The author gives up her glamorous big city life in London, where she works as a fashion and beauty editor, to move to a dilapidated old house in rural France. She is single, so I can't totally relate - obviously my story would be much different if I decided to up and move to the French countryside, with a husband and four children to complicate matters further. I do admire her bravery: moving to a foreign country all alone, roughing it as she renovates her house, struggling to communicate and learn local customs, trying to overcome heartache, leaving her career and re-creating herself as a freelancer. She meets many colorful people, has lots of adventures, and learns to really love and appreciate her new way of life. Yes, Wheeler is definitely an inspiration. The story reminds me quite a bit of Under the Tuscan Sun (the movie, I have yet to read the book).
Are you a fellow fan of memoirs? What are your favorites? And do you share my dream of moving someplace far away...if so where would you love to go?