You are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime to one of the most beloved countries in the world: France! You have been practicing yourgood mornings‘ and you ‘Thank you‘, and studying maps of Paris to figure out how to get around, but there’s one more thing you can do to make sure your trip is extra special. And that is immersing yourself in French life by reading some books set in France.
Reading novels set in Paris or the French countryside will give you an insight into the country that is impossible to get from guidebooks. As the characters walk along the Seine or sip their coffee at a table on the Parisian sidewalk, you’ll be filled with anticipation doing the same, making the experience that much sweeter when you finally get to do it yourself. If the novel is set in the past, you will have a greater appreciation for the history of France, bringing many of the old places and buildings to life when you visit them on your journey. And if the novel is set in the present day, there is nothing more fun than trying to find the streets, bars and restaurants that might be mentioned in the story.
So what books should you read? Here’s a selection of five novels that do a great job of bringing France to life, even before you set foot on that plane.
‘Foreign Language’ by Vanina Marsot
Heartbroken, Anna moves to Paris from Los Angeles. She starts working as a translator for a cryptic erotic novel and of course finds some romance. The book is a love letter to the city, with many walks through the streets, as well as descriptions of French life, food and cafes.
‘The Coral Thief’ by Rebecca Stott
History, mystery, romance and intrigue intertwine in this novel set in post-Napoleonic Paris. It is 1815 and a young Englishman travels to Paris to take up a position at the renowned Plant garden. But when a beautiful woman steals his collection of rare coral specimens, he becomes embroiled in a plot involving revolutionaries, spies and the intelligentsia. Victorian Paris comes to life in this novel, sure to enhance any current visit to the plant gardenthe main botanical garden of France.
‘Sailing Party Luncheon’ by Susan Vreeland
Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Navigators” is a famous painting depicting a group of Parisians enjoying lunch on a restaurant terrace on the Seine. In this novel, Vreeland tells the story of those in the painting and how they came to be there. It’s a glorious look at Paris from the time of the Impressionists, and you can still eat at the restaurant today.
‘Five Orange Quarters’ by Joanne Harris
Now we leave Paris and enter the Loire Valley with this novel by Harris that takes us to a town occupied by the Germans in World War II. The book moves between World War II and the present day, giving us an insight into the long-term effects the Nazi occupation had on the French people. And since it’s a book by Joanne Harris, of course she spends a lot of time exploring French food!
‘The Périgord Matchmaker’ by Julia Stuart
We end with something fun and quirky, in a fictional town in the south-west of France. Amour-Sur-Belle may not be a real place, but it does give an insight into some of the declining towns of rural France. Here, the town barber decides to reinvent himself as a matchmaker, quite a task when there are only 33 neighbors to match. Full of charming characters and almost ridiculous situations, this novel should leave you laughing and enjoying the French temperament.
So if you have your tickets booked to Charles de Gaulle airport or just WANT to have a vacation to France planned, try the above books to immerse yourself in a bit of French life and culture. And if you find yourself enjoying them… well, there’s so much more to explore…Have a good trip!