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 morningyes‘ 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 a taste of the country that is impossible to get from guide books. As the characters walk along the Seine or sip their coffee at a Parisian sidewalk table, it will fill you with anticipation to do 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 trip. And if the novel is set in the present day, there’s 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, before you even 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 are intertwined in this novel set in post-Napoleonic Paris. It is 1815 and a young Englishman travels to Paris to take up a position in 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 contemporary visit to the plant gardenthe main botanical garden of France.
‘Sailing Party Luncheon’ by Susan Vreeland
Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Lunch of the Boaters’ is a famous painting depicting a group of Parisians enjoying lunch on the terrace of a restaurant 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 in the days of the Impressionists, and you can still eat in 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 idea of the long-term effects that the Nazi occupation had on the French people. And since it’s a Joanne Harris book, of course she spends a lot of time exploring French food!
‘The Matchmaker of Périgord’ 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 a taste of 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. Filled with charming characters and almost ridiculous situations, this novel should leave you laughing and enjoying the French temperament.
So if you have your tickets booked for Charles de Gaulle airport or just WANT to have a vacation in France planned, try the books above 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!
