Houseboat on the Seine

A charming memoir from one of America’s best-loved novelists, William Wharton, author of war-time classic ‘Birdy’.

Before even penning his first novel, William Wharton had left his home in Los Angeles to live with his family in Paris. On a romantic whim, he makes an offer for houseboat that is, in reality, barely more than a broken wooden hulk. To his surprise, the bid is accepted. Thus begins the story of his family’s work to return the boat to its former glory and build a home for themselves from scratch.

Reviews

‘Houseboat on the Seine’, is a portrait of French life seen through the eyes of one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, as well as a story of a father’s love, wisdom, pride and humour.

‘A warm and moving book’ – Carol Shields, author of ‘The Stone Diaries’

‘This charming memoir gives us literally the nuts and bolts of building a houseboat, along with generous dollops of humour and local colour . . . will satisfy Wharton devotees and Francophiles alike’ – Publishers Weekly

About the author

William Wharton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1925. During the Second World War, Wharton served in the US army, until an injury led to his discharge. In 1978, Wharton’s first novel, ‘Birdy’, was published to critical acclaim. Before his death in 2008, Wharton penned 8 further novels, and 3 memoirs. The most recent memoir, ‘Shrapnel’, was published for the first time in English in 2012.