My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley

French Illusions, Book 1

By: Linda Kovic-Skow

Narrated by: Lucy Floyd

French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley is the first of two books based on my diaries from 1979 and 1980. Twenty-one-year-old Linda Kovic needs to learn a language fast in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a flight attendant, so she contracts to become an au pair for a wealthy family in the Loire Valley. In order to secure the nanny position, she lies on her application and pretends to speak French, confident she'll be forgiven once she arrives at her destination. This book captures Linda's real-life story inside and outside the Chateau de Montclair, detailing her challenges and triumphs as she tries to adjust to her new life with the hard-to-please Madame Dubois, her husband, and their two incomprehensible children. When Linda attends language classes at a local university, she encounters, Adam, a handsome young student, and her life with the family becomes more complicated, adding fuel to her internal battle for independence. Join Linda on her adventure of discovery and romance in an extraordinary part of the world.

©2012 Linda Kovic-Skow (P)2016 Linda Kovic-Skow

Audio brings the story to life

What did you love best about My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley?

I have already read both books in the pair and I love the story of personal growth through very difficult circumstances. It is also a very different kind of love story.

What did you like best about this story?

It is a real glimpse into the mind of a 21-year-old women in 1980, far from home.

What does Lucy Floyd bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Lucy is brilliant with voices and bringing nuanced emotions out of the characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I love the interactions between Linda and the children.

Any additional comments?

Whispersync is great for this book. I get to see the snippets of written french and hear the pronunciation.

Interesting and kept my attention

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am a lover of France and the French language. I enjoyed this audiobook partly because of the narrator speaking so much French in such an authentic accent and also because I have been that girl who tells a white lie to get what she wants and then ends up paying dearly. The story held my attention and I looked forward to listening to it each time I had time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adam was my favorite character. I know French men just like him.

Which character – as performed by Lucy Floyd – was your favorite?

Madam Debois with her nasty French attitude. I know French women like her.

What a treat!

Where does My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my first audible book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Linda

Have you listened to any of Lucy Floyd’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this is my first

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, if I had the time.

Any additional comments?

This was my first audible book and it was a treat! I had previously read French Illusions and it is at the top of my favorites list, so when Linda asked if I would like to listen to her book on audible I jumped at the chance. The narrator Lucy Floyd is absolutely brilliant and heaven to listen to. Listening to her voice in French was lovely. I highly recommend French Illusions Book 1 on audible. I hope to listen to book 2 sometime in the future.

An Honest Tale

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! It was well-written and had great details about life as an au pair in France.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the honesty with which the author told her story. I'm glad she didn't sugar-coat the feelings she had for the "Madame" of the house. The woman who was her boss was just a horrible person to work for, but sometimes authors like to pardon bad behavior in a way that seems insincere. I was very happy that this author revealed her true feelings and let the reader draw his or her own conclusions. It felt very honest and very sincere.

What does Lucy Floyd bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She is an excellent reader and her French is impeccable! I am fluent in French and was impressed with her language skills and her ability to provide new intonation for each character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I have just purchased Part 2 of this memoir and can't wait to get started!

Paris after all.

I loved this book. I love thé girl who wrote it- it felt like a best friend. I always wanted two things I’ve never had: to be an international flight attendant and to live in Paris. This book satisfied my longing for both. I ordered her book. I wish she’d write again soon. Don’t miss this one.

A Delightful Read

At first I couldn't quite figure out why I loved this book. My husband asked how it was and I replied, Great! then he asked why and I couldn't come up with the right words. I mean it has a good story and good writing but that's all generic. Then while listening to a friend I realized why I enjoyed this book so much. The entire book, from beginning to end, felt like I was listening to a dear friend tell me all about their adventure. it was familiar yet new, comforting and intriguing all at the same time. I loved it.

An interesting window into the life of an au pair

As someone who always wished I had spent an extended time overseas during my college years, I found this book interesting. I have always been interested in French culture and learning different languages, so it was interesting to see how someone with little-to-no background in a language can pick it up when immersed in another country. It was interesting to see what was required in an au pair position, and its position within a family.

I listened to the Audible audio version of this book narrated by Lucy Floyd, and I enjoyed her narration. She did a really good job giving a unique voice to each character, and she did really good with the French accents and language.

This was an enjoyable book and I think anyone who is interested in a different culture would enjoy it.

A Charming Story

Would you consider the audio edition of My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version; only listened to the audio version. I studied French in high school so if I had read the words, I'm sure the foreign language wouldn't have hindered me. For a non-speaker, I can imagine readers skipping over the French parts. In that regard, the audio might be an advantage for folks not familiar with the language.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley?

Most vivid was near the end when Madam DuBois and Linda had the "discussion."

Which character – as performed by Lucy Floyd – was your favorite?

Lucy Floyd did a great job on the French. The narration was good overall, although her characterization of Linda seemed a wee bit off. I would liked to have seen Linda portrayed as a spunkier young woman. My favorite? I suppose the Madam's character stood out to me. Floyd really captured the disdain she had for Linda.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would never be able to listen to ANY audiobook in one sitting. But I did, however, look forward to getting back to listening. I wanted to see how Linda was doing at the chateau and getting along with the family. I was anxious to see which of all the potential love interests we met along the way she would choose.

Any additional comments?

The book made me hungry! So much talk of all the delicious pastries and gourmet food. Now I'm on the lookout for chocolate mouse and strudel. Darn you, Linda! ;)

Living and learning French

This is a wonderful story of a young lady moving to a beautiful chateau in France as a nanny. How will this play out? Will she really just take care of the kids or will it develop into a slave situation? How about friends—any time for them? This is a beautifully read book—while listening to it I saw a sign that said $3000 and it threw me—why are they advertising for $ in France. I highly recommend this audiobook—you will love it!

A Charming Tale

This was my first experience with an audio book and I really appreciated the narration by Lucy Floyd which brought the characters vividly to life. Since I don’t understand French, yet enjoy the musical sounds of the language, the audio element was a big plus. The drawback was finding time to listen to this lengthy tale. However, the intriguing story brought back precious memories for me of my own travels in Europe as a young person and of working as a nanny to an American family which proved well worth the effort.