French Spirits: A House, a Village, and a Love Affair in Burgundy [Paperback]

Jeffrey Greene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2003

When Jeffrey Greene, a prize-winning American poet, and Mary, a molecular biologist and his wife-to-be, discover a moss-covered stone presbytery in a lovely village in the Puisaye region of Burgundy, they know they have to live there. In lush, lyrical prose, Greene recalls their experiences turning the 300-year-old stone building -- a "chÂteau in miniature" that the locals believe houses numerous spirits-into a habitable refuge. He brings to life their adventures in finding wonderful bargains with which to furnish their new space, including a firm mattress and some rather suspicious antiques" bought from the back of a van.

Greene offers the unexpected joys and surprises of village life, from celebrating his and Mary's simple backyard wedding to toiling in a verdant garden. He shares the experience of surviving his mother's decision to move in and humorously introduces the locals -- both human and nonhuman -- who define his and Mary's new world.

Woven throughout this luscious tale are the pleasures of rural France: wondrous food and wine, long-held rituals and feasts, dark superstitions, and deeply rooted history.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Books by English-speaking writers about renovating a French ruin and converting it into a vacation home such as Yvone Lenard's The Magic of Provence and Nicholas Kilmer's A Place in Normandy belong in a genre of their own. In this Peter Mayle readalike, Greene, an award-winning poet (To the Left of the Worshiper), chronicles the restoration of a historic stone presbytery in the village of Rogny, Burgundy. Not surprisingly, the book is extremely well written, even lyrical in parts. We learn about the history of the presbytery from its original construction in 1754 and Greene's dealings with roofers and masons, neighbors, and assorted residents of Rogny, such as Coco, who expresses assent with a "ho-kay." Amid the minutiae of restorations, major events occur, too. There is the author's own wedding to Mary, a molecular biologist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and an American expatriate; musical soirees; and the arrival of the author's mother from New Haven for a permanent stay. Recommended for all armchair travelers, especially Francophiles. Ravi Shenoy, Naperville P.L., IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

An American renovates a house in France! But what's new here is that the house is in the Burgundy town of Rogny. The region of La Puisaye, with its swamps and murky woods, lacks the immediate attraction of Provence or Normandy. The American builder is celebrated poet Greene and his companion, Mary, a renowned scientist currently at the University of Paris. After finding nothing fit for their taste or budget in better-known Burgundian towns, the author's real estate agent leads them to remote Rogny. Reconstruction efforts center on the town's presbytery, abandoned by the church and its previous owner and ripe for restoration. Friends of the last priest to occupy the grounds and town tradesmen make up the cast of characters, whom Greene makes into neither caricatures nor odd rustics. As always, reconstruction absorbs more time and money than the author had anticipated. The property takes on sentimental significance when Greene and his companion decide to get married there and their families descend on the little town. So attractive the place becomes that Greene's mother emigrates from America. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (February 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060934107
• ISBN-13: 978-0060934101
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Greene has spent his career as an educator helping young people with literacy skills. He has also worked for environmental causes. He is the author of four collections of poems, including Beautiful Monsters (2010). His memoir French Spirits (HarperCollins/Transworld) has appeared in eight countries, and he has written two personalized nature books: Water From Stone (2007) and The Golden-Bristled Boar (2011). His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, and Humanities Texas, and he received the Randall Jarrell Award, the "Discovery"/ The Nation Award, and Samuel French Morse Prize. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker, Poetry, The Nation, Ploughshares, American Scholar, and many other periodicals. A graduate of the University of Iowa (M.F.A) and the University of Houston (Ph.D.), he has taught at the University of New Haven, the Goddard College M.F.A. program, and currently the American University of Paris.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A memoir in France, April 1, 2003

By 

K. Olney (Plymouth, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: French Spirits: A House, a Village, and a Love Affair in Burgundy (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this book. I have never wriiten a review , but I do feel compelled to after reading some of the other reviews posted here. For me, this is a memoir, not a travel guide. I admire anyone who is willing to share his life experiences with me--I find it a most generous act. I feel like writing to the author to thank him for his book. He brought the area and the people to life for me. I am studying French; so the sentences in French (don't be alarmed, he supplies a translation just following) were fun for me to figure out. I liked learning about Henri IV's locks, and learning about the author's childhood. I love a good memoir--and particularly, one by someone who is not famous except in his own circle. I would encourage anyone who feels the same to buy, or borrow this book--and order "Eyewitness France" if you want a travel guide. This book is a lovely eyewitness to a man's life.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming and spirited look at la belle France, April 29, 2002

By 

Daphne Alexander (Latitude Cultural Center, France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: French Spirits: A House, a Village, and a Love Affair in Burgundy (Hardcover)

I have read just about every book on restoring homes in France and Italy. (Non, I'm not a voyeur or dreamer.... I have done something similar in SW France & wanted to check out others' experiences.) In my view, Jeffrey Greene's poetic and self-revealing (without being self-centered) memoir of his experiences with his neighbors (as well as his family members) and his presbytery is simply the best of the genre. He treats his new acquaintances in the Burgundy village in the same way he approaches his building restoration: with delicacy and good will.

Greene's vignettes (e.g., one can SEE the car secured with boards and covers by the village square and the woman who leaves it there)add up to a loving portrait of a place and a time. Greene is a poetic observer who gives us, his readers, a feeling -- and understanding -- for his world. Thank you!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's okay, February 27, 2006

By 

Muncie Hansen "Blissley" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: French Spirits: A House, a Village, and a Love Affair in Burgundy (Paperback)

This is the 5th book of it's type I've read in a row. You know the genre, Americans buy a home in ruins and fix it up. I'm a sucker for this kind of book. But the things I've learned from these books are: 1. You have to have bottomless pockets. 2. French government regulations are enough to drive me insane. 3. If I ever do buy a house in France, I will find one that someone else has already roofed, tiled, windowed, painted, landscaped etc etc etc! What a nightmare.
If you like this sort of book, this one is great because it's located in a different, less written about area of France. And it's every bit as good as Ann Barry's. I always thought Ann was a ninny sort of wimp that depended on the kindness of her neighbors way too much. At least Jeff Greene and his wife were more self reliant.