Book Review Archives - With Just a Bit of Magic

I believe that I have fallen in love with memoirs and my latest read was exceptional. A Lady in France is Jennie Goutet’s memoir that takes you through her life. The good, the bad, the ups, and the downs and it’ll be a book that will have you smiling, nodding your head in agreement, and at times crying.

I first learned of Jennie through blogging and have been reading her blog for a couple years now. I have become fully enchanted with it because she has done what so many haven’t…. she set out with a dream for her life, to marry a French man and live in France, and she did it. She and her family live outside of Paris in a home that they have spent a great deal of time looking for and renovating.

Jennie first started her memoir on her blog and I was going to read the posts but they seemed so long and I usually found something else to do. But I did buy the book! I’m starting to wonder if everything happens for a reason and this is why. When she started writing posts on faith I read them and commented once that I liked them even though I wasn’t a believer but my life changed and I found my way to God.

I didn’t know much about her memoir but I do believe that it came at the right time and that is why I think things happen for a reason as well. As I read through it I was amazed at the parallels in our lives and how much I wanted to know more about her, her walk in faith, and how she got to where she is today. Aside from that she has traveled to incredible places, Europe, Asia and Africa, helped out so many people in life, spread joy and love, all the while battling her own demons…. depression and anxiety (something that I too deal with). I feel that she is one of those people that you wish you could be, one who has done so much good in their lives and experienced so many things and all in a short amount of time.

Her book is wonderful, heart warming, and beautifully written. I consider Jennie to be a friend and value that deeply as she has touched my life through her words in her book as well as through emails that we have exchanged. Even if the friendship wasn’t there I would highly recommend this book to anyone that I know it is most definitely worth the time to read.

If you haven’t visited her blog yet take a few moments to read and I’m sure that you too will love it.

A memoir… a written account of ones life. A biography.

I love reading but I’ve always stuck with fiction, only reading biographies when they were assigned in class while in elementary school. I don’t know why it is, I guess I thought they were boring… slow… or just not interesting.

I was wrong.

The Rules of Inheritance is an incredible piece of work that once I started I couldn’t put it down. It was the most gripping memoir and had me in tears more than anything I have ever read. Claire’s story is a sad one as she recounts her life, her parents lives & their suffering from cancer and Claire’s struggle with her own grief. I have never read something so powerful and deeply touching and knowing that this wasn’t fiction made it even more impressionable on me.

I love how the book was written in a non-linear fashion and followed five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The non-linear fashion could confuse some people and I’ll admit at first I was a bit lost but the more I read the more it became a natural flow for the book.

Her grief was so strong and led her to a destructive lifestyle I was amazed that nobody in her life stood up and tried to help her… maybe they did or possibly she just didn’t let anyone that close to her. From bad relationships to the constant drinking to help numb the pain I kept hoping that the next page would bring happiness and relief into her life. And soon enough it did.

I’ll stop here so I don’t give to much away and urge you to go out, get the book and read it for yourself. I know that you’ll love it as much as I did.

If you’ve already read the book or want to know more come take part in the conversation over at BlogHer.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but all opinions expressed are my own.