Bonjour tout le monde,

For those of you thinking about moving to France or living here already, or even if you’re just curious about life in France, there are so many fascinating, well-written books out there.

I thought I’d give you a little blurb about several of my favorites, some I have mentioned on my YouTube channel before, and others I have not, in case you’re in the market for a good summer read.

Books I’ve discussed on my YouTube channel:

• Almost French, by Sarah Turnbull: Ahh, the Anglo-French love story. Turnbull, originally from Australia, describes her relationship with her French husband and its dynamics really well and relatably. And I empathize with the overall feeling of frustration about never fully feeling French, despite, well, living here for ages and feeling like you’re checking all the societally-expected boxes. (my video, link to book)
• Bringing Up Bébé, by Pamela Druckerman: This one is a hoot, well written, well researched, and rings really true. I re-read it last year in anticipation for an interview I did with my American friend Celeste, who, like me, is married to a French man and is raising her kids here in France. I realized Celeste had never read the book, so I bought her a copy and gave her a reading assignment: Read this and come back to me so we can have a real discussion about what she thinks. I’m past the baby stage with my kids, whereas Celeste is still in it (which may explain why she might not have a lot of time to devote to reading). Where is the book about raising teenagers in France? (my video, link to book)
• The Bonjour Effect, by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau: This should probably be required reading of anyone planning on moving to France. The authors are so observant and have a knack for articulating phenomena I feel like I sense, but can’t quite describe, and then they go further and manage to explain the cultural and historical reasons for why the French are how they are. It’s brilliant. (my video, link to book)
• French or Foe, by Polly Platt: All four of these books are very Paris-centric, but this one has the most elements that seemed purely Parisian to me and a bit disconnected from my reality here en province (the rest of France, outside of Paris). It was still an amazing read and an additional historical and cultural context I was lacking, even after all these years. (my video, link to book)

Books I haven’t discussed on my YouTube channel, but which I’ve read in the past and found (mostly) delightful:

• Paris to the Moon, by Adam Gopnik: I remember thinking how well Gopnik depicted Parisian café scenes, despite not having extensive knowledge of them myself, and how romantic life in Paris seemed. (link)
• Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris: LOL. So funny and relatable to read how Sedaris charmingly describes feeling like an inept language learner and an outsider in France. (link)
• A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle: I read this in college and loved it so much, I planned a family road trip around visiting the villages the author mentions in the book. I still have very fond memories of that trip and the villages we visited as a result of reading about their charming inhabitants and their antics in this book. I think this book is the reason I tried a truffle omelet for the first time. (link)
• Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon, by MFK Fisher: This one, I have to come back to it. It’s the true story of a young, American woman, who moves to Dijon as a newlywed in 1929. I remember reading it sometime around the time I was in a similar position, just about 80 years after MFK, recognizing the names of streets, but not of restaurants, and thinking that overall, it didn’t seem like much had changed in Dijon, aside from maybe the more widespread use of modern indoor heating systems. The ambiance she described, in restaurants and people’s kitchens, in particular, rang true to me back then, and I’d love to go back and revisit this one again after living here now for almost 20 years. (link)
• La France sous nos yeux, by Jérôme Fourquet and Jean-Laurent Cassely: This is the most sociological, economic and recent book on this list, published in 2021, this one is actually written by French people and I actually read this one in French. It is…eye-opening. You want a look a what France is really like? La France profonde in the 21^st century? Deindustrialization, French tacos, suburbanization and more? This is not a romanticized vision of life here, I found it fascinating, accurate, and a bit depressing. (link)

The one book I have been meaning to read for ages, that was literally given to me as a wedding gift, is Cultural Misunderstandings, subtitled The French-American Experience, by Raymonde Carroll. (link) Actually, it was originally written in French, and titled Evidences invisibles. (link) It just occurred to me that I should read it in French! I just ordered a used copy for 1€ + shipping on Vinted. This is my reading objective for the summer. Anyone else up for the challenge? I’ll report back what I think on my YouTube channel or in another newsletter. Stay tuned!

Let me know what you think if you wind up reading any of these, and also, if you have any other recommendations.

Bonne lecture !

Suzi

PS: If you’d like my personal feedback on your own moving-to-France plans, you can book a 1-on-1 strategy session with me here: ​Schedule your session with me here​​

PPS: The links I have included are affiliate links, meaning that if you wind up purchasing one of these books, I will get a little commission at no additional cost to you, which would be lovely for me, but I would also encourage you to look for used copies, which is what I usually do, or borrow copies from your local library.

PPPS: This is certified AI-free content, in case you couldn’t tell. 😆