The 9 Best Books About Moving To France 

Love nothing more than snuggling up under some blankets and diving into a travel memoir that takes you away to foreign lands? Us too!

Some of the best travel books written by expats in a new home take place in France. Americans finding their feet in Paris. Brits leaving the city behind for a quiet life in Provence. Canadians who found the nuances of French life so fascinating that they moved here and wrote about it. There’s something for everyone in the world of French travel non-fiction.  

Whether you just need a new recommended read, or you’re considering a move abroad, our list of the best books about moving to France should be in your “to read” pile. 

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1. Almost French 

Author: Sarah Turnbull 

Published: 2002

Almost French was our social media manager’s introduction into expat memoirs, and it comes highly recommended. Australian writer Sarah Turnbull beautifully details her impromptu move to Paris to chase love and adventure in this bestselling memoir. Does she find it? You’ll have to read Almost French to find out. 

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2. A Year In Provence 

Author: Peter Mayle 

Published: 1989

British author Peter Mayle’s memoir about finding his feet in his new home in a small village in France is a modern travel lit classic. In fact, it was once adapted into a miniseries. A Year In Provence’s magic still endures today, and it’s a must-buy for your travel bookshelf. 

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3. A Paris Year: My Day-to-Day Adventures in the Most Romantic City in the World

Author: Janice MacLeod 

Published: 2017 

Canadian writer Janice MacLeod engagingly details her first year living in Paris in journal format, which is what makes A Paris Year such a fun and personal read. Follow the highs and lows of moving to a new city on the other side of the world. Many of our club members can absolutely empathise with so many facets of this novel.

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4. My Life In France 

Author: Julia Child

Published: 2006 

Written in the last years of her life, My Life In France is culinary goddess Julia Child’s love letter to France, and serves as an autobiography alongside her large catalog of French cookbooks. Following Julia’s years living in her adopted home, the memoir showcases not just what it’s like to move to a new country, but of course, her love for French food as well. 

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5. The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

Authors: Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow

Published: 2017

The Bonjour Effect is the result of two French-Canadian journalists who made France their home for a time. The couple found French culture and etiquette so fascinating, that it is the running theme throughout this fascinating memoir. 

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6. Lunch In Paris: A Delicious Love Story, with Recipes

Author: Elizabeth Bard 

Published: 2010

If you love food and you love France, Lunch In Paris is a travel memoir you need to read. American Elizabeth Bard finds her feet in the capital while learning to master the art of cooking French food. There’s also a love story, and spoiler alert…Elizabeth still lives in France today! 

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7. Paris To The Moon 

Author: Adam Gopnick 

Published: 2000

Almost 25 years after it was initially published, Paris To The Moon still stands as one of the best books about moving to France. Presented in the form of essays and diary entries, Adam Gopnick’s tale of settling in Paris as an American rings true for any expat in the city. 

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8. I’ll Never Be French (no Matter what I Do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany

Author. Mark Greenside 

Published: 2008

Mark Greenside’s lineage stemmed from France, so writing I’ll Never Be French served as a discovery of his roots for the American writer. This fun and relatable book tells the story of Mark’s move from the city to a small village in Brittany, and all that came along with it.  

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9. On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town

Author: Susan Herrmann Loomis 

Published: 2002

When American chef Susan Herrmann Loomis arrived for a cooking course in Paris decades ago, she had no idea where this leap of faith would take her. She would discover the region of Normandy, and fall in love with its unique cuisine. She is now the founder of a cooking school in the region, and this beautiful memoir dives into the journey she took to make it happen – and there’s recipes included! 

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What are your favourite books about moving to France?

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