A Breath of French Air — H.E. Bates

The Larkins travel to France for some sun and relaxation -- only to be met with disaster -- in this comic classic by the author of The Darling Buds of May.

At summer's end, rain clouds hovering over Kent have some in the Larkin household feeling under the weather in more ways than one. Ma is exhausted from nursing newborn Oscar, and Mariette needs a break.

Meanwhile, Mariette's husband, Charley, reminisces about delightful summers spent in Brittany during his youth. It was inexpensive, the food was marvelous, the air was warm and sultry, and they would almost never see a drop of rain. And with that, Ma persuades Pop to take a holiday in France.

But when the Larkin clan arrives in the village of St. Pierre le Port, it is vastly different from Charley's memories. It is raining, the food is awful, the hotel is run-down, and the manager is rather nasty. The Larkins normally find joy in the little things in life, but they have never dealt with a vacation like this . . .

“Very racy, earthy. Rabelaisian.” -- The Spectator

Praise for the Pop Larkin Chronicles

“Hilarious.” -- The New York Times

“Pop Larkin, Ma and their progeny . . . are essentially English of the rich and ribald England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. A superb and timeless comedy.” -- The Scotsman