Bonjour tout le monde! (Hello everybody!)

If it’s been awhile since I wrote it’s only because I’ve been finishing school, taking a week’s vacation in Barcelona & the South of France, and starting work in a non-profit here in Paris (more about that later!) Needless to say, this semester is flying by!

Anyways…back to the reading list!

First, a bit of background. In order to help me “prepare” (mentally, physically, linguistically!) for my year abroad, various family members (namely my mother) would present me with a new French”guide” book for every holiday and birthday. I picked up a few as well, as I knew dealing with the notoriously “difficult” French (namely Parisiens) was going to be no easy task for an alternately spunky and shy American girl like myself. I thought that if I had some insider information about the little known-nuances of French culture, I might have an edge over other foreigners, or at least maybe win some respect. While the jury’s still out on whether or not I’ve succeeded, these books provide humorous (and useful!) insight into French do’s and don’ts!

1) French or Foe: Making the Most Out of Living & Working in France by Polly Platt

Long regarded as the ultimate guide for foreigners living in Paris, French or Foe is written by a woman who herself made the transition from life in America to living and working in France with a French husband and French children. Incredible detail and witty explanations of everything from dinner etiquette to romance!

2) Pardon My French: Unleash Your Inner Gaul by Charles Timoney

The reviews say this Brit’s manual for decoding the French and their language will make you “so convincing that French people will talk very fast to you”…hence why it’s currently on my nightstand.

3) Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French by Polly Platt

The followup to the popular “French or Foe” (see #1 above), Savoir Flair is the abbreviated version of its predecesor. Personal Favorite chapters: Enjoying Finding Something You Lost: Don’t Give up (p. 146), Enjoying Being a woman in France (p. 167): American girls, take note!

4) Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France by Kristin Epinasse

Written by a young woman from New Mexico who met her future (French) husband while studying abroad, Words in a French Life is the literary incarnation of the popular blog with the same name. Each chapter is short, pertaining only to the definition of a single French word, couched in anecdotes of her children, family, and daily life as an American living in Provence.

5) Dessine-moi Un Parisien by Olivier Magny (available in English under the title Stuff Parisiens like)

As I didn’t discover this gem until it was recommended to me by one of my French professors here in Paris, Dessine-Moi un Parisien is a funny and short (and illustrated!) half-celebration, half -mockery of the hoity-toity Parsien culture we all simultaneously love and hate, and has of late, become my reading material on the Metro!

 

Pick up one of these, and may you be enlightened and entertained!