My diary from 1979 recounts my adventures living and working as an au pair at the Château de Montclair, in France. Most of my diary entries revolved around my relationships with the family. Often, the language barrier got in the way, especially regarding the children.
Fortunately, my young ward, Antoine, was adept at helping me bridge the gap with his body language. Often these scenes turned comical. Here is an excerpt from my memoir, French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley:
After strapping Jocelyn into her bouncy chair, I filled the sink with warm soapy water and worked my way through the stack of greasy dishes. Just as I rinsed the last bowl, Antoine burst through the kitchen door.
“I found a frog after school today.” His French words tumbled out, far too rapid for me to understand.
“Please repeat slowly.”
“I found . . . a frog . . . after . . . school today.” 
“Too slow, Antoine. What did you find?”
He proceeded to jump around the kitchen with his mouth opened wide, repeating “ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” until I stopped him.
“I understand. Where is this frog now?”
He gazed up at me misty-eyed before speaking. “Mama made me leave it at school.”
“I’m sorry.” Repressing a giggle, I got down on my knees and took him into my arms. I felt bad for Antoine, but the mental image of Madame’s scrunched-up face when he showed her the frog tickled my funny spot. She didn’t strike me as someone who would be keen on amphibians.
If you would like to learn more about my experiences in France, you can purchase a copy of my book at Amazon.com. For an additional fee, you can add audible narration with Whispersync. The audiobook is also available at Audible.com.
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