It’s late May, a beautiful spring in New York, and this is her busiest time at work.
I was in Paris in 1966, and they loathed me, and I don’t think I’ve changed that much. It’s 1991 and I’m in her apartment, living her third of our bicoastal relationship (one-third in New York, one-third in California, one-third apart), probably the only person in Manhattan looking forward to a summer in the city, when she says, “Honey, let’s go to France.” It doesn’t matter what happened or why, it’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. It always begins with a girl, and even though we don’t make it through the summer-through even half the summer-she gets me there and changes my life. He has never regretted his journey and, as he advises to those searching for their next adventure, neither will you.
It explores the joys and adventures of living a double life. It is a memoir about fitting in, not standing out being part of something larger, not being separate from it following, not leading. I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do) is both a new beginning and a homecoming for Greenside. So when he settles into the rhythm of this new French culture-against the backdrop of Brittany's streets surrounded by gorgeous architecture and breathtaking landscapes-not only does he find a home and meaningful relationships in this French countryside, he finds himself. He lived as a skeptic who seldom trusts others and has an inclination to be alone. Until he came to this town, Greenside was lost, moving through life without a plan, already in his 40s with little money and no house. From opening a bank account and buying a house to removing a beehive from the chimney, he begins to learn the cultural ropes, live among his neighbors, and make new friends. He gradually places his trust in the villagers he encounters-neighbors, workers, acquaintances-and he's consistently won over and surprised as he manages to survive day-to-day trials. In a playful, headlong style, and with enormous affection for the Bretons, Greenside shares how he makes a life for himself in a country where he doesn't speak the language or understand the culture. When Mark Greenside-a native New Yorker living in California, political lefty, writer, and lifelong skeptic-is dragged by his girlfriend to a tiny Celtic village in Brittany at the westernmost edge of France in Finistère, or what he describes as "the end of the world," his life begins to change. In a story that stands above the throngs of travel memoirs, full of gorgeous descriptions of Brittany and at times hysterical encounters with the locals, Mark Greenside describes his initially reluctant travels in this "heartwarming story" ( San Francisco Chronicle) where he discovers a second life.
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