Escargot Days

When her husband exits their marriage after twenty-seven years, Carol seriously flips. Between nisi and absolute, the marital home is sold and her daughter takes her on what is supposed to be a recuperative holiday. The idea being to give Carol the strength to find a suitable Essex flat, but instead she finds a derelict Burgundian cottage that looks as deserted and as much in need of restoration as herself. She may not have managed without the support of the local café owner who speaks fluent French with a cockney accent, or the eight-year-old daughter of a local farmer who offers French lessons as well as pitching in to mend the roof, but gradually Carol rebuilds her cottage and her life. What Carol doesn’t need is ex-hubby barging in on her scene just as it looks as if a rather dishy feller could be adding a pleasant dimension to her new life. Not that she’s up for getting involved with anyone else when she’s still feeling bruised and wouldn’t dare trust her own feelings.