French Landing

A French Woman's Journey to Her American Dream

By: Elisabeth Bykoff

Narrated by: Elisabeth Bykoff

When you speak English with barely an accent, it’s hard for most people to believe that you were born in France. But Elisabeth Bykoff spent the first twenty-two years of her life there, raised in the French culture on a diet of American pop movies, TV, and music.

Elisabeth’s love for American movies led her to dream of making them herself in Hollywood, building her American dream full of romance, prosperity, and a fulfilling career. But sitting on the carpeted floor in the Minneapolis airport—or maybe Detroit—on her way to Seattle to finish her Aerospace Engineering degree, Elisabeth realized the American dream might look a little different than she’d anticipated. But is that necessarily a bad thing?

From Washington to California to New York and now, Texas, Elisabeth shares stories and thoughts from her twenty years navigating the United States, revealing the contradictions, the moments of awe, and the complexities that make America what it is. In French Landing, Elisabeth lends a fresh, French perspective on the American way of life.

©2025 Elisabeth Bykoff (P)2025 Elisabeth Bykoff