Posting a Diplomatic Bag

This is the personal story of a diplomat’s wife which spans a thirty-five year period from the start of her husband’s career as the most junior member of an embassy’s staff ending many years later as an Ambassador.

This is told from the wife's point of view, writing with insight and humour about the funny and not so funny situations that occurred during their postings from deeply, chillingly, communist Bulgaria to dangerous, unpredictable, West Africa and places in-between. This book should make you laugh but also dispel some of the myths that a diplomat’s life is one long round of glamour and privilege. This wife learned along the way how to survive moving every two to five years, disbanding one home only to set up another in a new country, how to raise a family, manage servants, cultures, and climates and to survive the ultimate horror of the All French Dinner Party….To any young woman who has chosen to go with her husband or partner to live overseas, this book is a ‘must’ to read.

I enjoyed this book a RIDICULOUS amount, - so much that it is our December book club pick and my mom is having it at HER book club in February. (Dear #matadorbooks that is a total of 44 copies sold!!!) Jane's writing style is easy and breezy and the pages flew by and I LOVE IT when there is a photo of an author (weird, but true) and this book had photos from her postings as well. Anyone who likes to travel would enjoy this book as would students of history (when it comes to iron curtain countries). I would hope to think that everyone would love this book ... and I thank Mrs. Bulger for that. I even did some librarian-type digging and found this charming blog post - https://blogs.fco.gov.uk/britishembassysofia/2014/04/10/to-food-with-love/ . Thank you for an enjoyable evening, Jane!!!