There are any number of books on the subject of Americans in Britain, but this one caught my attention as I had heard of Hay-on-Wye, the book town on the border of Wales. An American by birth but from English parents, Collins moved his wife and young son to Hay-on-Wye from San Francisco. His hope of settling there didn't work out and he ended up moving back to the U.S. but he chronicles his life in England and ties in the events nicely with anecdotes and excerpts from forgotten books. His wit and humor seem at times almost a bit snarky, but he is equally amused by American idiosyncrasies as well as those of the British. It was a pleasant if not engrossing read.

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