The title of the book Smithereens captures the grief caused by the death of Sharon, the author-s best friend. However, this is no misery memoir. In essence, it-s about wringing the most out of our short lives!
This book is intended to be complementary to Basia Gordon-s first published memoir - From the River to the Sea: Aquitaine, A Place for Me. It is though not necessary to have read the earlier volume as it can be enjoyed on a stand-alone basis. It covers events in 2021 and 2022, but flits back and forth during this period. Both books are fresh, vivid, life-affirming and on the quirky side with plenty of laugh-out loud moments.
Both volumes of memoirs feature the same characters and follow the same structure. They have many themes in common: house renovation, linguistic limbering in French and the Scottish vernacular, the realities of Brexit, political activism, local history, nature, literature, friendship, food and wine. In this vo
