Dimensions
131 x 199 x 24mm
A dilapidated, rat-infested stone barn set amidst thirteen acres of unkempt pasture and overgrown woodland might not be many people's vision of a potential dream home. But for English couple Richard and his wife Al, the cavernous, oak-beamed building in a sleepy hamlet in the Limousin region of France is perfect. Tussles with French bureaucracy allied with fierce storms that wreak havoc on the property do little to dampen their resolve as they immerse themselves in the calm of this quiet corner of France, dreaming of taking trips in Richard's hot-air balloon and starting their very own llama farm. The couple's colourful, eccentric neighbours watch their progress with curiosity: the jovial ex-gendarme and his wife, who seems able to foretell the weather; the lonely widow who offers copious amounts of gateau in exchange for convivial chat; and the brawny cattleman with suspicious motives in offering to clean up the couple's land. A well-intentioned if hapless do-it-yourselfer, Richard's hilarious and heartwarming tale of a new life in France resounds to the Gallic refrain, Bon courage. AUTHOR: Richard Wiles, author of bestselling Bon Courage! and Bonne Chance! writes on topics as diverse as llama keeping, home restoration, social history and hot-air ballooning, and splits his time between France and Lewes, East Sussex.
