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Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France
Based on the popular blog (french-word-a-day.com) and newsletter with thousands of subscribers -- a heart-winning collection from an American woman raising two very French children with her French husband in Provence, carrying on a lifelong love affair with the language. Imagine a former French major getting vocabulary tips from her young children! That was the experience of Kristin Espinasse, an American who fell in love with a Frenchman and moved to his country to marry him and start a family. When her children began learning the language, she found herself falling in love with it all over again. To relate the stories of her sometimes bumpy, often comic, and always poignant assimilation, she created a blog in the tradition of books such as "A Year in Provence" and "Almost French," drawing more admirers than she ever could have imagined.
With an approach that is as charming as it is practical, Espinasse shares her story through the everyday French words and phrases that never seem to make it to American classrooms. ""Comptoir"" ("counter") is a piece about the intricacies of grocery shopping in France, and ""Linge"" ("laundry") swoons over the wonderful scent the laundry has after being hung out in the French countryside, while ""Toquade"" ("crush") tells of Espinasse's young son, who begins piling gel onto his hair before school each morning when he becomes smitten with a girl in class.
Steeped in French culture but experienced through American eyes, "Words in a French Life" will delight armchair travelers, Francophiles, and mothers everywhere.
With an approach that is as charming as it is practical, Espinasse shares her story through the everyday French words and phrases that never seem to make it to American classrooms. ""Comptoir"" ("counter") is a piece about the intricacies of grocery shopping in France, and ""Linge"" ("laundry") swoons over the wonderful scent the laundry has after being hung out in the French countryside, while ""Toquade"" ("crush") tells of Espinasse's young son, who begins piling gel onto his hair before school each morning when he becomes smitten with a girl in class.
Steeped in French culture but experienced through American eyes, "Words in a French Life" will delight armchair travelers, Francophiles, and mothers everywhere.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2006
53 people are currently reading
1959 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 3, 2023
A friend recommended this delightful free blog: https://www.french-word-a-day.com/. You can sign up to receive one column a week by email. The columns are in English and each introduces French words. Kristin Espinasse is an American from Arizona, who loving everything French, moved to France and is now married to a Frenchman. She lives in Provence with her husband and two children who delight in teasing her about her accent and mispronunciations. This charming book is her first of three and I will definitely be reading her second and third.
Update - 6/24/2023
Having just finished and enjoyed Kristin Espinasse's second book, Blossoming in Provence, I decided to re-read Words in a French Life. It is every bit as delightful as I remembered. In fact, it's longer than Blossoming in Province and I am taking my time immersing myself once more into life in the south of France. It's relaxing, charming and full of phrases and words that you might not normally encounter in French language studies. Go to her online blog for Espinasse's stunning photographs (not included in this book).
Update - 6/24/2023
Having just finished and enjoyed Kristin Espinasse's second book, Blossoming in Provence, I decided to re-read Words in a French Life. It is every bit as delightful as I remembered. In fact, it's longer than Blossoming in Province and I am taking my time immersing myself once more into life in the south of France. It's relaxing, charming and full of phrases and words that you might not normally encounter in French language studies. Go to her online blog for Espinasse's stunning photographs (not included in this book).
March 6, 2011
I enjoyed this read of Kristin's life, especially since I am also an American who relocated to a foreign country for love. While I didn't have to learn a new language in my situation, I adore French and took it through all levels of school. I ended up in Canada, where it was the 2nd national language, which further fueled my passion for the language. I felt like Kristin's book was a peek into everyday life in France, somewhere I've always wanted to go, and I would daydream of a vacation in the gorgeous locations she described. Throughout the book I found myself picking up little French nuances and culture and of course new words and phrases to add to my French vocabulary in every chapter. It was a little side bonus to reading about a magical place; without realizing it I was also learning along with the enjoyment.
March 3, 2012
Based on the author's French Word-A-Day blog, this book is funny and interesting and makes you want to brush up your French and go to France. Sigh.
November 21, 2009
After fourteen years of German, two here and two there of Spanish, and three self-taught years of Russian in college, I came to realize that my heart wanted me to be learning French. (Don't even begin to rationalize with me about the necessity of some of these languages.)
I followed Ms. Espinasse's blog for a couple of years. Her book reads just the same: like a "Word-A-Day" calender, only filled with charming insights and experiences pertaining to each entry.
As I read and reread each new term trying to emblazon it into my memory, I found that whether or not I could recall the correct word at the needed moment, I savored the immersion into her Provençale life and experiences.
This book functions both as a vocabulary builder (for idiomatic phrases and slang as well) and a fun glimpse into French culture. There were moments when I pitied the displaced American, whose intelligence was obvious but who had to feel the inferiority of her language abilities at the hand of her own children (what mother doesn't want her children to think that she is brilliant?).
A few criticisms: It became bothersome to flip to the next page to learn the translation for some of the words (a critique also mentioned by her son in the book) and I regretted that she had not provided pronunciations for her list of vocabulary.
I followed Ms. Espinasse's blog for a couple of years. Her book reads just the same: like a "Word-A-Day" calender, only filled with charming insights and experiences pertaining to each entry.
As I read and reread each new term trying to emblazon it into my memory, I found that whether or not I could recall the correct word at the needed moment, I savored the immersion into her Provençale life and experiences.
This book functions both as a vocabulary builder (for idiomatic phrases and slang as well) and a fun glimpse into French culture. There were moments when I pitied the displaced American, whose intelligence was obvious but who had to feel the inferiority of her language abilities at the hand of her own children (what mother doesn't want her children to think that she is brilliant?).
A few criticisms: It became bothersome to flip to the next page to learn the translation for some of the words (a critique also mentioned by her son in the book) and I regretted that she had not provided pronunciations for her list of vocabulary.
June 12, 2008
This marks the second time I've tried to read this book and not quite made it to the finish line. I wanted badly to love this book because I usually love stories of Americans living in foreign countries and because I think Kristin Espinasse seems a likable lady.
Ultimately, you can tell this book began life as a blog because it still reads like a blog. A charming one, but one that I'm not particularly interested in after the first blush has worn off. Also, I'm not nearly as enamored of all things French as the author, and since I've never had any French, I found the constant flipping back and forth to see the vocabulary words listed at the end of each entry just so that I could understand the entries irritating after a while.
Long story short: I was not the target audience for this book. However, if you're a student of the French language, or better yet, a complete Francophile, then you'd probably enjoy it quite well.
Ultimately, you can tell this book began life as a blog because it still reads like a blog. A charming one, but one that I'm not particularly interested in after the first blush has worn off. Also, I'm not nearly as enamored of all things French as the author, and since I've never had any French, I found the constant flipping back and forth to see the vocabulary words listed at the end of each entry just so that I could understand the entries irritating after a while.
Long story short: I was not the target audience for this book. However, if you're a student of the French language, or better yet, a complete Francophile, then you'd probably enjoy it quite well.
December 20, 2010
I'm not kidding, I've been "reading" this book for about two years. It's really kind of awful. But I'm one of those "can't not finish" people. So it sits on my night stand. For eternity. And every once in a while, I pick it up, read a few pages, and remember why it's really quite terrible. And then wait another six months before reading the next three pages. It's kind of like ripping off a band-aid one centimeter at a time.
I gave up. When I moved, it didn't.
I gave up. When I moved, it didn't.
July 28, 2016
Espinasse is an American transplant who fell in love with a Frenchman and France. This is a look at her life in the South of France. As charming as it was, it also seems very inaccessible to the regular soul. I would very much like to read something by a person enamored of France who doesn't have the financial resources Espinasse does.
July 28, 2021
A charming series of short essays about french words and phrases and life in france for an American. Espinasse is a lovely writer, I could have read even more about her and her husband and two children, so much so that sometimes the focus on vocabulary became a drawback at the end, but it was still a charming meditation on the quirks of language.
September 30, 2008
I quite enjoyed this book even though it took me a while to finish it because I started other books at the same time. :) I loved that the chapters, which are really just a story from the authors life that has to do with a French word she picked as the title, were short. This mean that I could pick it up anytime and just read a few pages, which came in handy when work was slow. Having lived in other countries I was interested to hear another Americans expat experiences, especially in a place like the south of France, where I'd love to go!
Other reviews I've read commented on the formatting, which they seem to have disliked. For the most part it didn't bother me, but I'm not sure if that's because I already knew a lot of the French words she placed amid the English ones so I didn't have to flip the page that much to see what the italicized words meant. I did, however, find that as the book went on that she wouldn't repeat a word in the glossary if she'd previously used it in another 'chapter'. Even as a French speaker I couldn't always recall the meanings and so that was slightly frustrating. On the other hand I usually understood the gist of it from the context and it was almost like learning French along with the author. I also loved the French idioms at the end of each 'chapter'. I learned a lot of new phrases that I wouldn't have easily picked up on otherwise.
Other reviews I've read commented on the formatting, which they seem to have disliked. For the most part it didn't bother me, but I'm not sure if that's because I already knew a lot of the French words she placed amid the English ones so I didn't have to flip the page that much to see what the italicized words meant. I did, however, find that as the book went on that she wouldn't repeat a word in the glossary if she'd previously used it in another 'chapter'. Even as a French speaker I couldn't always recall the meanings and so that was slightly frustrating. On the other hand I usually understood the gist of it from the context and it was almost like learning French along with the author. I also loved the French idioms at the end of each 'chapter'. I learned a lot of new phrases that I wouldn't have easily picked up on otherwise.
June 5, 2013
This is a compilation of her word a day blog, snapshots of her expat life in the south of France. They are perfect for me, a sort-of reader of French, and provide an enchanting depiction of the day to day in an essentially rural, though civilized, area. I read her blog almost every day and love it for the welcome break it provides.
April 3, 2018
What an enjoyable little read! Who hasn't fantasized about traveling abroad, falling in love, and leaving her mundane life behind to marry and live in a beautiful European country? Kristin actually did that, and writes about her experiences as an American expatriate living and raising her children in the south of France.
What I enjoyed most about this book is that it can be read as a series of short stories, over time. Often I have only a few minutes to read, so these chapters were perfectly sized for those little snippets of time to enjoy something. It took me quite a while to finish, but each chapter was just enough, like savoring a few bites of a delicious dessert before bedtime.
This book would also be great for someone learning French, as each chapter tells a story centered around a certain word or phrase used in common everyday life in France. The stories tell not only of the language, but of the French culture and philosophy of life. Really glad I happened upon this little book on the sale table - I may just go back and read it again!
What I enjoyed most about this book is that it can be read as a series of short stories, over time. Often I have only a few minutes to read, so these chapters were perfectly sized for those little snippets of time to enjoy something. It took me quite a while to finish, but each chapter was just enough, like savoring a few bites of a delicious dessert before bedtime.
This book would also be great for someone learning French, as each chapter tells a story centered around a certain word or phrase used in common everyday life in France. The stories tell not only of the language, but of the French culture and philosophy of life. Really glad I happened upon this little book on the sale table - I may just go back and read it again!
September 7, 2024
We are leaving for France in a little over two weeks and I have been picking up France travel books at the library to review for our trip planning. I spotted this book, immediately borrowed it and read it in three days (well, I had to take a break from this book to read another that was overdue but the total read time was probably three days). I really enjoyed this book. I guess it is a memoir of an American woman who married a french man and lives in southern France. Of course, her handsome husband is in the wine business and she is a blogger and writer -- fantasy life, right? The chapters and short vignettes describe her family life in France using french words sprinkled throughout (with translation at the end of each chapter). The author, Kristin Espinasse, has a french word per day blog and newletters so you can continue to follow her and pick up some french. I doubt that I will do that though -- I am already envious enough! I did like this book. For me, it was a fantasy read and reading it added to the excitement of our upcoming trip.
July 28, 2020
Kristin Espinasse, the author, is an American who married a Frenchman and has made the south of France their home along with their two children. It is a charming story in which she incorporates French words--words that I have long forgotten. Une barb a papa (papa's beard) is the French word for cotton candy. Don't you just love it! Another favorite of mine was the name for mother-in-law, belle-mere, which literally means beautiful mother. I want to be called that! :) This book is just filled with sweet and endearing stories.
June 21, 2020
France isn’t my favourite country in Europe. But the language sure is among my favourites. I have been trying to learn it off and on for a while. The first words I learnt during my time in France where words for food so I could shop for it.
This book is something similar. The author writes of her transplantation from Arizona to the South of France, the ensuing cultural gaffes and words that she learns by living. She has been learning French for quite a while, but her vocabulary and grammar benefit from living among and interacting with the French and from her French family.
She writes a word a day, uses it contextually to enable understanding and helps place in context with an idiom. It is a hilariously written slice of life book. Filled with several French stereotypes and several not stereotypes, it is a pleasant, sunny, very South of France read.
This book is something similar. The author writes of her transplantation from Arizona to the South of France, the ensuing cultural gaffes and words that she learns by living. She has been learning French for quite a while, but her vocabulary and grammar benefit from living among and interacting with the French and from her French family.
She writes a word a day, uses it contextually to enable understanding and helps place in context with an idiom. It is a hilariously written slice of life book. Filled with several French stereotypes and several not stereotypes, it is a pleasant, sunny, very South of France read.
March 7, 2018
This woman is living my life. She moves to France to marry the love of her life, A French man, has children and learns to acclimate to the culture and language one day at a time. Each chapter in this book is a new lesson of vocabulary, though I felt some of the words were a bit simple to focus on, there were lots of great, and useful, expressions. A great read for anyone studying French.
March 20, 2018
Fun and easy to read, Kristin Espinasse puts her best word forward to teach us French. Her book traveled with us to Paris, France for Christmas and back home again to be shelved in Spokane. I am looking forward to reading the next two books she has written about her life in southern France, married to a native raising their two bilingual children.
April 6, 2018
I enjoyed this book in that it was broken up into short parts written in English but sprinkled with words in French so that if you didn’t understand them (French words) you could figure them out within the context of a few pages. Also, at the end of each short section the French was explained further.
July 16, 2020
This was such a heartwarming read! As a student who is currently enrolled in French courses, it was so interesting to learn about aspects of France that time restraints don't allow me to learn in the classroom setting. Understanding the CULTURE of France is a pivotal component of learning the language. I am so grateful to have read this book; one about family, love, and learning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2024
Really enjoyed this. Kristin Espinasse shares her romance with France, the language, her French husband and her two Franco-American children. Lots of local color, hints about French culture and traditions, as well as practical tips about the language and some French idioms. Would love to read a sequel.
June 20, 2019
I probably would have finished this library book if it hadn't come due, but the repetitiveness of the themes (family, foreignness, small wonders) and the fact that I would use any expressions learned only with my French friend (and not Canadian francophones) diminished its appeal.
October 23, 2020
A light hearted, amiable and entertaining read. Tidbits of French language and expressions used in context and defined along the way with tidbits of Provence geography for the reader with a trip in mind and a view of the family's day to day adventures.
August 8, 2022
As the wife of a Frenchman who has been to Provence several times, I found this interesting reading. I knew a lot of the French words but learned a few. I would've liked more colloquialisms than formal French and at times it was a bit pretentious and cheesy at times, but overall a good read.
August 21, 2024
As I am in France right now, this book has been useful in understanding the environment and words used at le marche today. Delightful anecdotes recounted throughout.
Perhaps a book to read in portions, rather than in one go.
Perhaps a book to read in portions, rather than in one go.
December 17, 2024
An incredibly delightful and charming little book. Each chapter is a word in French with a little vignette to go with it. This book does an excellent job of capturing the American Expat in a foreign country, and does it with both self-deprecation and honesty. I loved it.
May 22, 2019
Great book if you are learning the French language and culture.
December 4, 2019
A very mildly interesting collection of blog type posts featuring certain French vocabulary. Short, sweet and not much to it.
February 28, 2021
I did not read much of this, either. It was not what I thought it was. It was a series of short stories with each one based on a word in french.
July 25, 2022
AMAZING!! might have to re read
August 1, 2022
Such a wonderful book! I loved it so much, the explanations, the cultural differences explained with refreshing honesty, the love for France... it is the perfect read for the summer!
February 3, 2024
I loved this book. Found it in a little used book store in San Luis Obispo and I'm so grateful. The perfect book to brush up on my French vocab and savor stories of life in the south of France.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews