If any of you own a holiday home that you rent out to guests, you might laugh knowingly at some of the real life ups and downs recounted by Susie Kelly in Swallows and Robins.
The vision
It all sounded idyllic, exciting.
Putting some inheritance money to good use by escaping the UK to set up a holiday rental abroad in a remote part of rural France surrounded by trees, nature and sunflower fields. Freedom.
Susie does it all by herself while her husband is still back in the UK working.
The reality
Dodgy builders, kind furniture suppliers, eccentric guests, and seemingly spoilt – having had a ‘servant’ in her younger years whilst living in Kenya, and known to possess a lack of domestic skills, with a hatred for cleaning, to the point of tears – what could go wrong!
Susie: “There is some deep psychological hang up which causes me immense stress when faced with a vacuum cleaner, duster and cleaning products. My heart beat increases, my head starts to spin. I feel panicky and totally incompetent.”
Now I’m not being funny, but that sounds a tad extreme. There are far more ‘immense-stress’ worthy things in life, surely! Unless cleaning is linked to some deep rooted traumatic childhood experience she had – perhaps! Anyway….
She even dedicates the book to “everyone who hates housework”.
Throughout the years she welcomes a variety of holiday-makers, each with their own quirks and oddities. Some were a nightmare, and others became life-long friends.
Over a four year span, Susie grows particularly fond of some of her guests, and very happy to see the back of others.
Never a dull moment.
I did wonder whether her husband ever came out to visit – didn’t sound like he was really involved in any of it. 🤔
Verdict
If you fancy an armchair trip to rural France for a fly on the wall account of making it as a holiday let landlord/lady and host – Swallows and Robins might be worth a read. You’ll smile and smirk throughout.
This one’s staying firmly on the shelf.
junedesilva
I think I would enjoy this book very much indeed! Thanks for the heads up.
Cherryl
🤗💫
Liz Dexter
This sounds fun – I do have a weakness for books about running hotels and the like, and a small collection of them – and books about moving country.
Cherryl
It’s definitely a fun read, these sorts of books appeal to me too, I’ve read a few about hotels come to think of it (might make a good future blog post!!). Maybe it’s because they indulge us in things that interest us 🔆
100 Country Trek
This would be a great read.thanks
Cherryl
Definitely a good one💫
vinneve
Looks like a good read alright.
Cherryl
👌✨
booksandbakes1
Aw I love this sound of this one. X
Cherryl
😊 It’s a good one
Cherryl
😊📖
NattyTravels
I don’t really read many books, but I quite like the sound of this one. Sounds like a good read 👍🏾
Cherryl
I think you’ll enjoy it – and it’s not to heavy-going either 😊