How many people do you know who studied French in school or spent a year abroad in college but now regret losing the language they once loved? Maybe you're one of them. Your eyes stay glued to the subtitles during a French film. Classes seem scary, expensive, or both. A week in Paris, let alone a year in Provence, seems beyond reach. So what could keep your fervor for language alive or reignite it after such a long hiatus?

In The Heart of an Artichoke, Linda Phillips Ashour and Claire Lerognon take an improvised and informal approach to learning that will reawaken readers' passion for French. This spirited exploration of language, literature, and culture mixes the task-based approach with piecemeal learning for an unconventional alternative to classroom instruction.