The Duck with a Dirty Laugh: More family adventures in rural France (St Paradis Series Book 2)

The second book in the St Paradis trilogy, this much-requested sequel to the acclaimed "A Bull by the Back Door" continues the story of the Loader family in rural France. Renovations to their old stone farmhouse in the depths of the countryside are going well but slowly, as they tackle every aspect of the work themselves.



They have promised the spirit of the former owner that they will bring the place back to life but not change its character. She still seems to be with them as they get busy installing electricity, plumbing and drains, and doing the decorating. Old friendships prosper and new ones are made.



Just when it seems everything is perfect, tragedy strikes at home in England and they face a period when just ‘hanging on and surviving’ is the simple goal. Their first test at St Paradis is coping with the coldest weather in Europe for a century: it’s -12ºC outside and 1.6ºC in the kitchen, the water is frozen, it’s snowing hard and everyone in the hamlet is ill...



The book covers happier times too, of course, and introduces new characters, both animal and human. We meet the dogs of the hamlet, including the cheeky Milord who regularly sneaks into the kitchen to make his mark with a quick pee, the sad mule with a sore head, and The Duck with a Dirty Laugh who tells rude jokes to his friends on the pond.



Reviews:



"...Anne does a wonderful job of evoking the mood and terrain (around St Paradis)... like the Duck, you'll develop a laugh" - Living France



"Anne's gentle and humorous observations of life in a quiet rural backwater caught the imagination of readers who besieged her for more" - Northwich Chronicle