A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light

by Eleanor Brown Narrated by Kimberly Farr, Cassandra Campbell, Susan Denaker, Various

Overview

A collection of all-new Paris-themed essays written by some of the biggest names in women's fiction, including Paula McLain, Therese Anne Fowler, Maggie Shipstead, and Lauren Willig, edited by Eleanor Brown, the New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters and The Light of Paris.
 
"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.


Read by Kimberly Farr, Cassandra Campbell, Susan Denaker, Emily Rankin, and Alana Kerr Collins

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile

Eighteen bestselling female authors share their personal experiences in and connections to the City of Light in this collection of essays, performed alternately by five narrators. Together, the stories reveal the many faces of Paris, from crusty baguettes and beautiful scarves to unfamiliar customs and dark alleys. All the narrators sound comfortable with French pronunciations and skillfully illuminate each writer’s unique reactions to the city. For example, Kimberly Farr's sultry voice perfectly conveys just how thoroughly Paris seduced author Ellen Sussman, and Cassandra Campbell beautifully captures Paula McLain's awe and frustration as she set out to photograph the city's literary landmarks. Be prepared to dream about sipping un chocolat chaud (or maybe champagne) while watching the sunset from the Pont des Arts. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Praise for A Paris All Your Own

“This collection from writers who have written about the city is enjoyable addition for readers who wish to travel to Paris or who enjoy travel essays...An engaging, delightful glimpse into female writers’ experiences in Paris.”—Library Journal

“[A] lively assemblage…The essays offer tantalizing portraits of both the city's beauty and grit....What makes this collection a treat are the varying viewpoints about this singular city. Each story offers a unique vantage point for better understanding the history and culture of the cit....A quick and fun read that should delight seasoned travelers as well as those planning their first adventure.”—Kirkus Reviews

Library Journal

06/01/2017
Brown (The Light of Paris; The Weird Sisters) pulls together a collection of Paris travel stories from 18 renowned best-selling female authors whose books have taken place in the City of Light in this engaging book. While each essay is a glimpse into the authors' relationship to or experience in Paris and is unique, common themes include: expectations—the ideal of Paris vs. reality; love; breaking up; Parisian women and their penchant for extraordinary scarf wearing; and the ubiquitous dog excrement throughout the city. Brown acknowledges in her introduction the lack of diversity in writers whose books take place in Paris and so this collection reflects mostly heterosexual, white women's personal experiences, and issues such as race, politics, and religion are not addressed. Numerous books covering life, travel, and experiences in the city exist (Janice MacLeod's Paris Letters, Vicki Lesage's Confessions of a Paris Party Girl), and this collection from writers who have written about the city is an enjoyable addition for readers who wish to travel to Paris or who enjoy travel essays. VERDICT An engaging, delightful glimpse into female writers' experiences in Paris.—Louise Feldmann, Colorado State Univ. Lib., Fort Collins

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile

Eighteen bestselling female authors share their personal experiences in and connections to the City of Light in this collection of essays, performed alternately by five narrators. Together, the stories reveal the many faces of Paris, from crusty baguettes and beautiful scarves to unfamiliar customs and dark alleys. All the narrators sound comfortable with French pronunciations and skillfully illuminate each writer’s unique reactions to the city. For example, Kimberly Farr's sultry voice perfectly conveys just how thoroughly Paris seduced author Ellen Sussman, and Cassandra Campbell beautifully captures Paula McLain's awe and frustration as she set out to photograph the city's literary landmarks. Be prepared to dream about sipping un chocolat chaud (or maybe champagne) while watching the sunset from the Pont des Arts. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2017-04-17
A collection of short essays by female authors on Paris, a city that "is so many things, all of them wonderful."All of the bestselling authors featured in this book have written works that feature Paris, and this lively assemblage, edited by Brown (The Light of Paris, 2016, etc.), puts on display the personal narrative of each woman's experience of the City of Light. Whether recalling the books about Paris that propelled Cathy Kelly to travel there, the variety of experiences gathered by Paula McLain and Therese Anne Fowler during research trips for their books, Jennifer Coburn's mother-daughter trip, which featured an unexpected outcome, or Ellen Sussman's exploration of how her passion for the city masked the pain and emptiness of her crumbling marriage, the essays offer tantalizing portraits of both the city's beauty and grit. Following each essay is a brief biography of the author, listing her works, her favorite and least-favorite Paris moments (M.J. Rose: "the last time I had to leave"), what shouldn't be missed during a trip to Paris and what to skip (Sussman: the Champs-Élysées, which has become "a shopping mall for tourists"), and her favorite non-Paris travel destination. What makes this collection a treat are the varying viewpoints about this singular city. Each story offers a unique vantage point for better understanding the history and culture of the city. Award-winning romance writer Megan Crane, who has written more than 60 books, three of which feature Paris, describes how meandering around the city helped her to know herself better: "I could finally be me. That was what Paris did for me, one long ago weekend on my own. It scared me, then it challenged me. And then it set me free." A quick and fun read that should delight seasoned travelers as well as those planning their first adventure to this "enormous and complex place."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172137563
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	07/04/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	934,104

Read an Excerpt

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a French Woman
(Continues…)

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