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When in French

Love in a Second Language
Jul 03, 2017TheresaAJ rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
When Lauren Collins falls in love with French Olivier in London, she believes that love can overcome all obstacles. When they move to French-speaking Lausanne, she decides to learn French so she can converse with her husband in his native language. What follows is a challenge that keeps on going and going and going to the point of calling her mother-in-law a coffee machine. Chapters are titled with verb tenses and explore the history of language as well as Lauren's personal struggle to speak fluent French with her husband and his family. Idioms take on a whole new meaning. The American "having your cake and eating it too" becomes the French "to want the butter, the money, and the ass of the dairywoman". A fancy restaurant in France has an English sign that reads "In hamburgers we trust. Because we like it. When it's hurt hard." Even simple words can take on different meanings -- being special in English translates into being weird in French. As much a history of language as a memoir, Collins explores life in a new culture by learning a second language. In a world dominated by Mandarin, Spanish, and English speakers, the author shares the French dedication to maintaining a pure French vocabulary through sheer persistence and dedication. A good choice for the language lovers in your life.