I’m not sure who, or what, prompted me to keep a diary during my trip to France in 1979, but I’m sure glad I did. Without it, my book, French Illusions, My Story as An American Au Pair in the Loire Valley, probably never would have been written.
Linda Kovic-Skow, author of French Illusions
Name Changes in French Illusions
June 9, 2020 by 8 Comments
Back in 2007, when I decided to write a story based on my diary, I knew that I would have to change the names of people and places to protect identities. This was especially true with regard to my host au pair family. Acquiring permission from them was out of the question. Totally out of the question. Read my book and you’ll understand. Additionally, over thirty years had passed since I spoke with anyone I’d met in France. I no longer had any contact information.
A Delectable Memory
April 28, 2020 by 2 Comments
My diary from 1979 recounts my adventures living and working as an au pair in the Loire Valley, at the Château de Montclair, in France. Most of my diary entries revolved around my relationships with the family, but on occasion, I included recipes of favorite drinks or meals.
French Illusions: Photos Introducing Parts Three and Four
January 1, 2020 by 2 Comments
As promised, here is the second installment explaining why I chose the photos introducing the four “parts” in French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley. In my earlier blog, I focused on Part One and Part Two, and today I will move on to Parts Three and Four. 
French Illusions: Photos Introducing Part One and Two
November 9, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Recently, a reader asked about the photos introducing the four “parts” in French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley. It was my publisher’s design team that came up with this fantastic idea.
A Letter to France Magazine
September 7, 2019 by 8 Comments
Four months ago, France Magazine featured The Loire Valley in their May, 2019 issue. Thanks to a dear friend, I obtained a copy of this edition and spent an afternoon pouring over the articles and photos.
The Château de Montclair
July 7, 2019 by Leave a Comment
The Loire Valley in central France is dotted with elegant, large, stone structures, or manors. Many of these “chateaux,” flanked by rows and rows of fertile vineyards, have been handed down through generations of families.
Who was Marcel?
May 19, 2019 by 2 Comments
Marcel was one of the most unexpected characters in my memoir, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley. From our first encounter, it was hard to reconcile that this quirky, enthusiastic man was my employer’s brother, but even Marcel suggested he was the “black sheep” of the family. He loved America, the language and the country music scene. As you will see in the following excerpt, his English was a bit rough too.
Nanny Anxiety
April 6, 2019 by 2 Comments
Looking back at my life choices in 1979, when I was twenty-one, I still can’t believe I pretended to speak French to acquire a nanny position in France. Aside from the obvious fact that this deception was wrong, I didn’t have a lot of experience with childcare, especially infants. The bulk of my knowledge on this subject came from some unexpected sources during my youth, which you will read about below.
