French by Heart

I am reading the most enchanting, wonderful book right now.  It's called "French By Heart" written by Rebecca S. Ramsey.  It's a memoir of her time spent living in France with her 3 young children, husband and old cat.  It takes place in the early 2000's.  I totally relate to it in so many ways.  First off she is obsessed with France and the charming villages, the history, the culture, etc. Her French isn't great and she is speaking it with a South Carolina accent (can you imagine?) Then there's the travails of school, but this time mixed with the language barrier and the chain smoking, snobbish teachers.  What I most relate to is her older neighbor, who is constantly watching her house, dispensing advice and generally bossing her around.  I laugh the hardest at those moments.  She is admonished for her gardening and housekeeping (check), given so much advice on raising children the French way (check- but different culture) and surprised to have strange pills forced into her mouth without warning (I have had strange food pushed into my mouth without warning.)  She is poked and prodded and her house is invaded by this neighbor- she is constantly subjected to rants about the right way to do things.  The big difference is that her neighbor is across the street, with full viewing privileges of her house. Mine is next door and I am only on display as I enter the yards.  I have been known to take a step out, see activity in the next door yard and hightail it back inside.  The author can't even walk around in her house without being watched!  I got this from the library, but I think I might buy it- I can see myself wanting to read it again.