Valerie Barnes has lived an extraordinary life. Now based in NSW, she was born in England and moved to Switzerland after World War II in order to join the then-fledgling UN as a translator. Her career path then took her on a lifetime of adventure: a French husband; a Polish lover; and travel to every corner of the world to work, to meet extraordinary people and to visit exotic places long before they became popular tourist destinations. This book is firmly pitched at the sort of female reader market that revels in the escapism of Almost French and its ilk, which makes its July release date rather odd, it’s not a Father’s Day title by any stretch. However, compared to the now ubiquitous Almost French, it lacks that book’s passion and drama. While there is lots of action and material, for this reader Barnes’ tale lacked the grip that really good storytelling would have brought to the amazing events of the author’s life. It is an enjoyable read and one which I can imagine finding a large market and good media, but sadly lacks the spirit to lift it above its companions on a crowded bookshelf.

Eliza Metcalfe is AB&P’s editorial coordinator

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