A French Affair

This is a pleasant account of a British family's experiences as longtime residents of Cahors, a town in southwestern France. Crime novelist Kenyon ( Kill the Butler! ), his wife and three daughters progressed from being summer visitors to year-round renters and, finally, home-owners. He eschews the standard tale of charming experiences with quaint foreign electricians and plumbers for a more interesting chronicle of his clan's gradual integration into village life. The three girls lead the way; their language facility and adjustment to the rigors of French schooling set an example for their parents, who gradually become more fluent, make friends, participate in truffle hunts and grape gathering and, of course, savor the wonderful country food and wines of France. Kenyon evokes with quiet humor the ambience of the village, the characters of his neighbors and friends, the challenges and satisfactions of happily adapting to another culture. (June)