Ostensibly about a Scottish couple renovating a crumbling farmhouse in Aquitaine that's been in the family for generations on a shoestring budget, this book is really a quirky memoir covering far more than just the renovation.

From considering mud, Brexit, ducks, football, political activism, local history, hunters, Polish heritage, wine, food, riot police, hiking in Majorca, visits to the Solidarity shipyards in Poland and the Great Wall of China, Basia's joie de vivre, sweeps readers along.

Anyone looking for a joyous escape will relish From the River to the Sea, Basia Gordon's stroll down memory lane, all intertwined with moments of poignancy, laughter and tragedy.