Trials & Truffles

“Refreshingly Pure and Endearing” (The BookLife Prize)

Chicagoans Todd and Jim embarked upon a grand adventure, an open-ended transfer to Brussels. For Jim, the expat posting fulfilled a professional dream. For Todd, a former global airline executive grappling to reinvent himself as a writer, the move from his family home meant more uprooting.

Along with exciting escapades, their new life brought a succession of unexpected trials. The transplanted couple struggled to establish new roots. Isolation pushed Todd into depression. Office politics blindsided Jim. Even Sadie, their golden retriever, encountered strange new creatures—exotic snails and a precocious cat. Love, patience, and humor sustained them. Survival seemed within reach. But changing circumstances threatened to uproot them yet again.

Seasoned with blogs covering a broad array of topics posted during their residency, the memoir transports readers to Europe, showcasing the realities of expat life and the true meaning of home.