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French Dive: Living More with Less in the South of France
In the fall of 2014, educators Eric and Rixa Freeze moved with their young family to Old Nice, a medieval town-within-a-city on the famed Côte d’Azur. They’d bought a 700-square-foot dive, an apartment in need of renovation just a couple blocks from the Mediterranean.
They were a family with a to live differently. No home in the suburbs with a two-car garage, no bedroom for every child, no 24-hour Walmart.
Carefully researched and vividly written, French Dive chronicles the Freeze family’s integration into a culture where large families aren’t all treated alike. What they find—spearfishing for food, renting their car to strangers, fixing and selling old furniture from the garbage depot—is that a city gives back the more you give to it.
Morally complex and unflinching in its analysis of contemporary life and the things that keep human beings apart, Freeze tackles racism, homelessness, art, reality TV, social media, and parenting with wit and humor. Along the way he and his family learn what it means to be a neighbor, a member of a community, and a global citizen, how to treat others with empathy and understanding as they try to carve out a place in this world.
They were a family with a to live differently. No home in the suburbs with a two-car garage, no bedroom for every child, no 24-hour Walmart.
Carefully researched and vividly written, French Dive chronicles the Freeze family’s integration into a culture where large families aren’t all treated alike. What they find—spearfishing for food, renting their car to strangers, fixing and selling old furniture from the garbage depot—is that a city gives back the more you give to it.
Morally complex and unflinching in its analysis of contemporary life and the things that keep human beings apart, Freeze tackles racism, homelessness, art, reality TV, social media, and parenting with wit and humor. Along the way he and his family learn what it means to be a neighbor, a member of a community, and a global citizen, how to treat others with empathy and understanding as they try to carve out a place in this world.
- GenresMemoir
284 pages, Paperback
Published November 23, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 25, 2021
Didn’t want it to end!
I enjoyed this glimpse into the experiences of Eric and his family. I thoroughly enjoyed the times he shared his inner thoughts in situations. This was an easy, enjoyable read. I was very sad to reach the final page.
I enjoyed this glimpse into the experiences of Eric and his family. I thoroughly enjoyed the times he shared his inner thoughts in situations. This was an easy, enjoyable read. I was very sad to reach the final page.
April 11, 2021
This was an engaging read for my beach vacation, filled with nuance, knowledge and surprise. I appreciated Freeze’s candor in moments where it would have been easy for him to be less forthcoming (ie, embarrassing situations or ones where he could have used his creative license to glamorize or embellish,) his straightforward look at privilege and race, and his lyrical descriptions of a place that he recognizes as flawed, but obviously loves. I was thankful to have a little French in my background, because there is quite a bit peppered through the pages, but most of it is explained or discernible in context. Overall, an interesting and informative read that can appeal to many different readers.
January 19, 2021
I just hope the Freeze family didn't have to stay in that tiny apartment during the Covid lockdown. Mostly, I liked the story and the writing, but the author came off as a bit sanctimonious. I was glad he was able to examine his own prejudices and his carelessness and selfishness when he took big risks spearfishing in dangerous conditions. I hope someday his eldest daughter writes her own memoir about living in sardine-can conditions in downtown Nice. It would be nice to hear about it from her perspective.
July 3, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. A memoir about a family with young kids spending a sabbatical year in France sounds like a dream. And it’s beautifully written, truly. He’s a skilled writer. But a few things just really bothered me and I feel like in some ways, given his writing skills, feel very sloppy.
I felt like the book couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. Is it a series of short essays/vignettes? Is it a narrative? It went back and forth, and there was definitely a plot so to speak, (I still want to know if they got the apartment downstairs! Did his daughter ever find a friend and fit in at school?), and it was mostly chronological, except when it wasn’t. Many of the contemplative chapters/vignettes were well-thought out, but some weren’t, stopping short of really delving into the intricacies of the Niçois culture. In many cases it felt shallow (they found their way into an elite soccer club; where’s the deep dive into the French’s adoration of soccer?). Or worse, arrogantly speaking down to the reader and about the French. What happened to an author leading readers to a conclusion, instead of beating them over the head with it, which is what the author seemed to do on occasion. Especially aggravating were the chapters on racism, particularly the first, which involved an academic conversation the Freezes had with visiting family, which felt very forced. I found the comments on racism to take on a lecturing tone, which I’m sure comes naturally to an English professor, and it felt like racism was really the central theme the author wanted to focus on, coming up again and again throughout. I know it’s in vogue to examine your own privilege and acknowledge how you can be better, but I expected to read about the family’s experiences, not self-reflection on race and privilege. It wasn’t an overly long book; he could have expanded it and gone into more detail in a lot of areas without making it overly long.
I love France and looked forward to a family’s perspective on living in France. What I got was a narrative that in some ways was unresolved and which berated the French for their racism, the self-acknowledged privileged author at once claiming to adore the French culture and striving to assimilate while simultaneously bemoaning the backwardness of the people he encountered. How can a person at once claim to adore the culture and want to assimilate while also claiming those French that want to protect the culture the author is so enamored with are uneducated racists who are protecting something that’s not even real? Another reviewer said the author is sanctimonious and that’s really a perfect word for this book.
Three stars because the writing is beautiful, but I would not recommend nor re-read, and I likely won’t pursue his other works.
I felt like the book couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. Is it a series of short essays/vignettes? Is it a narrative? It went back and forth, and there was definitely a plot so to speak, (I still want to know if they got the apartment downstairs! Did his daughter ever find a friend and fit in at school?), and it was mostly chronological, except when it wasn’t. Many of the contemplative chapters/vignettes were well-thought out, but some weren’t, stopping short of really delving into the intricacies of the Niçois culture. In many cases it felt shallow (they found their way into an elite soccer club; where’s the deep dive into the French’s adoration of soccer?). Or worse, arrogantly speaking down to the reader and about the French. What happened to an author leading readers to a conclusion, instead of beating them over the head with it, which is what the author seemed to do on occasion. Especially aggravating were the chapters on racism, particularly the first, which involved an academic conversation the Freezes had with visiting family, which felt very forced. I found the comments on racism to take on a lecturing tone, which I’m sure comes naturally to an English professor, and it felt like racism was really the central theme the author wanted to focus on, coming up again and again throughout. I know it’s in vogue to examine your own privilege and acknowledge how you can be better, but I expected to read about the family’s experiences, not self-reflection on race and privilege. It wasn’t an overly long book; he could have expanded it and gone into more detail in a lot of areas without making it overly long.
I love France and looked forward to a family’s perspective on living in France. What I got was a narrative that in some ways was unresolved and which berated the French for their racism, the self-acknowledged privileged author at once claiming to adore the French culture and striving to assimilate while simultaneously bemoaning the backwardness of the people he encountered. How can a person at once claim to adore the culture and want to assimilate while also claiming those French that want to protect the culture the author is so enamored with are uneducated racists who are protecting something that’s not even real? Another reviewer said the author is sanctimonious and that’s really a perfect word for this book.
Three stars because the writing is beautiful, but I would not recommend nor re-read, and I likely won’t pursue his other works.
December 6, 2022
Eric Freeze’s French Dive, illustrates a family uprooting their lives to live in a tiny apartment in the South of France. Eric FReeze tells the story of his family’s journey in a way that is brutally honest and magically heartfelt. He describes the uncertainty of moving to another country and the challenges that that entails. I absolutely loved this book and I felt completely engulfed in places I have never visited but now I feel I know. I especially loved how instead of romanticizing the french setting and cultures, Freeze focused on the people he met while he was there. From mysterious swimmers to taxi drivers to artists to helpX workers, each individual has a unique story that is honest and without embellishments or exaggeration. I also love Eric FReeze’s style of writing. His prose is straightforward and simple without sacrificing his beautiful descriptions. I especially liked his chapter, Nice Life on a Budget, where he briefly writes about his thoughts on writing on a subject that so many others had already written about before him. Just like he hopes in this chapter his writing is new and unique compared to the vast sea of art referencing the South of France. I also loved the chapter about the lost GoPro camera. The storytelling was incredibly engaging. To me, it felt as if I was watching someone solve a mystery or unearth a crime in real time and I was waiting on the edge of my seat for the resolution. Even though there was no clear resolution to what happened to the woman or what happened there in the water, I was satisfied with how he ended the chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2022
In Eric Freeze's book, French Dive: Living More With Less in the South of France, he took me (and I am sure that he can take you along as well) on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to visit Nice, France. In his book, Eric Freeze opens us up to a new perspective of his own journey in a new chapter of his life, he shows us a new (to me at least) culture in the south of France, and takes us exploring under the ocean waves.
As a poor American college student, I never experienced what it is like across the pond, but now after reading French Dive I feel as if I experienced a bit of what Eric Freeze did. And that is because Eric Freeze has a gift at writing in the details. He doesn't just write about the obvious things that one would look at or look for, he writes about the garbage strewn across the beach, he writes about the glistening sunlight in the water, and he writes about the anxious fear for some mystery girl.
In a live reading that I had the opportunity to attend, he told those of us in attendance that something that he does in order to help write all those details and make each scene feel like a new experience was that he interrogates himself. I don't know if that will work for me, but it certainly worked for him. Eric Freeze has probably dived in the ocean in Nice, France dozens of times, but when he writes about his experience in his book, his writing pulls out a sense of wonder and excitement.
As a poor American college student, I never experienced what it is like across the pond, but now after reading French Dive I feel as if I experienced a bit of what Eric Freeze did. And that is because Eric Freeze has a gift at writing in the details. He doesn't just write about the obvious things that one would look at or look for, he writes about the garbage strewn across the beach, he writes about the glistening sunlight in the water, and he writes about the anxious fear for some mystery girl.
In a live reading that I had the opportunity to attend, he told those of us in attendance that something that he does in order to help write all those details and make each scene feel like a new experience was that he interrogates himself. I don't know if that will work for me, but it certainly worked for him. Eric Freeze has probably dived in the ocean in Nice, France dozens of times, but when he writes about his experience in his book, his writing pulls out a sense of wonder and excitement.
September 21, 2023
Intriguing culmination of Old Nice history, American family adventure, complete apartment renovation, spear fishing expeditions, and insights into the French language and culture. This book is full of dips, twists and turns. A brave American family takes a leap of faith to immerse their children into the French lifestyle. The story is rich with details of Old Nice (France) history, local ways of life, family dynamics, and home renovation. The author and his family (wife and 4 young children) graciously share their small space with strangers, family, friends, and a film crew to create the opportunity of a lifetime for their kids! Outstanding example of resilience, family, sacrifice and love. Hopefully there are updates to come on everything transpiring!
September 11, 2023
What an interesting journey to read about. The Freeze family was brave and adventurous to pack up and move to Nice. I would have loved to have seen photos of their apartment renovation but I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for photos. The fishing stories were great. I have to admire them for sticking to a budget!
October 29, 2021
Wonderful drive and compassion
I love the whole story line with the moving the family to Nice and how international travel can increase cultural awareness. I just felt the story dragged on in the end.
I love the whole story line with the moving the family to Nice and how international travel can increase cultural awareness. I just felt the story dragged on in the end.
November 19, 2021
An Enjoyable Read
Eric Freeze invites you into his world as a thoughtful writer, adoring father and husband, spear-fisher, and home renovator immersing himself and his family in French culture.
Eric Freeze invites you into his world as a thoughtful writer, adoring father and husband, spear-fisher, and home renovator immersing himself and his family in French culture.
May 11, 2023
It's not easy to make the expat memoir new, but I think Eric Freeze has done it with FRENCH DIVE. The book avoids cliché and has integrity and guts. I discuss it more here: https://youtu.be/ZDp4vlZj_4Y
November 18, 2023
An interesting story of a family that moves to Nice, France for a year. Enjoyed hearing some of the trials and joys of moving abroad with 4 small children living in a 700 square foot apartment. WOW!
June 1, 2021
I was so touched by how this memoir ended. As a dad, so much of what Freeze writes resonates, but I can't imagine disrupting my stereotypical and privileged American life for this kind of adventure. This is the Freeze family, anchored by parents who take their kids from Indiana to the south of France and create their home, albeit quite cramped, within the iconic Cote d'Azur setting of Old Nice. Parental risks are taken, both below and above the water, some are even selfish, budgets are tight and restrictive in what could be viewed as ironic with the backdrop of the touristy Riviera. What you'll read is a brutally honest memoir that illustrates memories aren't just wrapped up in the location and setting, it's the people, the friends you make and the neighbors you help along the way. Touched.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews