What happens when a confident, successful American attorney—a former prosecutor, judge, and law professor—lands an internship with a British barrister and moves his family to England? He meets his match in the person of Barrister Giles Adams-Smyth. With the wry humor reminiscent of Bill Bryson, our narrator recounts his initial impression that “I was about to become a small planet, captured by the gravitational pull of a much larger planet, and soon I would become a satellite circling planet Giles.” Used to being in charge, our narrator suddenly feels like a novice as he delves into the differences between the British and American justice systems, debating the merits of each. Larded with descriptions of travel, food, and customs, the book conveys the joy of renewal that comes when one is taken far outside one’s comfort zone. But at its heart, this is a story of mentorship and mortality. As Giles’s health fades, professional collaboration gives way to deeper reflection on loyalty, legacy, and the cost of a life spent in the law. Smart, humane, and quietly funny, An American Yankee in King Alfred’s Court will appeal to readers of memoir, literary nonfiction, and reflective travel writing.