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Author Don Wallace

was on Tour

July 21-25, 2014

with

French house cover

The French House:
An American Family, a Ruined Maison,
and the Village That Restored Them All

[memoir]

 Release date: June 3, 2014
at Sourcebooks

336 pages

ISBN: 978-1402293313

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SYNOPSIS

When life hands you lemons, make citron pressé.

Shortly after Don and Mindy Wallace move to Manhattan to jump-start their writing careers, they learn of a house for sale in a village they once visited on a tiny French island off the Brittany coast. Desperate for a life change, the Wallaces bravely (and impulsively) buy it almost sight unseen.

What they find when they arrive is a ruin, and it isn’t long before their lives begin to resemble it—with hilarious and heartwarming results.

Redolent with the beauty and flavors of French country life, The French House is a lively, inspiring, and irresistibly charming memoir of a family that rises from the rubble, wins the hearts of a historic village, and finally finds the home they’ve been seeking off the wild coast of France. [provided by the publisher]

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PRAISE FOR THE FRENCH HOUSE

“A journalist and fiction writer’s account of how a crumbling house he bought on a French island became his family’s unexpected refuge and salvation…Warm, funny and full of heart.” – Kirkus

“You’ve never been any place as beguiling as Don Wallace’s Belle Ile. He’s a funny, literate raconteur with a story full of fine twists, soulful turns, and fantastic neighbors.” – William Finnegan, author of Cold New World

“On a tiny French island, a couple of American dreamers redefine their lives by restoring a ruin—which in this lovely, shimmering story becomes a parable of a saner, greener, more sustainable path that we all can follow if we will but listen to the wisdom of the villagers the way the Wallaces did. The French House moves to a soulful, very funny rhythm all its own.” – Meryl Streep 

“A journalist and fiction writer’s account of how a crumbling house he bought on a French island became his family’s unexpected refuge and salvation…Warm, funny and full of heart.” – Kirkus

“You’ve never been any place as beguiling as Don Wallace’s Belle Ile. He’s a funny, literate raconteur with a story full of fine twists, soulful turns, and fantastic neighbors.” – William Finnegan, author of Cold New World

“On a tiny French island, a couple of American dreamers redefine their lives by restoring a ruin—which in this lovely, shimmering story becomes a parable of a saner, greener, more sustainable path that we all can follow if we will but listen to the wisdom of the villagers the way the Wallaces did. The French House moves to a soulful, very funny rhythm all its own.” – Meryl Streep – See more at: http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/french-house.html#sthash.EZxaUrnJ.dpuf

“A journalist and fiction writer’s account of how a crumbling house he bought on a French island became his family’s unexpected refuge and salvation…Warm, funny and full of heart.” – Kirkus

“You’ve never been any place as beguiling as Don Wallace’s Belle Ile. He’s a funny, literate raconteur with a story full of fine twists, soulful turns, and fantastic neighbors.” – William Finnegan, author of Cold New World

“On a tiny French island, a couple of American dreamers redefine their lives by restoring a ruin—which in this lovely, shimmering story becomes a parable of a saner, greener, more sustainable path that we all can follow if we will but listen to the wisdom of the villagers the way the Wallaces did. The French House moves to a soulful, very funny rhythm all its own.” – Meryl Streep – See more at: http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/french-house.html#sthash.EZxaUrnJ.dpuf

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don WallaceDon Wallace has been a magazine writer and editor for 25 years,
and is the film editor for Honolulu Weekly.
He has held a number of senior positions at magazines, including Yachting magazine, SELF,
Golf Digest Woman at The New York Times, and others.
His essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, E Magazine,
Redbook, Portfolio, Parents, and many others.
Wallace and his wife, Mindy, split their time between Honolulu, Long Beach, and Belle Ile.

Visit his website, his blog

Follow him on Facebook  |   Twitter | Goodreads | Google + | LinkedIn

Buy this book on: Sourcebooks, Amazon (paperback or kindle), B&N (Paperback or Nook), BAM, IndieBound, Indigo

 

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 QUOTATIONS FROM THE TOUR

Queen of All She Reads:

Filled with descriptions of the French countryside, comparisons between life in America, mainland France and Belle Ile, along with discussions about the French food, made me long to become a guest in their home.  Especially when told in Mr. Wallace’s easy to follow style.

The Avid Reader:

Wow what a memorable memoir! I enjoyed this book very much.

Musings of a Writer and Unabashed Francophile:

Each interaction detailed was fascinating, from the woman who encourages them to buy the place and stays a fixture in their lives for years, to the children to whom they teach baseball.

Griperang’s Bookmarks:

I wanted the story to go on a little longer as I was sucked in from page one. I recommend this book to everyone looking for a nice enjoyable read.

Words And Peace

With hauntingly beautiful descriptions of a tiny French island and its inhabitants, this book will take you to a different place, and might even inspire you to reconsider your life and finally follow your dreams where you and your family can become whole.

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And if you did not win the giveaway, why not treat yourself with this beautiful book?
Are you still hesitating? Watch this awesome video that shows you how great this place can be:

 

Buy this book on: Sourcebooks, Amazon (paperback or kindle), B&N (Paperback or Nook), BAM, IndieBound, Indigo

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