The Spark of Personal Linguistic Destiny

Louis begins his journey as a restless twelve-year-old in the vast, flat cornfields of Illinois, feeling a quiet disconnect from his reliable but small world. The arrival of Madame Dubois, an elegant French teacher, ignites an irrational obsession with a world he has never seen. This memoir follows his transformation from a farm boy whispering French to his reflection into a distinguished professor of linguistics. The narrative spans the rugged coast of Brittany, the academic halls of Paris, and the stark beauty of the Nevada desert. Along the way, Louis navigates the painful gap between romanticized dreams and the 'Tuesday reality' of domestic life and academic rigor. His journey is not just about mastering a language, but about finding a 'both'-a synthesis of his American roots and his French soul. Ultimately, the story culminates in Las Vegas, where Louis finds his truest vocation: passing the spark of language to his students and building a family that communicates through Lego bricks and sign language

Pagina's: 242, Paperback, Independently published