A stroll down memoir lane

On writing a real life story

One lives in the hope of becoming a memory. - Antonio Porchia

I’m writing a hotel memoir.

I’ve read dozens of memoirs over the last dozen years, memoirs written by food bloggers, cookbook authors, food journalists, or chefs, and memoirs written by women - it’s mostly women, mostly American women - who have suddenly packed a suitcase or two, picked up, and moved to Europe, mostly France or Italy, to start a new life. Reading these books comes with the territory of being a food blogger and writer. And, of course, since I, an American woman, suddenly packed a couple of suitcases, picked up, and moved to France (and Italy) myself, I just had to see how other people - yes, yes, women, American women - were telling the story of their own similar experiences.