by Tim Green
First published 1991
Jake Morrison arrives in Lyon with dreams of mastering French and finding himself in Europe. His American confidence crumbles as he stumbles through conversations with his host family and classmates at the language institute. Every interaction becomes a minefield of mispronounced words and cultural misunderstandings. His roommate Pierre seems effortlessly sophisticated while Jake feels like a linguistic impostor. When he falls for Sylvie, a local student who speaks perfect English, Jake must decide whether to retreat into the safety of his native tongue or push through the embarrassment of his broken French. His journey becomes less about conjugating verbs and more about accepting the vulnerability that comes with truly connecting across cultures.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Lyon, Europe
Period: Contemporary
128 pages · Paperback · Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd