A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light
288
A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light
288Paperback
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Overview
“My time in Paris,” says New York Times–bestselling author Paula McLain (The Paris Wife), “was like no one else’s ever.” For each of the eighteen bestselling authors in this warm, inspiring, and charming collection of personal essays on the City of Light, nothing could be more true.
While all of the women writers featured here have written books connected to Paris, their personal stories of the city are wildly different. Meg Waite Clayton (The Race for Paris) and M. J. Rose (The Book of Lost Fragrances) share the romantic secrets that have made Paris the destination for lovers for hundreds of years. Susan Vreeland (The Girl in Hyacinth Blue) and J. Courtney Sullivan (The Engagements) peek behind the stereotype of snobbish Parisians to show us the genuine kindness of real people.
From book club favorites Paula McLain, Therese Anne Fowler (Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald), and anthology editor Eleanor Brown (The Light of Paris) to mystery writer Cara Black (Murder in the Marais), historical author Lauren Willig (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation), and memoirist Julie Powell (Julie and Julia), these Parisian memoirs range from laugh-out-loud funny to wistfully romantic to thoughtfully somber and reflective.
Perfect for armchair travelers and veterans of Parisian pilgrimages alike, readers will delight in these brand-new tales from their most beloved authors.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780399574474 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 07/04/2017 |
| Pages: | 288 |
| Sales rank: | 520,078 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a French Woman
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "A Paris All Your Own"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Eleanor Brown.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction Eleanor Brown xi
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a French Woman J. Courtney Sullivan 1
Too Much Paris Michelle Gable 18
Paris Is Your Mistress Ellen Sussman 41
A Myth, a Museum, and a Man Susan Vreeland 51
French for "Intrepid" Megan Crane 67
Paris, Lost and Found Paula McLain 77
Failing at Paris Eleanor Brown 88
The Passion of Routine Jennifer L. Scott 105
Investigating Paris Cara Black 114
My Paris Dreams M.J. Rose 128
We'll Never Have Paris Jennifer Coburn 147
Reading Paris Cathy Kelly 169
Finding Paris's Hidden Past Rachel Hore 182
Secret Eatings Julie Powell 195
Until We Meet Again Lauren Willig 208
A Good Idea? Therese Anne Fowler 221
Paris Alone Maggie Shipstead 231
Thirty-Four Things You Should Know About Paris Meg Waite Clayton 247
Thanks to … 263
Reading Group Guide
1. In the introduction, Eleanor Brown asks, “Why do we love writing—and reading—stories about Paris?” How would you answer this question after reading the collection?
2. Did you connect with certain essays more than others? Which ones? Why do you think that is?
3. Discuss the various stereotypes of Paris and Parisians that are mentioned (and often broken down) in A Paris All Your Own. Where did these stereotypes come from? Do they feel accurate?
4. Discuss the experience of reading a compilation of many different authors as opposed to reading from one point of view. Was it challenging? Surprising?
5. Why are we as readers drawn to “armchair travel”? What is your favorite aspect of travel writing?
6. Many of the essays contrast the Paris of the imagination with the reality of life in the city. Did your perception of Paris change after you read A Paris All Your Own? If so, how did it change?
7. In what ways does history and the power of the past affect both the city itself and the authors who write about it?
8. Compare and contrast your favorite essays. How did the individual experiences of the city differ? Was there one overwhelming similarity that connected them?
9. Many of the essayists connect their time in Paris with a certain phase of their life—marriage, motherhood, studying abroad, falling in love. Why do you think this is the case?
10. What would your perfect trip to Paris look like? How does your vision compare to the authors’ experiences?