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Title details for When in French by Lauren Collins - Available

When in French

Love in a Second Language

by Lauren Collins
Laurel Lefkow
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Talking to you in English', he said, 'is like touching you with gloves.' A language barrier is no match for love. New Yorker journalist Lauren Collins discovers this first-hand when, in her early thirties, she moves to London and falls for Olivier, a Frenchman. As their relationship begins to grow, Lauren senses that there are things she doesn't understand about Olivier, having never spoken to him in his mother tongue. (Does 'I love you' even mean the same thing as 'je t'aime'?) And when they move to French-speaking Geneva, Lauren suddenly finds herself no longer able to talk to the local handymen or shop owners, let alone her husband's parents. Fearful of one day finding herself unable to communicate with her own children, Lauren decides to learn French. Along the way, she faces a series of challenges, from awkward role-playing games at her Swiss language school, to accidentally telling her mother-in-law that she's given birth to a coffee machine. But there are also unexpected pleasures: the delights of learning French words that have no English equivalent and the joys of winning her first argument against Olivier in his native tongue. A funny, thoughtful memoir, When in French considers how language shapes our lives, from how we think, to how we fall in love, and what happens when two languages, and two very different cultures, collide.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 22, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780008100612
      • File size: 225363 KB
      • Duration: 07:49:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The complexity of language and how it's intricately interwoven into the philosophy and history of family and culture is revealed in this audiobook of an American woman who is navigating her relationship with her French husband. Infusing warmth and humor into her narration, Khristine Hvam brings out the range of emotions that the author experiences as she attempts to understand the nuances of languages that cause numerous misunderstandings in her marriage. Hvam's mostly polished French accent reflects a woman who becomes intent on learning French after discovering that language is power. Articulate and heartfelt, Hvam's narration expresses the multifaceted and fascinating aspects of language and how it affects one's identity. M.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 30, 2016
      This smart memoir by New Yorker writer Collins is an extended essay on how the languages we speak shape who we are. Collins is an American living in London who speaks little French when she falls in love with a Frenchman who speaks excellent English. They marry and move to Francophone Geneva, where Collins decides to learn French after envisioning herself as a mother who can’t understand half of what her own kids are saying. Throughout, Collins shares excerpts from works of history, philosophy, psychology, politics, and literature that show how pervasive language’s influence is on every aspect of our lives. Political goofs result from mistranslation. Even the meaning of love might depend on how you express it: Does “Je t’aime” mean something different from “I love you”? The transitions can be clunky as Collins shifts between story telling and embarking on academic discussions, but her writing is often elegant and exact. Agent: Elyse Cheney, Elyse Cheney Literary.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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