Here's the flap copy description:
Madeleine is trapped—by her family's expectations, by her controlling husband, and by her own fears—in an unhappy marriage and a life she never wanted. From the outside, it looks like she has everything, but on the inside, she fears she has nothing that matters.
In Madeleine’s memories, her grandmother Margie is the kind of woman she should have been—elegant, reserved, perfect. But when Madeleine finds a diary detailing Margie’s bold, romantic trip to Jazz Age Paris, she meets the grandmother she never knew: a dreamer who defied her strict, staid family and spent an exhilarating summer writing in cafés, living on her own, and falling for a charismatic artist.
Despite her unhappiness, when Madeleine’s marriage is threatened, she panics, escaping to her hometown and staying with her critical, disapproving mother. In that unlikely place, shaken by the revelation of a long-hidden family secret and inspired by her grandmother’s bravery, Madeleine creates her own Parisian summer—reconnecting to her love of painting, cultivating a vibrant circle of creative friends, and finding a kindred spirit in a down-to-earth chef who reminds her to feed both her body and her heart.
My Thoughts:
If you've ever been to Paris The Light of Paris will take you back with its vivid descriptions and historic settings, albeit set in 1924. If you've never been to Paris, this novel will delight your senses and invite you to visit La Ville-Lumuire if ever you are able.
In addition to that, the protagonist's struggles with her mother, admiration for her maternal grandmother, and difficulties with her husband were elements that resonated with me. (I'm now happily married to my second husband!)
But beyond all that, Ms. Brown has crafted a delicious delicacy of life in Paris when writers and artists frequented corner cafés and lovers strolled along the winding paths of the Luxembourg Gardens. The dialogue is smart, witty, honest and will entertain you as you turn each page!.
(While much of this novel is set in Paris, it includes alternating POV (points of view) where the setting is Magnolia, Tennessee or Chicago, Illinois.)
I highly recommend The Light of Paris to anyone who enjoys French culture, the arts, or a journey into self discovery.
Blogger Note:
When we planned our trip to Paris in 2014, my husband (an oil painter) and I knew we had to stay in the Montparnesse area of the city; the same place that artists and writers had flocked to a century ago. Montparnesse and its sites are prominently featured in this book. Also, the locations mentioned in my previous three blog posts are all included in The Light of Paris. ~ Au revoir!
