Literary Travels: Vive la France: Life in the French Lane

Visitez la belle France avec l’aide de votre bibliotheque (Visit France with the help of your library). Sorry, this trip is only a literary one, but it will give you a glimpse of the flavors and culture of France.

Let’s begin with with the French Chef herself, Julia Child, My Life in France. France was a culture and palate shock for Julia Child. As a six foot tall American woman who by her own admission spoke dreadful French, she stood out from the crowd in her Le Cordon Bleu cooking classes, but what she learned would change the American epicurean landscape. Child is an entertaining writer and readers will find themselves caught up in her humorous descriptions and culinary commentary.

Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard offers an entertaining and delicous romp through Paris. Bard, who had been in London, visits Paris for a weekend trip and meets the man who will become her husband. A short time later Bard decides to move to Paris for love as well as the joys of French patisseries (bakery) and the attraction of the local markets (think daily farmer’s markets). Its part love story and part cook-book. Recipes are included at the end of each chapter. A truly delicious combination!

Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange. If French style had a catch-phrase it would be “less is more”. Simple, well cut, beautiful made items are staples of the the French wardrobe. Ines de la Fressange, model and muse of Karl Lagerfeld, breaks down French style. The book itself is a chic little volume- small, compact. and elegant in a lovely deep red color. It’s like carrying a little piece of French style around! The suggestions are simple and can be incorporated into anyones wardrobe.

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. With crossiants, decadent desserts, cheese, wine, and butter define French cuisine, but how do French women stay so thin? C’est simple! (It’s simple). They have a completely different approach to eating. Smaller portion sizes of delectable meals are a place to start. The French are great walkers. They easily and effortlessly burn off the extra calories. Some of the advice is not new, but the author’s charming presentation makes it an entertaining read. She has also written a companion recipe book: The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook.

A Year in Provence  by Peter Mayle. France is more than just Paris. In this entertaining volume Peter Mayle describes he and his wife’s first year living in Provence. Mayle and his wife learn how to navigate the complexities of the French bureaucracy as well as the locals’ idiosyncratic conceptions of time. There is a great emphasis on food and cuisine.  Similar in tone to Under the Tuscan Sun, this makes for an charming read.

Don’t forget to read some classic novels set in France:

Les Miserables (Before it was a smash musical it started life as a book) by Victor Hugo

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (No signing gargoyles in this version.)

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Stay tuned for our next literary voyage to the land of La Dolce Vita- Italy!