Spotted in France

Gregory Edmont
The Lyons Press (2006)
ISBN 1592287360
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/06)

Gregory Edmont’s “Spotted in France” is an utterly charming and heartwarming story of an American living a very average life in Paris, until he gets a dog. Then his life changes in a number of ways and the author discovers that most French are not snotty – the way he used to think of them - but rather shy. And owning a dog (or is it sharing his life with a dog?) shows him an utterly different picture of the French people.

All of a sudden Gregory and his charming Dalmatian, JP, belong. They are insiders and not visitors. People are friendlier, everybody smiles and Gregory’s life seems to be magically transformed. Then adventure beckons – JP is needed in Provence by his old breeder, Madame Clix. A young Dalmatian lady, Flirt, needs a “husband” and JP is chosen to sire her next litter. So Gregory and JP embark on a truly fantastic journey across France all the way JP’s birthplace. And what a journey this turns out to be! To start, they are going to do it on a Vespa – the cute Italian scooter. This immediately creates problems with the police – are Dalmatians allowed to ride on a scooter? The journey is exhilarating and often quite funny. Gregory decided to combine frugal sleeping quarters and lavish restaurants on the way to Madame Clix’s domain. They meet all kinds of interesting people, including a very hospitable farmer’s family, a coven of modern day witches (which conveniently includes a scooter mechanic), a rather unconventional Catholic priest and more.

Once safe with Madame Clix another adventure begins. JP has never “courted” before. How will he perform? Does he need help? A visit to a rather peculiar veterinary clinic in nearby Marseille turns out very strangely. The first encounter with Flirt is disappointing. Will love happen at all?

I do not want to spoil your fun with this uplifting story, so you’ll have to read it yourself to find the answer to this particular question. Suffice to say that things are never quite as simple as they seem and there is always a bit of surprise and suspense to keep the story flowing.

Gregory Edmont spins a good tale. His writing is straightforward and honest. His comments on France and French are refreshing and candid. He is very observant and his characters well drawn. One truly longs to find out more about so many of them. I’d love to see a sequel – or two – to this book. The accompanying drawings by Mark Reyes are very much in tune with the story and they complement it in the best possible way.
This is a book that should appeal to most anybody. If you are an animal lover, JP should become one of your favorite characters ever. If you are a travel buff, you’ll find this a well written travel tale. A foodie will enjoy the descriptions of multi-course meals at Michelin starred restaurants. A nature lover should be enchanted by the descriptions of the areas Gregory and JP drove through – and even more so of the special cabbage patch. A romantic will find this to be an enchanting love story. And anybody else will find plenty of things to learn from this story. As for me, “Spotted in France” made me look forward to my next trip to France even more.

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