Once upon a time when I lived in the UK, I belonged to Cambridge Writers and worked on putting my expat pratfalls down on paper. Then, life and kid happened, but after years of being asked, “Have you written a book?”, I’ll now have one to offer later this year. And here’s what it’s all about:
High Tea and the Low Down: An American’s Unfiltered Life in the UK
When American Claire Craig Evans married a charming British man, there was a cost for the snappy banter and countless offers of tea: she had to uproot life as she knew it and relocate to the UK.
Who wouldn’t want to move to an enchanted island where mysterious women with dewy complexions made jam in thatched cottages with millennia-old lichen attached?
Sure, experienced American expats offered nuggets of wisdom (“Bring over a lifetime supply of taco seasoning!”) but they weren’t even mild comfort as Claire tried to avoid death, jail, and wayward sheep while learning to navigate zebra crossings and drive on the “wrong” side of the road. The allure of a jet-setter lifestyle vanished as fast as Air India sent her Samsonite to Delhi instead of London Heathrow. Would more tea help her figure out how long she’d been wearing the single pair of underwear in her possession? (That was the jetlag talking. They do have underwear in the UK, too.)
Appealing to fans of Bill Bryson and Bridget Jones alike, High Tea and the Low Down is a keenly-observed memoir full of laugh-out-loud moments as Claire experiences the reality of English living. If she couldn’t even pass a pub quiz, how would she ever pass the infamous Life in the UK test, the high-stakes hurdle required to stay on British soil (and with her husband) indefinitely?
Where can I pre-order?!
I am just starting to get the word out, so pre-orders aren’t set up yet. If you join the update by email list, I’ll let people know when that’s ready to go. Thanks!
I became a fan of Mary Anning because of you and enjoyed your presentation about James Herriot last night. I am a writer and an educator as well as a bibliophile, so does that make us kindred spirits? I am looking forward to your book.
I certainly think so! I will send out updates as I have them to the email list. I’m about to send the book to my editor.
So exciting to read about this – sounds fabulous! Can’t wait for all the details!