Lunch in Paris; A Love Story with Recipes By Elizabeth Bard

Last month for our book club we read travel books. Well- I went through my book shelves for some books to share with the others and then I went to the book store to find one for me and left with a substantial pile. Some of them have made it into the pile that has been growing by the computer. I was a little surprised by how many books I had a bout travel. And there was a definite theme going there- France. I love France- and after last summer Alma does too. I dream of going back and spending lazy summers in the Alps and eating cheese and soaking in the late afternoon sun. Apparently this love affects the books I buy because I had quite a few about France and I bought this one to read too. It is about an American moving to France after a whirlwind love affaire. There are lots of books about Americans moving to France. This one was okay. Not the best- not the worst. I really liked her look into the health care system- which agreed with some of the more professional things I have read. I also really liked her look at the interactions between her and her in-laws and her parents and her French family. That was something I hadn't read about in other books. She talks a little about her foodie love- but not especially well or uniquely. I haven't tried any of her recipes yet- so no comment on them. This is really an area well traveled and written about by others in a much better way. But at the same time I understand that it is a major part of the French experience and how would you leave it out. So over all okay- but if you are only gong to read one book about living in France read Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik or The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz or My Life in France by Julia Child or A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. All of these are superior. But if you are going to obsessively read books about France than by all means this one is on the list.