Book Review: Blossoming in Provence a Memoir by Kristin Espinasse
Not everyone can stick with a creative project for over twenty years, but Kristin Espinasse is one of those people. She has been writing her blog, “French Word a Day,” since 2002. In addition, she has published two books, including Blossoming in Provence (2011). I was thrilled to receive a copy; my book review is below.
About the Author
Kristin Espinasse did not follow a direct path to living in southern France. This American was born in the Philippines and lived in Arizona. While on an exchange program from Arizona State University in the 1990s, Kristin and Jean-Marc met at “Le Mistral,” a nightclub in Marseille. The encounter might not have happened as they both had tried resisting their friends’ pressure to go out that evening. They married, and children followed. In quick succession, Kristin started writing “French Word a Day.”
More than twenty years later, the online journal is published thrice weekly. In addition to writing regular blog posts, Kristin published her first book, Words in a French Life (2007) and writes for publications such as France Today. In addition, the French government awarded a gold medal—La Médaille des Valeurs Francophones—for her continuous efforts in sharing the French language and culture. Kristin and her family currently reside in La Ciotat, where she enjoys hiking, swimming in the Mediterranean, and writing her vocabulary-infused weekly updates about life in France.
Book Review
Kristin is a writer with a talent for spotting life’s lessons in daily encounters and putting those experiences into words. The book’s chapters weave through the realities of being a mother, wife, and daughter living in an adopted country with different rules, cultural norms and language nuances. Blossoming in Provence is a sequence of short stories with plenty of French vocabulary.
Read Blossoming in Provence in one sitting or treasure this lovely memoir over a more extended period. Like Kristin’s blog, each chapter in the book includes some French vocabulary as part of the essay. By the end of the book, you will understand Kristin’s ability to embrace the written word in both languages and crack open the door to her family life in France.
Who Should Read the Book?
The Francophile who loves France and the nuances of the French language. The person who dreams of making a change in their life. Or anyone who believes in love at first sight. Blossoming in Provence is available now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback versions.
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