Born near the red sand dunes of the Kalahari, PEARL HARRIS lived most of her life in South Africa, before taking the drastic step of relocating to the Czech Republic. "Czechoslovakia? Isn't that Communist?" "Isn't there a war going on over there?" were just some of the comments she had to grin and bear before leaving South Africa at the beginning of 2002. At an age when most are enjoying retirement, departing from the comfort zone of family and friends to a new home and career in a country with an unintelligible language and culture and climate far removed from her own, proved a challenge to be faced head-on by this descendant of another British pioneer. Pearl's account of those first difficult years as an immigrant in a small Czech village will have you laughing out loud. This is an essential read for anyone contemplating emigration, as well as for the reader relaxing in the comfort of a familiar armchair to breathe a thankful sigh for not having chosen this tortuous path