Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris (2002)

by Sarah Turnbull

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After backpacking her way around Europe journalist Sarah Turnbull is ready to embark on one last adventure before heading home to Sydney. A chance meeting with a charming Frenchman in Bucharest changes her travel plans forever. Acting on impulse, she agrees to visit Fredric in Paris for a week. Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Australian girl and the result is some spectacular--and often hilarious--cultural clashes. Language is a minefield of misunderstanding and the simple act of buying a baguette is fraught with social danger. But as she navigates the highs and lows of this strange new world, from the sophisticated cafes and haute couture fashion houses to the picture postcard French countryside, little by little Sarah falls under its spell: passionate, mysterious, infuriating, and charged with that French specialty--seduction. And it becomes her home. "An engaging, endearing view of the people and places of France." --Publishers Weekly… (more)

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Showing 1-5 of 40 (next | show all)

This explained so much of my experience in France. Just what I needed, just the right time! Now I will go and imagine that I'm a chair... :)

Edit: I just read what some other people thought of the book and I was surprised that so many people disliked it. I get if you don't like the writing style, but the other major criticism seemed to be that we don't see the love story between Sarah & Frédéric. I guess it was advertised that way. For me, it wasn't about their love story but the relationship between Sarah and France. And yes, I've had so many similar experiences! And I love the way, even though frustrating at times, she does adjust to France and makes it her home. Also, I felt that the whole living between two countries came across really well. And the way she's not French, but she's not really Australian anymore either. (

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RankkaApina | Feb 22, 2021 |

Vary enjoyable autobiography of Sarah Turnbull who went to live in Paris with Parisian Frederick after a brief encounter, and the ongoing difficulties she (and he) encountered coming to grips with differences between Australian and French (Parisian) attitudes to life. (

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nadineeg | Dec 31, 2018 |

I really enjoyed this -- it lived up to its description. The one episode I remember in particular was when she was heading out for a quick trip to the bakery to pick up a baguette wearing sweats, and her husband commented on it. When she told him it was just to run out to the bakery he said, "But it's not very nice for the baker." Cute story, but what an interesting perspective. We tend to think of looking nice as typically being an expression of vanity, but for Parisians it's in consideration for all the people who have to share a space with you. And when you think about how deflating it is, in a way, to be out amongst a bunch of people dressed like slobs (think Walmart), you wonder why more cultures don't take this attitude. (

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Lit_Cat | Dec 9, 2017 |

Loved it! (

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Melissa1980 | May 5, 2017 |

An Australian woman falls for a French man and moves to Paris to be with him. Her adventures in learning about and dealing with French Culture. (

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Cleoxcat | May 28, 2015 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Sarah Turnbull	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Causby, Darian	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Canonical title

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2002

People/Characters

Sarah Turnbull

Important places

Paris, France

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

For Mum and Dad

Et, bien sur, pour Fred

First words

I left Australia hoping to cram a lifetime of adventures into one unforgettable year.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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▾Book descriptions

After backpacking her way around Europe journalist Sarah Turnbull is ready to embark on one last adventure before heading home to Sydney. A chance meeting with a charming Frenchman in Bucharest changes her travel plans forever. Acting on impulse, she agrees to visit Fredric in Paris for a week. Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Australian girl and the result is some spectacular--and often hilarious--cultural clashes. Language is a minefield of misunderstanding and the simple act of buying a baguette is fraught with social danger. But as she navigates the highs and lows of this strange new world, from the sophisticated cafes and haute couture fashion houses to the picture postcard French countryside, little by little Sarah falls under its spell: passionate, mysterious, infuriating, and charged with that French specialty--seduction. And it becomes her home. "An engaging, endearing view of the people and places of France." --Publishers Weekly

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Book description

Sarah Turnbull's stint in Paris was only supposed to last a week. Chance had brought Sarah and Frederic together in Bucharest, and on impulse she decided to take him up on his offer to visit him in the world's most romantic city. Sacrificing Vegemite for vichyssoise, the feisty journalist does her best to fit in, although her conversation, her laught, and even her wardrobe advertise her foreigner status. As she navigates the highs and lows of this strange new world, from life in a bustling quartier and surviving Parisian dinner parties to covering the haute couture fashion shows and discovering the hard way the paradoxes of French culture, little by little Sarah falls under its spell: maddening, mysterious, and charged with that French specialty - seduction. An entertaining tale of being a fish ot of water, Almost French is a delightful, fresh twist onthe travel memoir that is fraught with culture clashes but rife with deadpan humor. (1-592-40082-5)

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