Clancy Goes To France: A Mother and Young Daughter Take on a 3,000 Mile Road Trip in Continental Europe in a Vintage Car (Travels With Lola On The Back Roads Book 1)

The richly detailed beauty of France unfolds along the back roads as single mum Emma and three-year-old Lola embark upon a remarkable road trip in honour of her father. The journey, which begins as a fundraising challenge in aid of Multiple Sclerosis, is testament to the reliability of Clancy, a Peugeot 504 with a colourful history of traversing hundreds of thousands of miles in extreme conditions. Blending a mother's devotion to her loved ones and the thrill of the open road, Clancy Goes to France is an inspiring story of how life should be about shared experiences and the appreciation of simple pleasures. This travel memoir celebrates the lessons passed on from parent to child and illustrates how a love of travel binds the generations of a family. The story lends itself as a travel guide to France's most alluring destinations and includes wonderful descriptions of the places they meandered through. The delightful writing about The Loire, Provence, Aquitaine and the Pyrenees allows you to experience the stunning scenery and culture in each region, letting your imagination conjure images and feelings that you are perhaps joining them, a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

What People Are Saying About Clancy Goes To France
Janis Winehouse (mother of singer Amy Winehouse) - Janis suffers with MS
"......Emma’s journey with the love for her father and a car is so inspiring and heart-warming. I must meet Clancy...!"

An Interview With The Author

It’s very obvious that travelling in France is a passion you have inherited from your father but what inspired you to write the book?

That’s an easy one - my father and my daughter are my inspiration and this is a great opportunity to raise money and awareness for MS. My father loves France and took many road trips when his health was better and whilst the book is largely there and I write about the places we visited with a passion, it is not the underlying theme. It was written at a time where I realised how fragile life is and the message is to enjoy every moment. There are plenty of travel memoirs out there but I wanted to share my unique experience with my father when he was unable to join us, through my own words.

What authors do you enjoy to read yourself? Is it mostly travel writing or broader?

If I am honest, I don’t read much at the moment - my time is filled with being a single mum and writing whenever I can. That said, I love the A Year In Provence books by Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson is great! I have been known to read their works multiple times if I have writers block - they seem to give me a boost!
Overall, if I can find an inspiring travel book I will read it and I am also drawn to non-fiction reference books about history and culture. I'm currently reading a book about ancient civilisations across Continental Europe with Lola which is great! It ticks all my boxes.

In your book and on your website it’s very clear to see that you place huge value on the mother and daughter relationship you have with Lola. Do you have anything special to share with those who are also single parents?

It's about all parent and child relationships - not just single ones! As far as I’m concerned we all have choices. It comes down to priorities and for me I just don’t want to waste the time I have with my loved ones. I have chosen to live a simple life in order to enjoy the privilege of more time with both Lola and the rest of the family.

I hope people will finish the book understanding that this story is written primarily for my father - I wear my heart on my sleeve throughout and all profits are to be donated to the MS Society.