Paris In Love

Last weekend I took my girls to see The Lorax at the local dollar theatre. I am just not a big fan of Dr. Seuss (yes, I know I'm in the minority). I was not the excited about the movie, and since my brother helpfully downloaded the kindle app onto my phone and I always have tons of book waiting to be read on it, I spent the entire movie happily reading away. It did help that I was in the back row of the theatre so the lit up screen on my phone didn't bother anyone else.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James is a memoir I was waiting to read; I continue to see positive reviews of it wherever it is mentioned. Having just finished Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman, a non-fiction look at French parenting, I was still in the mood for a little more of France.

James and her family move to Paris for a year after her breast cancer treatment is finished. She and her husband are both able to take time away from work, although James, a romance novelist (think bodice rippers)has a career she can still engage in from afar. Her children adjust to life in France, making new friends, adjusting to French school, and learning a new language. Paris in Love is a memoir extolling the virtues of the City of Light. James visits various restaurants, shops, and areas of the country that the only regret I have about this book is my lack of personal experience in France. Reading about her experiences makes me wish that I, too, could spend a year in a different country learning firsthand about the things that make it enjoyable and unique.

James is an entertaining writer. She pokes a bit of fun at herself and comes across as a reliable narrator- able to share her children's strengths and a few flaws.

Paris in Love was just as enjoyable as I have been told. A great memoir for armchair travelers as well as memoir readers.