The blurb on the back of the book says : "What happens when dementia, depressed dipsomania and downright dottiness decide to uproot from the UK and move to France together ? Worried by the lack of care for her elderly mother in the UK, Tottie decides a new life elsewhere might be the answer. Sell the Pig is a travel tale with a twist, describing with alternating humour and poignancy how a somewhat dysfunctional family decide to uproot and move to rural France."
The rather mysterious title Sell The Pig comes from a memorable line, adopted by the author's elderly mother almost as a mantra, from a letter sent home by a long-lost uncle really not enjoying serving in the army : « Mother mother, it's a bugger, sell the pig and buy me out ». The book is peppered with a whole host of such quirky and amusing characters.
Having made the move to France myself, I've read many books written by Brits (and Americans, and Australians ...) starting out a new life in France and have often rolled my eyes, empathising with the references to the mindless timewasting of French bureaucracy, and smiling at the enthusiastic discoveries of gallic foibles and petits plaisirs. If you buy this book because you are a bit of a francophile and want to learn more about life here, you may be disappointed though. It details the reasons why the author wants to make the move, going back to her childhood, describing her mother's rather hit-and-miss experiences in British nursing homes and covering her repeated trips, with her brother, to visit various properties in France, but the book ends right where you would expect it to start, with them arriving at their newly-bought pink house in rural Auvergne. I did feel a bit like I'd sat through the trailers at the cinema, only to find out that I'd have to come back next time to see the main feature ! The author hints that a sequel is on the cards, describing life in their new French home, and I think she will actually have far more material and laugh-out-loud moments for this second episode, as the family get to grips with life on the continent.
Although the book is interesting, with an enjoyable mix of humorous and poignant moments, I couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't sit quite right with me and made me feel somewhat uncomfortable at times. I think it is the fact that the book deals with real people. While the manic-depressive, alcoholic brother whose house looks like a bomb has hit it would be a fabulous fictional creation, I felt slightly ill at ease knowing that he is a very real person who may not be too happy at being presented as such in a totally recognisable way. The author may write under the pseudonym Tottie Limejuice, but she also gives her real name and includes various photos. While the epileptic dog and elderly mother with a naughty penchant for saying bum at inappropriate moments are endearing, I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for the brother and the way he is represented.
All in all though, I was impressed with Tottie's proactive get-up-and-go and her willingness to tackle problems head on, seeing her project through to the bitter end depite all the impracticalities and obstacles in the way. I'll be interested to read the sequel as I'm sure adapting to life in France with such an eclectic and slightly eccentric merry band of men/women/pets will lead to a huge amount of funny moments and grumbles.
star rating : 3.5/5
RRP : £5.99
Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.
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