French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France

What a lovely visit to France. I enjoyed Goodman's honest appraoch to this book. It was like having a conversation. As a fairly advid gardener myself, I especially enjoyed the discussion of his garden. The people he encounters seem quite genuine and true to nature. Sometimes, it's inspiring to live in a foreign land--- even if for just a handful of hours.

Skillfully written and heartfelt, I found Richard Goodman's
sundrenched first novel "French Dirt" a true feast on every
level. A must read - I literally could not put this novel down.
I was transported into Mr. Goodman's village, St. Sebastien de Caisson - where the earth, sun and love interweave with one another like a summer salad - filled with fresh tomatoes that burst in your mouth from the heat of the sun, and a love story that will stir your soul. You won't want to miss a word, or a moment, of this enchanting journey!

Richard Goodman and his Dutch girlfriend Iggy rent a two hundred year old stone house in the south of France for a year. Located in a small village of about 200 without a cafe, store or any kind of city center, they have a tough time figuring out how to connect with the locals. They do make one set of friends--a Spanish couple also living the expat life there.

But finally Richard decides to trade his labor for some firewood. Through working in the fields he begins to mix with the villagers. He is very much struck by Jules, a handsome 25 year old, and through that relationship eventually secures a small plot of land and determines to grow a vegetable garden.

And that really is the focus of the book. A longtime city dweller, Richard harkens back to the Michigan gardens of his youth and enjoys discovering the adult joys of gardening. Sometimes the writing gets to be a bit much--pretty sappy. And, if the truth be told, Richard isn't really very good at growing his garden. But the rivalries among the other village gardeners, the disparate and conflicting advice he receives and the hours spent in the sun tending his garden make this a light, likable read. And truly any book set in the south of France makes for a relaxing summer read!

"French Lessons" is a warm memoir of the author's year long sojourn in a rural village in Southern France. Unlike the recollections of other foreign visitors who have written of their experiences in France, Goodman gives scant attention to the region's food or wine.

Goodman's tale is primarily spiritual -- the satisfaction he derives from communing with nature as a gardener, and his persistent efforts to gain acceptance and approval from this close knit, closed community of French farmers. The book is reminiscent of Chris Stewart's "Driving Over Lemons" in the latter respect.

Goodman's passion about his gardening experiences does become a bit cloying, and is somewhat saccarine, with almost forced profundity. A passage where he describes getting emotional over cutting bamboo, for example, definitely makes your teeth hurt. Although I derive a considerable amount of satisfaction from gardening myself, I found Goodman's anecdotes somewhat breathless and gushing, particularly his striving to "measure up" in the eyes of a helpful, friendly, apparently very strong 20 year old named Jules.

This is a pleasant book; however, I expected more, in light of the potential. "French Dirt" is mostly a recollection of Goodman's spiritual journey devoting himself to a garden one summer.

Very insightful into France. An undiscovered classic.
Monsieur Patten obviously has no understanding of France.