French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France

• Paperback - 05 April, 2002 - Algonquin Books
• Usually ships in 24 hours
• By: Richard Goodman and Richard Goodman
• ISBN: 1565123522

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About this book

A few years back, escaping the sound and fury of New York, Richard Goodman moved to a small southern French farming town he calls by the alias St. Sebastian de Caisson, everything about which "suggests the uneventful, and the eternal." There Goodman found a tiny plot of streamside land and set about raising a copious vegetable garden, about as uneventful an event as a seasoned New Yorker is likely to experience. He writes lovingly of tilling the soil and watching his lettuce, tomatoes, and leeks spring from the ground, but at heart his book is about the generous people he met during his stay and what they have to say about life on the land. Armchair travelers, gardeners, and small-scale farmers alike will enjoy his charming memoir.

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Reviews by readers

Skillfully written and heartfelt,...

Skillfully written and heartfelt, I found Richard Goodman's
sundrenched first novel "French Dirt" a true feast on every
level. A must read - I literally could not put this novel down.
I was transported into Mr. Goodman's village, St. Sebastien de Caisson - where the earth, sun and love interweave with one another like a summer salad - filled with fresh tomatoes that burst in your mouth from the heat of the sun, and a love story that will stir your soul. You won't want to miss a word, or a moment, of this enchanting journey!

French Dirt - inspiring

I really loved this book. It made me laugh out loud. It made me tear up. It made me want to get my hands dirty.

Oooo la la

What a lovely visit to France. I enjoyed Goodman's honest appraoch to this book. It was like having a conversation. As a fairly advid gardener myself, I especially enjoyed the discussion of his garden. The people he encounters seem quite genuine and true to nature. Sometimes, it's inspiring to live in a foreign land--- even if for just a handful of hours.

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