A Breath of French Air by H. E. Bates Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): And so at the end of a rainy English August the Larkins – all ten of them, including little Oscar, the family’s new addition – bundle into the old Rolls and cross the Channel to escape the hostile elements. But far from being the balmy, sunny and perfick spot Ma Larkin hoped for, France proves less than welcoming to an eccentric English family. The tea’s weak, the furniture breakable and the hotel manager is almost as hostile as the wind and the rain they’ve brought with them! And when the manager learns that Ma and Pop are unmarried yet sharing a room under his roof, the trouble really begins … Review: After enjoying The Darling Buds of May yesterday, I couldn't resist buying the sequel today. The Larkins decamp to Brittany for a holiday, and find their hotel rather dilapidated, the food disappointing, the bar almost non-existent and even the weather letting them down. Gradually, the fortunes of the holiday turn around, new friends are made, old friends are met, and everyone has a lovely time. Again, not much happens, but the gentle affection for the family and the period made me nostalgic for a time before I was born! Lovely escapism for my first book of the year.