Why a Memoir?

Some stories stay with you.

Ours began with a long-held dream of French village life. So, when an unexpected opportunity came our way to move to a relatively unknown corner of southern France with our two young children, we seized it.

Only to discover that the reality was far more adventurous than the dream.

Two summers in France. Living the dream.

The first summer brought the challenges of remote French village life, raising two small children and navigating a revolving door of visitors. We unexpectedly hosted family and friends for 120 of our 150 nights.

Our guests became part of village life and introduced us to a cast of unforgettable characters. Among them was a best friend’s passionate romance with the local vintner, transforming our summer into a constant procession of laughter, mishaps and stories.

The Corbières itself became a character — a region rich in tradition and forgotten history, revealing a darker side, past and present, including a neighbour’s murder. Stories that are rarely visible to outsiders.

The second summer, we returned to the Corbières and our connection to the region deepened. We found ourselves searching for our own French home — and found it: a tiny house in the very village we had always dreamed of.

But somewhere among all of that, the story became about more than France.

It became about family, and the choices we make when we decide not to put our dreams on hold simply because life gets in the way.

Having children doesn't necessarily mean giving up the adventure. It just makes the adventure considerably more complicated.

And perhaps that's why I needed to write it down.

Two French Villages is my attempt to capture not just the places we lived in, but the people we became while we were there — and the unexpected ways a long-held dream can change when you actually live it.

Two French Villages: Two Summers in France — Two Kiwis, Two Kids, Too Many Visitors.