A YEAR IN A FRENCH LIFE: Volume Two (FRENCH WORD-A-DAY COLLECTED STORIES)

One year. One family. Countless small moments that quietly change everything.
In the South of France—and far beyond—life unfolds with humor, heart, and grace.

A Year in a French Life: Volume Two continues the beloved journey—one season, one story, one beautifully ordinary moment at a time.

In this second volume, award-winning author and longtime chronicler of French life Kristin Espinasse invites readers back into her sunlit corner of Provence, where daily routines unfold alongside profound transitions. As her Franco-American family moves through another year, life expands outward—to Paris, Seattle, Brooklyn, and beyond—while remaining rooted in the rhythms of the South of France.

Through a series of warm, candid, and often humorous essays, Kristi reflects on caregiving and independence, marriage and time apart, motherhood and letting go, creative doubt and hard-won clarity. From a life-altering moment of grace in a village street, to her daughter’s changing path, to her husband’s travels as a winemaker abroad, these stories reveal how quickly life can tilt—and how gently it can right itself again. In the second half of the book, her daughter, Jackie, contributes essays that extend the family story through her own lens.

Woven throughout are the French words and expressions readers love, each one opening a small window onto culture, connection, and meaning. Featuring more than 250 color photographs and grounded in everyday moments—shared meals, seaside walks, family gatherings—this book celebrates the beauty of paying attention.

Perfect for readers who cherished Volume One, as well as newcomers drawn to France, language, or intimate life writing, A Year in a French Life: Volume Two is an invitation to slow down, look closer, and find grace in the ordinary—wherever you call home.