a startup company. . . . By contrast, it would be a major risk to join one in France. If it failed . . . it would be a black mark that could follow you for the rest of your career." This book, without doubt, gives an excellent overview of the French culture and customs. I highly recommend it.
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
August 10, 2018
Keith Van Sickle has written a playful, grateful, joyful, appreciative and funny tale about the pleasures, surprises, and complications of living a bifurcated, bi-cultural, bi-lingual life in Silicon Valley and Provence, France. His observations inform and his thoughts are often hilarious. Really what he and his wife, Val, want most is to learn French and make French friends--and they do, but not as easily or quickly as they expected. My favorite sections are about the sandwich police, the citizenship test, and France's unquenched need and desire for Nutella. Read the book and you'll see what I mean.
November 13, 2017
Oh, but I love this book! It’s beautifully written, thoroughly entertaining and sums up the expat experience superbly. The writing sparkles with enjoyment and humour, although the author’s not above giving gentle digs where they’re due. After all, the French do have their little, incomprehensible ways when it comes to, well, quite a lot of things!
Through a series of sips - vignettes of the author’s part-time expat lifestyle in France - we discover his adopted corner of Europe and how he gets on in it. There’s never a dull moment. We share the thrills and frustrations as Keith and Val grapple with French living, attempt to communicate and, zut alors, try to actually get things done.
From the jolly, lively and excellent cover to the last page, this book keeps you riveted and provides plenty of chuckles. I do hope there’ll be plenty of sequels as this is an author I want to keep on reading.
Through a series of sips - vignettes of the author’s part-time expat lifestyle in France - we discover his adopted corner of Europe and how he gets on in it. There’s never a dull moment. We share the thrills and frustrations as Keith and Val grapple with French living, attempt to communicate and, zut alors, try to actually get things done.
From the jolly, lively and excellent cover to the last page, this book keeps you riveted and provides plenty of chuckles. I do hope there’ll be plenty of sequels as this is an author I want to keep on reading.
March 10, 2019
I very much enjoyed this short memoir. I liked the author’s quirky sense of humour. He and his wife like to spend time in France and are learning to speak French and to be rather more then ‘just tourists ‘ They obviously love the country and its people and are learning to appreciate the cultural difference between The USA and France. The book consists of short chapters or episodes which made me smile. I rather liked the accompanying illustrations to each chapter. I’ll happily read more from this author.
February 22, 2020
"One Sip at a Time" by Keith Van Sickle is an interesting way to see Southern France is through the eyes of two-Americans (husband and wife) who want to enjoy every aspect of their journey together. The pay-off is rather simple. Make room for the unexpected, learn a new language and carry a sense of humor along the way. Finding new friends and communicating with them in Southern France is only a challenge if you don't try. The many types of delicious foods and wines of France on offer is only a plus.
December 22, 2022
One Sip at a Time is like a bowl of delicious dessert. You can sit and enjoy the whole thing at once or savour small pieces over time. Either way, this upbeat memoir is sure to entertain, uplift and make you laugh. If it doesn’t cause you to long to board the next plane to France, I’m not sure what will.
Van Sickle's wry, self-deprecating reflections left me wanting more. “Are We French Yet?” is now high on my TBR list.
Van Sickle's wry, self-deprecating reflections left me wanting more. “Are We French Yet?” is now high on my TBR list.
July 5, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Keith and Val are lucky to have a carreer that they can handle from any place!! Over the years they rented for several months in three different area of France which is a fantastic idea. Every chapter is interesting even if some are very short. In France it really is mandatory to speak the language and over time they are doing good at being understood and making so many friends. I love the French citizen exam--hey Keith when you figure it out please let me know, page 69-81. Life in Europe is just sooooo different from life in the USA and they are American not British so that gives a different slant. I highly rcommend this book!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews