A French House: On the Love of Place - Paperback

by Catherine Cole (Author)

Un rêve. Une maison. Un village. Une vie en France.

Since childhood, Catherine Cole had imagined owning a weathered French village house; shutters faded by the sun, rooms steeped in memory, a feeling 'as if a grandmother had just left'. In 2010, she found one - and her dreams turned suddenly into bricks and mortar.

In this compelling account, blending classic travel writing with reflections on literature, film, and French culture, Cole explores the enduring allure of France and the dreams we project onto its landscapes. At the heart of the story is the house itself; its garden, rooms, and ancient stones quietly telling their own tale of place and time.

A French House is both a memoir and a meditation on longing, belonging, and the courage to turn an imagined life into reality.