REVIEWS
I Am Finally, Finally French
REVIEWS
Hopewell’s Public Library of Life
Keith Van Sickle for MyFrench Life
Belle Provence Travels
Janet Hulstrand for France Today
Adrian Leeds for Jazzy Times
Harriet Welty Rochefort, Author
With wit and a self-deprecating sense of humor, Mark Greenside has penned a tender, captivating and laugh aloud tale of his Sisyphean struggle to understand the French. If you mangle French, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’re not alone and can survive!
Linda Witt, Vice President of the Fédération des Alliances Françaises USA
Mark Greenside shares his decades-long journey in France with tremendous warmth, love and, especially, humor. Time slows down in a very French way as his friendships and foibles unfurl in ways that provide meaningful life lessons to us all.
Leonard Pitt, Author of Walks Through Lost Paris, Paris Postcards, Paris: A Journey Through Time, and My Brain on Fire
Mark Greenside has done the impossible. He buys a house in the French countryside, in Brittany, and makes a life there without knowing a word of French. His trials and tribulations learning the many subtleties of the cherished French life are a prize to read, full of humor, drama, and subtle Aha! moments. For all the Americans who ever dreamt of moving to France, this book is for you.
Craig Carlson, author of Pancakes in Paris and Let Them Eat Pancakes
"An intimate portrait of an American expat who grapples with his mortality in a country that measures time by centuries, not minutes. Living in Brittany for 30 years – even if it’s only part time – has fundamentally changed Greenside, just as it’s done for all of us who are fortunate to call France home. After reading I’m Finally, Finally French, you may find yourself tempted to make an offer on the home that's up for sale next door to Greenside’s cozy abode."
|Jane Bertch, Author of French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris, One Lesson at a time
Greenside does it again—delivering a delightful deep-dive into the quirks, charms, and occasional chaos of life in the French countryside. From wrangling bees and battling chauffage woes to the elusive French clothes dryer and, along the way, tackling the language (with varying degrees of success), I Am Finally, Finally French is more than a memoir. It’s part comedy, and part self-help guide for anyone dreaming of making a foreign land feel like home. With wit, warmth, and wry insight, Greenside takes us on a journey to learn that becoming French is the beautiful pursuit of belonging.
France Today
Mark Greenside returns with a reflective, funny, and deeply personal memoir chronicling his 30-year evolution from reluctant visitor to honorary Breton. Initially dragged to Brittany at the age of 47, Greenside now embraces his second home’s rhythms, quirks and people – acknowledging that his part-time life in Plobien (a village of 500 people) has changed him profoundly. With wry humour and heartfelt insight, he explores the joys and frustrations of ageing abroad, navigating a foreign culture and ultimately finding belonging.
Through tales of enduring friendships, bureaucratic adventures and cultural mishaps, Greenside reveals how a place once unfamiliar has become a cornerstone of his identity. His warm, candid voice offers a uniquely American view of French village life. A charming ode to unexpected transformation and cross-cultural connection, this memoir is perfect for Francophiles everywhere and for anyone who’s ever dreamed of starting over.