The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl #bookreview

Thank you @thoughtsfromapage/Random House #partner, for the advanced copy of The Paris Novel in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Random House

Published: April 30, 2024

 

Summary:

Bestselling author Ruth Reichl takes readers on an adventure of food, art, and fashion in 1980s Paris in this dazzling, heartfelt novel

Stella reached for an oyster, tipped her head and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean… Oysters, she thought, where have they been all my life?

When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual a one-way plane ticket and a note reading Go to Paris . But Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a childhood trauma has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. When her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.

Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and, for the first time in her life, Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress and together they embark on an adventure.

Her first iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters, and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces her to a veritable who’s who of the 1980s Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, Stella begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.

As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.

 

My thoughts:

This is the third book I’ve read by Ruth Reichl and I’m such a fan of her writing! I was thrilled that Cindy picked this new one as one of her traveling galleys for her Patreon group…it was so fun to read it and then pass it on to the next person.

This is Ruth’s second foray into fiction and it was such a charming story. I came to love Stella, who is just trying to find herself after her mother’s death. What really makes this book, though, are the mouth-watering descriptions of the food, the vivid portrayal of Paris through Stella’s eyes and the characters we meet along the way – some who it turns out are indeed real people. I love how Reichl married fact with fiction in this book – this is where reading the author’s note is so worth it! And of course I completely fell in love with the Paris Shakespeare and Company bookstore! Paris has always been on my bucket list but now it is even more so after reading this book!

This book will definitely appeal to foodies, fashionistas and of course, those who love all things Paris. The descriptions of the foods left my mouth watering and I’m not just talking about the recipes that were created during the book, but even the conversations about foods. Then there are the descriptions of the city and the buildings. I felt as if I was there alongside Stella as she would go about her day.

I adored this book and have already added the rest of Ruth Reich’s nonfiction books I haven’t read to my tbr! I do hope she writes more fiction because her writing is just so good!

 

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