"Verant combines one part second chance at romance, one part
travelogue, and nearly three dozen recipes in this heartfelt account of
how she reconnected with a lover 20 years after their affair and started
life over in France with an instant family. When Verant was 19 and
traveling through Europe, she had a brief encounter with a Frenchman
named Jean-Luc. Not ready for something serious, she never responded to
his ardent letters. Two decades later, divorced and in debt, Verant
reached out to Jean-Luc, who had been widowed, recently divorced his
second wife, and become the solo parent of his two young kids. The
undeniable chemistry was still there, and a year later they married and
moved outside of Toulouse. In her new environment, Verant had to
navigate the laborious bureaucracy and red tape that come with being a
foreigner living abroad, learn how to speak French more fluently, and
understand vast behavior and cultural differences (such as the French
habit of being very direct and making intense eye contact). Most
critically, she had to figure out how to bond with her stepchildren, who
were still dealing with grief and distrust after Jean-Luc’s ill-advised
second marriage. In the end, as Verant warmly writes, food—and her
cooking—gave her a sure-fire way in with the family, as they often
prepared meals and dined together. (Apr.)" - Publisher's Weekly
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