This story is not trending very well on the star rating as I expected and I find that interesting. I personally found this story lovely. Maybe I’m biased because I might find any story in Paris lovely. Who knows.
The story is loosely based on Jackie Kennedy’s year in Paris. How the French culture ‘might have’ effected her life. What readers need to understand is this is a story first, fact later. Or not factual at all. I wouldn’t knock the story for any of that. Mah’s research into what Paris was like 1949-1951 was extremely well done. I’ve read many books of old Paris, WWII Paris and after Paris… but this middle ground of trying to recover from the war and what that looks like, I have not had the opportunity to dive into quite yet. Although the war was devastating, life does go on.
Americans came in to flush their money into the city with no regard of what the war was like and what it took from the people. I found the topic of how Americans really don’t know what kind of suffering it means to be in war and have your home and town destroyed.
I agree with others that this story doesn’t have to be about Jackie… it could have been about any girl in Paris. But… isn’t it fun that it is about her? Doesn’t it make it just that much juicier?
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the splashes of French culture, the name dropping of cafes and the fictional glimpse into Jackie Kennedy’s life.
cmacs paperbacks 
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