Lately, I don't identify as American. I apologize to the world for the violence and greed and general nastiness that has been coming out of this country for some time now.
When I was young, I consumed every moving-and-starting-over book out there. Maybe it's time to revisit these.
MEXICO
Gringos in Paradise: An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream Home in a Seaside Village in Mexico by Barry Golson
SPAIN
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía by Chris Stewart
Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain by Derek Lambert
ITALY
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes
Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria by Annie Hawes
GREECE
My Family and Other Animals: Corfu Trilogy #1 by Gerald Durrell
MOROCO
The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah
CHINA
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler
FRANCE
Le Road Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France by Vivian Swift
Dear Paris: The Paris Letters Collection by Janice Macleod
Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir by David Coggins
My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater
Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas
C'est la Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris and---Voila!---Becomes Almost French by Suzy Gershman
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
Some other books I have not read, but want to read:
The Year of Living Danishly; Discovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell
Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools: Tuck into a Slice of Andalucían Life by Victoria Twead
A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne
In the Village: A Year of Living in Rural Japan by Iain Maloney
Bombs and Bougainvillea: An Expat in Jerusalem by L. E. Decker
So Happiness to Meet You: Foolishly, Blissfully Stranded in Vietnam by Karin Esterhammer
A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanne Clarke
Married to Bhutan: How One Woman Got Lost, Said 'I Do,' and Found Bliss by Linda Learning
Meander, Indirectly, East to West Along a Turkish River by Jeremy Seal
My Swiss Home: A Year of Living and Working in Switzerland by Wolfgang Koehler
Didgeridoos and Didgeridon'ts: A Brit's Guide to Moving Your Life Down Under by Vicky Gray
Margarita Wednesdays: Making a New Life by the Mexican Sea by Deborah Rodriguez
Dear Deb, that's quite a great list of books. I have a couple of suggestions. These are books that I have read and enjoyed. Bringing Out the Best in People by Alan Loy McGinnis.
ReplyDeleteAll my Patients are under the bed by Dr. Louis J. Camuti.
Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have a great week ahead. 😊
Is it gringos or gringoes? The former I believe. Many Americans are moving to Canada, especially academics. Come and join them!
ReplyDeleteI’m not giving up on America! We will survive this disaster somehow, I believe.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with ya, Mae! Just need to kick some trash to the curb and start fresh and clean.
DeleteI understand that, Deb. If you’re ever able to come to Canada, there are a ton of us Americans already here!
ReplyDeleteThe Year of Living Danishly is so good. I would love to move there!
ReplyDeleteI don’t hold the state of the USA against you Deb , but I have long lost the desire to visit it
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your #TTT
I'd love to visit Bhutan one day too!
ReplyDeleteI have Tuscan Sun on my pile. And have read most of the France books!
ReplyDeleteAmen to your first line. It is surreal here. I have read several of these. Hilary Mantel's novel Eight Months on Ghazzah Street is good. In the Land of Invisible Women. On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town
ReplyDeleteby Susan Herrmann Loomis. “Bringing up Bébé”- Pamela Druckerman Danish Secret to Happy Kids https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2024/07/07/review-the-danish-secret-to-happy-kids-by-helen-russell/ I could list many more--leave me a comment if you actually want more, lol.
So many places to visit! ~Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteI adored reading Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas back in 2012!
ReplyDeleteThat's a fascinating list of books, some of which I've actually read and others that I might. As for our country, I view the government as separate from the country itself, and truly, the government at the moment is awful. The country itself is glorious and I would encourage anyone who is interested to come visit it. I'm sure you will find a welcome here. It saddens me that the voters in the last presidential election chose the unserious buffoon over an extremely well-qualified and serious woman who would not have embarrassed us on the world stage. But here we are. Misogyny played its part, and, unfortunately misogyny is still strong in our society.
ReplyDeleteI too have found myself declining to say I'm American in the past few years. I hope that things right themselves sooner rather than later. The majority should not have to apologize for the actions of the minority.
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT for the week: https://readbakecreate.com/books-set-in-iceland-books-set-in-bucket-list-locations/
I don't have any recommendations, but it looks like you have a great list there.
ReplyDeleteI love moving and starting over books! I've done so myself, and it's harder than I expected though I'm sure that's not true for everyone. It is an adventure though!
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of book, and often wished I’d had one when I was suddenly relocated to Algiers, Algeria in the early nineties with almost no preparation or warning about what I was stepping into. I adapted and survived, but a little moral support from such a book would have really helped.
ReplyDeleteI recommend adding Paris in Love (link here. I'm still thinking about moving to Canada, but need to wait until my mom is no longer living. It would be too difficult for her to move at this point.
ReplyDeleteI've read quite a few of these! Always interesting to see how people cope when they move countries, esp. in another language.
ReplyDeletesherry
What a wonderful list, Deb. So many beautiful covers, especially the books set in France.
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2026/04/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-aboutset.html
These sound amazing, although I’m not sure I’d have the nerve to actually move, especially as my kids/grands are here.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list of books!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list! I totally feel you, we (as a country) as such a disgrace. I will stay and fight though, for as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteHave you read The Island of Missing Trees? It's not an easy read, but it is truly beautiful in so many ways.
Gorgeous selection of reads. I do realise these are horrible times but this too will pass (though the effects will be felt for a very long time):
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