This book is bad in many ways. Like many readers who have pointed out, its writing is just awful. Then, the author seemed small-minded about French culture at times which makes me wonder why did they move to France? She never properly explained it other than saying 'I just Love it there'. One example is when she wrote how she felt uncomfortable with the French way of 'by-passing' the system. She gave the impression that she felt it's wrong to do such things, then gave several examples of how they got their parking tickets waived because they knew this friend and how they bought stuff at cheaper prices because they knew some other friends - in other words, how they cheated the system themsevels while feeling this 'French' way is wrong. This is just hypocritical and condescending.

This book is NOT about living in a French town for the most part, rather, about the author's own life, a quite boring one, that is. The author went into great length into describing every little detail about every little thing. Describing their housekeeper's habbit of cleaning in the dark took 2 pages, then another paragraphy about how the housekeeper doesn't clean the cobwebs very well, then another paragraph of how she's not complaining and 'the world still turns'. It is just painful to read.

This book is bad in many ways. Like many readers who have pointed out, its writing is just awful. Then, the author seemed small-minded about French culture at times which makes me wonder why did they move to France? She never properly explained it other than saying 'I just Love it there'. One example is when she wrote how she felt uncomfortable with the French way of 'by-passing' the system. She gave the impression that she felt it's wrong to do such things, then gave several examples of how they got their parking tickets waived because they knew this friend and how they bought stuff at cheaper prices because they knew some other friends - in other words, how they cheated the system themsevels while feeling this 'French' way is wrong. This is just hypocritical and condescending.

This book is NOT about living in a French town for the most part, rather, about the author's own life, a quite boring one, that is. The author went into great length into describing every little detail about every little thing. Describing their housekeeper's habbit of cleaning in the dark took 2 pages, then another paragraphy about how the housekeeper doesn't clean the cobwebs very well, then another paragraph of how she's not complaining and 'the world still turns'. It is just painful to read.

This book is bad in many ways. Like many readers who have pointed out, its writing is just awful. Then, the author seemed small-minded about French culture at times which makes me wonder why did they move to France? She never properly explained it other than saying 'I just Love it there'. One example is when she wrote how she felt uncomfortable with the French way of 'by-passing' the system. She gave the impression that she felt it's wrong to do such things, then gave several examples of how they got their parking tickets waived because they knew this friend and how they bought stuff at cheaper prices because they knew some other friends - in other words, how they cheated the system themsevels while feeling this 'French' way is wrong. This is just hypocritical and condescending.

This book is NOT about living in a French town for the most part, rather, about the author's own life, a quite boring one, that is. The author went into great length into describing every little detail about every little thing. Describing their housekeeper's habbit of cleaning in the dark took 2 pages, then another paragraphy about how the housekeeper doesn't clean the cobwebs very well, then another paragraph of how she's not complaining and 'the world still turns'. It is just painful to read.

I took a cooking class with Susan when she made one stop in California. I learned alot and so I read this book to see how she ended up in France. It was a delight. It made me want to pack up and visit the town where she lives. I loved reading of the people who live there and the recipes she shares. Very enjoyable.

This is not a cookbook, but a memoir with a scattering of recipes. The story is a familiar one: American becomes enthralled with France (or Italy as is often the case), manages to buy and restore a delapidated country house, and lives to write about it. It is hoped that the proceeds from the sale of the resulting book will defray the costs.

I am sure that Susan Loomis is a nice person, but she is a mediocre writer. Her tale is written in a self-absorbed style that just detracts. The writing is ponderous and irritating.

Very disappointing, the only good thing in it is the food. It's terribly condescending and author's ego is all over the place. But the most annoying part is that while it claims on the back that this is a book about a cooking school and anyone about to open a small business should read it, this is not the case at all. She only talks about the school a bit at the beginning and then we are just left with her life, her view of the French, which is not very exciting, and an awful lot of adjectives.

Having been a student in France in the 1970s, this book brought back a lot of good memories. Ms. Loomis is an excellent writer and tells a good story making me feel like I was there. I could easily imagine all of the situations and think any person with an interest in France or cooking would enjoy the book. It'll be kept in my library to reread in the future.

Having been a student in France in the 1970s, this book brought back a lot of good memories. Ms. Loomis is an excellent writer and tells a good story making me feel like I was there. I could easily imagine all of the situations and think any person with an interest in France or cooking would enjoy the book. It'll be kept in my library to reread in the future.

A pleasant summer read that tells the story of the author's move to the French countryside and establishment of a cooking school. There are several stories: her development as a professional cook, the refurbishment of the historic building that became their home, the family's integration into a small French town. I often wished for more detail--it is not a very long book for so many fascinating topics. She includes an appealing mix of recipes; I marked several as something I want to try.

A pleasant summer read that tells the story of the author's move to the French countryside and establishment of a cooking school. There are several stories: her development as a professional cook, the refurbishment of the historic building that became their home, the family's integration into a small French town. I often wished for more detail--it is not a very long book for so many fascinating topics. She includes an appealing mix of recipes; I marked several as something I want to try.

This book is delightful glimpse into the life of an American family living in Normandy France. Loomis' tale of her culinary adventures mixed with generous helpings of the French culture, make a recipe for a delicious story. The easy-to-follow recipes are simple to make but have unique twists for such Normandy classics as Clafoutis and Tarte Tatin.

When you see a book of this nature you have certain expectations. You want to immerse yourself in the culture along with the author and learn to assimilate with them in their newly adopted country along the way. Susan Loomis never seems to accept, assimilate or adjust in this book.

She is obviously an excellent cook and writer of cookbooks and the recipes in this book are marvelous. But the writing in "On Rue Tatin" is subpar. Now if you're looking for any account about France then you might be able to take the bad prose. But the act of living and "working" in France just doesn't seem to mesh. She spends a chapter complaining about the church and the priests next door, the owners of the flower shop across the street, old ladies who park their bikes leaning against the front of their precious building, the French school system, educational system and I don't think I got it all.

Consider if a French family moved into your small town in Iowa and bought the historical building on the town square next to the church you've been going to for all of your 70 year and then started making demands for your pastor to change his ways and constantly remind you how it would be done in France.

Some things that went beyond the story bothered me also. She seems to try to hard to convince the reader that they do not come from a priviledged or moneyed background but things just don't add up. They can't seem "to afford" this old convent and need to take a loan from their acquaintances but they choose to keep their home in Maine. They fly their "babysitter" over from the US to watch their child even though neither of them are working. I think most of us would call this a "nanny." She complains about shortages of money but in the next chapter buys a 6000 dollar stove.

That all said there are definitely charming and enjoyable parts to this book but I would check it out of the library.

When you see a book of this nature you have certain expectations. You want to immerse yourself in the culture along with the author and learn to assimilate with them in their newly adopted country along the way.
Susan Loomis is obviously an excellent cook and writer of cookbooks and the recipes in this book are marvelous. But the writing is subpar and if your looking for ANY account of France then this may satisfay you. But the act of living and "working" in France just doesn't seem to work. She spends a chapter complaining about the church and the priests next door, the owners of the flower shop across the street, old ladies who park their bikes leaning against the front of their precious building, the french school system, french educational system and I don't think I got it all. You start to see it from the French point of view. It's like a French family moving into your small town in Iowa and buying the historical building on the town square and when the Iowa locals don't see things from the French point of view then their morons. That all said their are some charming and enjoyable parts.

Some things that went beyond the story bothered me. She seems to try to hard to convince the reader that they are not priviledged but things just don't add up. They can't seem "to afford" this old convent and need to take a loan from their acquaintances but they choose to keep their home in Maine. They fly their "babysitter" over from the US to watch their child even though neither of them are working. I think most of us would call that a "nannie." complaints about shortages of money but in the next paragraph buying a 6000 dollar stove.

If you want to see things entirely from a priviledged Americans point of view buy the book, otherwise save your money.

What fun to go to France, retore an old building and open a cooking school. "On Rue Tatin" is a great read for anyone who loves France and loves to cook. It makes me want to enrole in the cooking school tomorrow which one can do.

Okay, this is not a book to knock yuour socks off, but other reviewers have been a tad demanding in asking it to be one. It comforted me with apples. It is pleasant, amusing, well-written and extremely cosy reading. The recipes work; the anecdotes are slight but entertaining. Human life is here, though this ain't Victor Hugo.

The genre of buying-a-French-wreck is getting a little shopworn, but I certainly preferred this to Peter Mayle's tiresome and tiring showing-off. It makes a good companion to the fine cookbook Loomis apparently wrote at the time covered by this book (French Farmhouse Cooking). I recommend this to all who enjoy Normandy, food and France.

Okay, this is not a book to knock yuour socks off, but other reviewers have been a tad demanding in asking it to be one. It comforted me with apples. It is pleasant, amusing, well-written and extremely cosy reading. The recipes work; the anecdotes are slight but entertaining. Human life is here, though this ain't Victor Hugo.

The genre of buying-a-French-wreck is getting a little shopworn, but I certainly preferred this to Peter Mayle's tiresome and tiring showing-off. It makes a good companion to the fine cookbook Loomis apparently wrote at the time covered by this book (French Farmhouse Cooking). I recommend this to all who enjoy Normandy, food and France.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give On Rue Tatin a 4. I think my main objection is that I purchased it thinking it was a book about France and food as experienced by the author and her family. Unfortunately, it's much more a book about the author who just happens to be living in France.

In the end, I'm not sure if On Rue Tatin should be classified as a travel book or a memoir because it does not shine in either category. It fails as a travel book because the author is too self-absorbed to give you any feel for the region of France she called home, and it fails as a memoir because the author's life, at least as related in the book, is far from interesting.

This book is a quick, pleasant read, a series of vignettes appropriate for a vacation or a plane trip. Foodies will like it, though it will disappoint those looking for the arch, self-deprecating, tell-it-like-it-is insouciance of Peter Mayle.

Susan Loomis is apparently a nice person, an avid cook, and absolutely *loves* everything and everybody she comes in contact with. But sometimes she seems a little too pollyannaish, so even (or perhaps especially) when she writes of dealing with difficult people, her musings and descriptions come across as the slightly naive observations of someone viewing the world through rose-colored glasses.

Now and then I wondered while reading this book, why would someone with a small family and (as we are told over and over again) hardly any money, buy, renovate, and plan to live in a massive, rotting old former convent? Although it's not revealed in the book, the answer (through a visit to Loomis' web site) seems to be: so she can run a cooking school.

for Susan's recipes and her enthusiasm for the art of cooking is what is at the heart of her books. NOT the prose! (oops, not a sentence!) Jeez! we all know you need a life out there! Susan has a life, and for that you must be a little envious? Read the cookbooks and her others for what they really are.
Marti
in
Saint Louis
who uses a LOT of her recipes!

I truly enjoyed this book...I finished this book in less than a week. Some other reviewers thought the writng wasn't great, I did...it was an easy read, you didn't have to check the dictionary to find the defination for a difficult word, which in the end was a common word used daily. It was like sitting with a friend and she was telling to about her travels. Pick it up for a great read.... of you want something more complex read "Great Expectations" (no pun intened) by Dickens

The book is an entertaining, quick read, but the real gem in its pages is the recipies. Braised chicken in mustard and white wine sauce, apples stuffed with goat cheese, pear and honey clafoutis...I've made these dishes again and again for family and company, always to rave reviews. Buy the book for the story but keep it for the recipies.

Why do we read this type of text except for a vicarious thrill and the gleaning of little details of French life? I can't understand the sometimes negative reviews here. This isn't a work of fiction and these people seem to be reading it in the wrong spirit if they expect it to be. For what it is, a chronicle of one woman/family's life in France, I found it enjoyable and would recommend it. If a few readers are by now jaded thinking it yet ANOTHER Peter Mayle, Ann Barry, et al. tale, well then they need to move on and read something else instead of expecting to find magic over and over in sameness. Enjoyable. And it has some recipes. Buy it.

Written in the same vein as "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "A Year in Provence", food writer Susan Loomis charmingly describes her transition from being 100% American to being a French homeowner.

In simple but expressive language, she imparts her obvious joy of finding a house perfectly suited to her needs and that of her family--in the city of Louviers, north west of Paris in the province of Normandie. Her reminiscences regardng her assimilation into French village/city life enchant; each of the personnages comes to life--in fact, I would have enjoyed---even more so---a book double the size with more information regarding each of Madame Loomis' neighbors! In addition to detailing the work necessary to make their house purchase inhabitable, Susan recalls the sometimes difficult adjustments her young son makes in order to "fit in" to the French education system and the reluctant diplomacy required by Susan and her husband when dealing with the uncomfortable stubborness of the resident cure. Cleverly sprinkled throughout are Susan's thoughts regarding French sensibilites when compared with their American counterparts. At the end of each vignette, Loomis provides a fabulously apropos selection of recipes, simple, yet delicious which she either serves her friends/acquaintances or receives from appreciative French gourmands during the actual occurance of the chapter events. (I would have liked the recipe for the black current sorbet she speaks of at the end of the 'Paris' chapter.) The last recollection contains the lovely history of Susan's experience in a French clinic as she awaits her second child. C'est formidable!

The idea of pairing good food with wonderful memories certainly evokes anyone's idea of the good life. Recommended to all who love good food, wine, the French and are teased by the idea of at least attending one of Susan Loomis cooking sessions in Louviers.

I enjoyed reading this book and livng in France vicariously through this book. The writing isn't that great, but the experiences were entertaining.

Unlike some that have reviewed this book, all I can say is that it is a wonderful read, very interesting, engaging and well written. Like Peter Mayle, the author has found a warm and wonderful place in France and relates in detail her pleasant experinences, as well as a great deal of preferred recipes that she has found great success with in both her personal and professional cullinary life. There is nothing disappointing about this book. After just the first chapter, I was hooked and enchanted and ready to read more by Susan Loomis. A great read, a wonderful and vicarious adventure for any true Francophile or other armchair reader. Full of fun, great recipes and dozens of reasons to smile, this book is worth every penny and then some. Kudos to the author!

Lommis does a nice job of describing the details of life in Louviers, providing some pleasant "escapist" leisure reading for Francophiles like myself. The book has some good French country recipes, but overall is a disappointing Peter Mayle derivative that fails to show us anything new or interesting about France.

And when Loomis isn't rehashing the now-trite cliches of adjusting to living in France (driving habits; pharmacists; bureaucracy; difficulties in renovating a house; etc. etc.), she's busy convincing us how happy and successful she is. Her self-congratulatory tone quickly became tiresome after the first few chapters--her perfect/beautiful/wonderful/joyous/lovely friends, family, and house were just a little too "Martha Stewart" for me. Yuk!

I found this to be a warm, cozy, enviable read, yet there are way too many nagging questions unanswered. If a writer allows the reader into their life, they have an obligation to at least have the situations make some sense. I too am a culinary graduate and I know what chicken-feed salaries the food and food writing industry pays. For the life of me, I can't reconcile that knowledge with their lifestyle. Is her husband's sole occupation fixing the house for scores of years? She never mentioned a job. Are the really trust fund yuppies? I know that the author is a writer for Epicurious and a research assistant for Patricia Wells (fancy title for recipie tester). These jobs are usually given to 25-year-olds fresh out to cooking school and don't pay well. She has written two quite good cook books. Were they so successful that they are living off the residuals.Doubtful. Surely that could not have been supporting them all these years. It must have cost a fortune to fix up an old abbey. Are the now French citizens? It is practically impossible to obtain French citizenship. No wonder their lives seemed so cozy and ideal. Both did not seem to never work, they shopped, planted, ate and entertained, like the landed gentry. L The last couple of chapters felt like a tack-on, a request from the editor, who, by the way, could have done a much better job at cleaning up the over-wrought prose. Yet, that all said, it has its charms and some servicable recipes. And they do seem like nice people.

There are many---perhaps too many---first-person narratives about adventurous Americans falling in love with Provence, with Tuscany, with Portugal, and deciding willy-nilly to move there, to buy and renovate a house. Invariable we laugh and sigh and commiserate with their struggles with the language, the culture, the habits of the natives, the rules and regulations of the government. But many of these, to my mind, fall far short of the ideal---which should be to create a feeling of both envy and enchantment. Ms. Loomis, with On Rue Tatin, does both. This book not only tells a wonderful story but tells it wonderfully. The sights, the sounds, the scents, the tastes, of building a new life in an old, old house in a small French town---a wonderfully-humorous and never-too-self-congratulatory voyage into the fulfillment of one person's life-dream: to live, work, and write in France. If you've ever used one of Ms. Loomis' excellent cookbooks in your kitchen, you'll know how thorough, precise, and user-friendly her writing is---I've never had to struggle with one of her recipes, no matter how obscure and unfamiliar the ingredients---and this memoir (which, joyfully, also includes recipes! Try the mussels in apple cider vinegar) gives further proof to the strength of her writing talents. A really lovely little book, sure to set the romantics among us daydreaming....

I'm afraid I really disliked this book - I felt that the author was very negative about the majority of French people that she met, and seemed to find more to criticise than to praise. It seemed that a lot of the problems she encountered were generated by her own lack of tact and understanding . I wonder why she moved to live in France when she disapproved of so much. (And I didn't find her recipes very authentic - I have never been served the sort of things she cooks in any restaurant in France, thank goodness).

It seems many of the women I meet like to espouse dreams of fixing up some old house in the French countryside and spending all their time cooking and immersing themselves in the culture and marrying some artistic yet responsible husband and having healthy babies in their 40's and treasuring so many friendships with all these mysteriously wonderful people through various minor trials and tribulations.

If that's you, this is your book. This woman apparently actually did all that, probably with heavy editing to keep the dream story dreamy. Plus add some homespun Normandie recipes so you can taste something like what you're reading, which is a nice touch. Although I haven't made any of them yet...and expect they won't be the same without those particular ingredients and settings.

It's a page turner, so turn to the last recipe, make the Tarte Tatin, and curl up with it while you munch on the Tarte with a little French Vanilla Custard ice cream.

Susan Loomis fell in love with France, the French and French cooking when she was a young student 20 years ago. After an apprenticeship at La Varenne de Cuisine in Paris and her subsequent marriage to Michael Loomis, she decides to emigrate. They buy a dilapidated former convent in Louviers, France in 1994 and their story really gets underway.

ON RUE TATIN tells about the renovation of the house as well as the story of their adjustment to French culture, the friends and workmen they encounter, and the life they live as modern expatriots. Having established a reputation and published a cookbook, Loomis writes another throughout the development of this memoir and she includes some of her recipes in this volume.

Loomis is a pedestrian writer at best, so the charm of the book rests on the experiences of the author and the usefulness of the recipes. I tried one -- the chocolate cake -- and found it delicious.

Sunnye Tiedemann

This is a delightful book! OK, it's not the best writing ever written, and it is not a fullblown cookbook (I cannot imagine why anyone would expect it to be, frankly), but it is a delight nonetheless. I really enjoyed the detailed description of the town, the shops, the people who ran the shops and the ways of the French people Loomis came in contact with in her effort to become part of her chosen community. I especially loved how Loomis described taking a centuries old convent and turning it, room by room, into a wonderful home. She and her husband certainly had to have a vision of what such a run down relic could be in order to even think of buying the place. I was duly impressed!!

And-has anyone ever even dreamed of such pampered care and FOOD while in hospital to give birth! (OK, there was a negative side too, but I loved this aspect of childbirth in France).

I admit I found myself in a fantasy of living in that village, smelling the freshly baked breads, standing in line waiting for my turn to pay at Chez Clet, and before I was halfway through the book, I took to drinking my cafe' latte' from a bowl so I could dip my faux baguette into it! Oh yes, I was THERE! That is the mark of a good read to me-to be transported to a new place and be so thouroughly a part of it that when the last page is turned I am somewhat startled to find myself in my "new" (built in 1966) house in Portland after all!

I hope Ms. Loomis writes a sequel to this fun adventure of a book. I will be on the lookout for it with anticipation.

This book is sort of twixt and between being a memoir and being a cookbook. As a memoir, it mostly succeeds. Mme. Loomis leads an idealized life (from my perspective looking in, anyway) in a small town in France. As a cookbook, it mostly fails - not enough recipes and very little technique. Ironic, considering that Loomis is Patricia Wells research assistant.

(For an example of a cookbook/memoir that succeeds on all levels, you must look at Amanda Hesser's "The Cook and the Gardener.")

I have read through Rue Tatin two times now, and I still find it charming. I have made several of the recipes, and they turned out well; the braised chicken in mustard and white wine has become a staple in my house, however.

The best book I read on France.

Susan Loomis went to France on a student scholarship and attended La Varenne cooking school in Paris. What a dream! And she became intimate friends with a family in Normandy. I'd give an eye tooth for such an opportunity.

Sadly, Ms. Loomis does not possess writerly skills. In fact, her prose is SO BAD, I use segments of this book as examples of how NOT to write. In case I ever write a book, I will be hauling "Rue Tatin" off my bookshelf to remind myself not to make any of these mistakes.

Here's an example: Every dish, every one, is "the best I ever tasted"--not only a worn superlative, but not informative. The rest of the writing is in this vein--sophomoric. If you don't believe me, read the excerpt pages for the hardbound edition. The writing problems are there aplenty. To be fair, Ms. Loomis can sometimes be quite funny. But mostly, her writing is too annoying to get anything more than a chuckle from me.

So I highly recommend this book as a teaching aid for writing, and I have to say I was still fascinated by her experiences, however I was disappointed that Loomis' authoring skills were so pathetic. I only hope her cooking isn't as bland.

_On Rue Tatin_ falls as flat as a cake peered at too often by a too-eager cook. Though Susan Herrmann Loomis is a good reporter, detailing life in France with occasional insight, she never breaks into genuine wisdom or true authorship. The book reads as if she followed a recipe while writing it, and lacks the comedy and warmth of, say, Ruth Reichl's _Comfort Me With Apples_.

On the other hand, it's set in France and it's got a lot of food in it. So what's to really dislike? It's just: when you're expecting Brie, it's hard to settle for (yawn) a mild American cheddar.

I'm giving On Rue Tatin four stars because it evokes the mood and feel of rural France. Having spent a lot of time in Normandy and Paris, I recognized many of Loomis's characters and experiences. Loomis clearly has a deep love for France and French culture, and the book was at its best in describing her friendships and experiences in learning more about her adopted home. I wish there had been much more about her friends Edith and Bernard, her fascinating and sometimes frustrating neighbors, and her cultural acclimation.

As many reviewers have pointed out, the story of how Loomis and her husband refurbished their _maison bourgeoise_ was very interesting, and of course the recipes seem luscious (though Loomis has a sweet but irritating habit of describing each of her friend's cooking as "the best I've ever had"). After the house was finished, though, the book started getting tedious, and I felt that Loomis was trying to make pages for a publisher. There is an ENTIRE chapter on the process Loomis went through in buying a stove. Even if one is a professional cook who cares deeply about such things, Loomis's prose isn't exciting enough to make the tale interesting. Instead it reads like a shaggy-dog story about appliance shopping. A lot of the book feels like similar filler, with irrelevant detail about Loomis' problems finding school supplies for her son, explaining what a baby shower is to her friends, going on doctors' and dentists' appointments in Paris, and so forth. The domesticity of Loomis' life, filled with friends and children, is a nice contrast to the typical Anglo-Saxon-abroad-drinking-and-eating memoir, but often in Rue Tatin the domestic details overwhelm the story. Still, it's a quick, fun read, and one I wouldn't hesitate to stuff into my suitcase if I were heading for a couple of weeks' holiday in France.

Susan Herrmann Loomis' book on living in the French countryside should come with a warning: Do not read this book hungry!
Not only does she end each chapter with some amazing recipes, but much of the book is spent in loving detail describing all the various types of food in the region.A baguette smeared with butter has never read better.
Similar in tone to Frances Mayes Tuscany books,but this is less about restoring a house and more about daily life in the town with her husband and child. Simple, and satisfying it is a charming and wonderful escapist read. One that when you finish, will make you want to brush up on your French, and book the next flight out.

It is hard to resist the charms of this book. Some people may find the prevailing positivity preposterous; I succumbed to Loomis' upbeat perspective. Some may complain that writings about small town life that do not contain irony are pollyannish; I thought the book was uplifting. Some people may complain about the unedited tone of the book; I felt like I was reading a manuscript from diary entries. For readers who enjoy travel writing, culinary explorations, and relocation tales, "On Rue Tatin" will be diverting and pleasant.

The book relates Loomis' beginning flirtation with French lifestyles as a student of cooking and continues through her permanent move to the country. She describes her initial connections and friendships, the events surrounding homemaking efforts, her pursuit of cookery ideas, and the neighbors amongst whom she becomes ensconced. Her efforts to create a rewarding life are appealing.

The most glaring flaws of the book are related to inadequate (unpresent?) editing. Syntax and continuity problems abound. For me, one of the most jarring difficulties was the author's unexplained shift from vegetarian to hearty carnivore. Nevertheless, many of recipes she presents are wonderful, particularly the Stuffed Tomatoes and the Yogurt Cake. For a foodie and domestic architecture junkie like me, the book was great fun.

This is an absolutely fabulous book for those that love to travel and hear stories from other explorers.
The story of the author's start in France, not speaking the language and falling in love with the land is enough to set you packing for France.
This book is filled with inspiring and intriguing stories about food and the french culture.
It's even great for people who don't consider themselves cooks-I wasn't, but was tempted by the mouth watering descriptions and have started to try some of the recipes.
As you read this book you'll have a feeling of 'being there'.
I recommend this book to anyone

Captivated by Peter Mayles descriptive works on Provence, I was eager for more. Susan Loomis's book did not disappoint. It is a wonderful read that captures the richness of her life in France.

The book begins with Susan arriving in Paris with little money. She begins an apprenticeship at a cooking school. As the book progresses Susan shares her immersion into the French culture and cuisine.

Eventually she marries,and she and her husband purchase a rundown house in Normandy with charming potential. Step by step you walk with Susan as she recounts her experiences making the home a haven for her family.

You experience Susan's delight in her friends and the joy she has relishing the French cuisine. The love and pride Susan has for her husband and small son emanates from the pages. When she gave birth to her second child, I was touched by the outpouring of love from her freinds and felt tears of joy for her!

Throughout the book the pleasures of life in Normandy captivate. And Susan intersperses the text with special recipes such as Braised Chicken in White Wine and Mustard, Tarte Tatin, and Swiss Chard Frittata.

On Rue Tatin is a wonderful book to curl up with!

This is worst book I have ever read about France. It uses a silly fomula to describe how quirky various French characters are, from the butcher to the Baker to the candlestickmaker! Susan Loomis lives her life for her son, her husband and her cooking, but the rose tinted enthusiasm bears no relation whatsoever to the life of anyone normal.

I have no doubt that the author is sincere and enjoys her life in France, but what a dreadful, dreadful book! It is lame, pedestrian and patronising as well as frequently offensive to the French.

Substantively, this is a good book. It communicates well the ethos and richness of that which is France with its emphasis on quality of life and simple joys. It has a nice mix of non fiction story telling with actual cooking recipes that the story motivates you to try. All that makes the book a good read.
It is worth reading for those reasons and I would recommend it (with my stated disclaimer below) despite the comments that follow in the next paragraph which I feel compelled to make given the book's problems.

It is actually pretty amazing that this book got published in its persent form. As another reader noted in his/her review, the writing is mostly like a first draft. The book is poor as any kind of demonstration of writing ability and style. The writing is in bad need of editing: chronic overuse of compound sentences, excessive gushing descriptions, repeated words like "drool" to convey the writer's excitement (e.g., it tasted so good it made us "drool") or phrases like "I was in heaven". The writer almost never sees any real problems in life and at every turn the world is seen as full of charm...like nothing bad could ever happen. The writer, as far as she lets on, has clearly had a charmed life...one "charmed" stage in her life seems to seamlessly transition to the next "charmed" phase...she never dwells on how phenomenal that is (if true) and how lucky she has been compared to others. As a result the writer comes across as self-absorbed, self-centered and certainly unaware! Certainly not what you expect of a good observent writer of any true depth.

Small but not inconspicuous oversights in the book make you question the editorial process, if any, it underwent. A minor problem, for example, appears in a late chapter about a ritual bike ride which the writer and friend take in spring/summer to a local lake. The writer describes how long it takes to take the bike ride and for her to get back home but mathematically the times she describe are impossible.

I still standby the recommendation of the book. I feel, however, I must make this disclaimer: I'm a great lover of France and all that is French. Given this bent and hunger, I was highly motivated. For me at least informational it was useful and feeds a key interest of mine.

Hope that this is helpful to readers and perhaps to the author herself!

A wonderful read about the lives of two Americans and their children creating their lives in Normandy with good food, good friends, and an extraordinary "home improvement" project. The book is complete with tasty recipes and the histories of the recipes.

A few important words of disclosure about this book: From the title, you might expect that this is the story of someone who worked in a french restaurant. It isn't. The author isn't actually a chef--she is an American housewife who writes cookbooks. Also, the author is (or was) a vegitarian and organic food nut who grows her own lettuce so don't expect many stories about duck confit, truffle studded chicken, etc. in the tradition of Peter Mayle.
In fact, this book probably owes its existence to Peter Mayle's success. Unlike Mayle, however, Hermann Loomis seems more interested in writing about herself and her child than France.
The book is not particularly well written (or edited) and almost seems like notes for a book. And I was hoping for a French "Kitchen Confidential". That said, it is pleasant light reading that offers a few insights into life in France. And I'll probably try to one of the dessert recipies.

I loved the descriptions of food and of daily life in a French town. Loomis really makes moving to France sound tempting and not terribly complicated. However, I wondered about their long-term plans, which she didn't discuss in the book: is her family thinking about ever returning to the US? will their children be schooled in the French school system until college or will they go to a bilingual school or international school? I also found it interesting, after a web search, that Loomis has started a cooking school at her home...Overall, I enjoyed this book just as much as "A Year in Provence". The latter is funnier and probably better written, but I preferred On Rue Tatin's focus on cooking and homelife (i.e., what it is like to have a baby in France).

This is a delightful read, interspersed with luscious-sounding recipes. Susan Loomis paints interesting word pictures and conjures up a feeling of warmth and harmony that I found very pleasant. I am looking forward to trying the recipe for her grandmother's rolls, with which she won the hearts of the florists across the street. Enchanting story!

One small quibble: the book could use additional editing, the lack of which can be distracting. If you long to see more photos, visit Susan's web site--it's great!

Susan Loomis is a Ruth Reichl wannabe. Trouble is, she doesn't write as well, nor does she have as interesting a life. Susan is basically an American housewife, living in France with her family (husband and 2 kids, although the second one doesn't make an appearance til the last chapter), renovating an old house and writing cookbooks (now she teaches cooking and wrote this book, but that I learned from her website, not the book). I enjoyed the descriptions of France and some of the recipes seem to be worth trying. However, on a recent trip to France, when I saw "Louviers" on the exit sign, I had no desire to head into town and track down Susan for her autograph. This book was good, but not great.

"On Rue Tatin" will seem like a hybrid of Frances Mayes and Peter Mayle to those familiar with "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "A Year in Provence". It depicts a similar acquisition of a European home and its reconstruction akin to Mayes, albeit with a far more positive attitude, with an embracing of French culture reminiscent of Peter Mayle.

This is a lovely, uplifting book. Loomis describes what seems to be a charmed life does so in a positive, admirable sense. The author does write in a sort of breathless, gushing style that occasionally makes your teeth hurt, and at times describes what sounds like a Martha Stewart type lifestyle. She does not congratulate herself, however, and seems to only want to share her joy over her good fortune. You finish the book both envying and admiring her.

This is another book which will prompt you to forage through the kitchen looking for cheese and a glass of wine and which will make you want to visit France, if not to relocate there.

OK, so the literary world is full of the adventures of intrepid souls who live their lives in foreign countries and then write a book about it. And aren't we grateful for it! Susam Loomis does a lovely job of sharing the trials and tribulations of buying and renovating her home in France, and even her occasional cooking mishaps are enjoyable.

What I enjoy about this book is that Susan has a young child, and this offers a slightly different perspective to other books in this genre (Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence" being the most memorable). As well we have the usual recipes, all sounding delicious, and the day to day amsements and disasters that beset her, all adding up to an enchanting book.