Paris in Love

Paris in Love

“In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris.  With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog). “

I picked up this ebook on a day it was free and then it sat on my iPad until I read a post on Felicia’s blog with recommendations for romance books.  Eloisa James was recommended.  When I went looking for her books I realized that I already owned one.

This is her memoir about her family’s year in Paris.  It was developed from her Facebook posts so it contains mainly short snippets of information about her days interspersed with longer essays.

She is an American who is married to an Italian man.  They live in New Jersey and have 2 kids.  They move to Paris and enroll the kids in an Italian language school because they are fluent.  Her son is taking classes like architectural drawing that he isn’t interested in so he doesn’t do the work.  Her daughter is now a child who is well acquainted with principals’ offices on two continents.  Eloisa walks around the city sampling the food and getting mad that her husband is losing weight as fast as she is gaining it.

“I asked if Alessandro would pick up some of the spectacular chocolate mousse made by a patisserie on the nearby rue Richer.  His response:  “I thought you were on a diet.”  These seven words rank among the more imprudent things he has said to me in the long years of our marriage.”

The Saga of Milo

Background – They had a Chihuahua named Milo.  He used to fly back and forth from the U.S. to Italy with them when they visited her husband’s family.  But Milo got fat.  He got stranded in Italy because he was too heavy to fly back to the U.S. in the cabin.  So Milo has been staying with Italian Grandma until he loses weight.  Yeah, it’s not happening.  Occasionally she reports in on Milo’s vet visits with Grandma.

“Apparently the vet has suggested vegetables, so for dinner Milo is having lightly steamed broccoli tossed in just a touch of butter, and some diet dog food steeped in homemade chicken broth.”

I have these clients.

“Milo has been back to the vet for a follow-up visit. To Marina’s dismay, her Florentine vet labeled Milo obese, even after she protested that ‘he never eats.’ Apparently the vet’s gaze rest thoughtfully on Milo’s seal-like physique, and then he said, ‘He may be telling you that, but we can all see he’s fibbing.'”

I have never been that brave.

“Marina said today the first thing she plans to do back in Florence is find a new vet.  That nasty vet who told her Milo is obese, she said, is too young and doesn’t understand Milo’s emotional problems.”

I read a lot of the Milo sections to my coworkers.  They thought they were hysterical.  Yes, this is our life.