I had so much fun reading this book. I have loved it so much, I started listening to her memoir about her time at Gourmet magazine, SAVE ME THE PLUMS, this week. Tonight, I got to the point in that book where she tries on the dress in Paris, which became the starting moment for this book. What a delight! I have enjoyed reading this part of her memoir and hearing about her background and love of food, and I can see how these things influence her fiction.

THE PARIS NOVEL is such a fun visit to Paris - classic fashion, amazing food and good company. It is the kind of book to read when you want something delightful (except for one truly awful scene towards the beginning with her mother’s boyfriend. I guess she felt like she needed to show how completely selfish her mother was, but it is different than the rest of the book). 

You can feel her love for food and these menu items that she ate in Paris during her days as a food reporter. She said she journaled her eating experiences when she had an unlimited travel budget and could go to many amazing restaurants. It was fun to revisit these experiences with her. 

Jules is also a great character. I loved his father-like influence and the old money history and experiences he added to the story. And of course, going behind the scenes at Shakespeare and Company and learning about their “tumbleweed” program that still exists today, where artists can live at the bookstore. The connection to art and unknown women artists was another unexpected bonus. One of the things I have learned through fiction is the lack of women artists. I love how this book highlights Victorine-Louise Meurent and tells some of her story.

“What is it about Victorine that you find so fascinating?”
“She tries so hard. She wanted to be a painter and overcame incredible odds to do it. And then, just because she was poor and a woman, they took it all away from her. They trashed her work and rewrote her history until there's nothing left but images made by men. It's the ultimate humiliation. I want to give her back her own story." Thinking of all the ways in which Celia had appropriated hers, she looked up at him. "Does that sound completely ridiculous."
"Not to me. One lost soul looking for another. Doesn't that describe us all?"  P136