I actually did not know that this was a memoir until I
started reading it. I just loved the cover so much and
thought it was enticing so I found myself having to get
my hands on this book.
I was quite happy to discover that this is author Kirsten
Lobe's own personal story - about her love for (mostly) all
things Paris but more importantly her love for her son -
which she is about to give birth to as a single parent.
Not having read this author's previous work, I had no idea
what her writing style was and I have to say that I was
pleasantly surprised.
Quite a few books have been written about Paris, but Lobe
brings something special to her memoir. As she describes
the Paris that she sees, you can feel her pride in her
surroundings, however she never really stops being the girl
from Wisconsin who "ended up in Paris."
The strength of this book is definitely the narrative and
wonderful descriptions about Paris and her experiences in
it. Spending time with some luscious sounding chocolate or
taking a taxi ride, Lobe makes it all sound so plausible,
exciting and a little scary all at the same time.
The book, however, really takes off when she gives birth to
Oscar - her beloved child. It is at this point that Lobe
finds herself re-evaluating her choices, her life - for the
good of her child. We start feeling her uneasiness as she
compares Paris to her Wisconsin - the life she left behind
for good - or did she?
Well written with just enough information and detail to
make me feel as though I was really there.
The ending surprised me and I bet it will surprise you.
Wonderful read.
Is it possible to maintain chic as a single-mom-to-be in a
city where it's all supposed to be effortless and
breastfeeding is a horreur? Does one live by the
Parisienne's pregnancy plan of smoking, drinking, and
cheese-eating avec vin blanc, but jamais jamaisgain more
than six kilos? And how to handle a pickup attempt by a
married man in the baby department of Bon Marche when
you're eight months along? After all, American girls do
things differently: Lamaze class and baby showers, sensible
prenatal care and...family to watch you proudly grow more
and more pregnant. Paris is full of delights for a new mom:
the Luxembourg Gardens, baby boutiques too precious to be
passed by, a petit briochefor a teething tot. But home
exerts a powerful pull. Should your child grow up skipping
by the Seine or scampering up a tree house? Should it
be "Mommy" or " Maman"? And can a tall blonde with a taste
for Veuve Cliquot and Vuitton ever make it in the land of
mom jeans and Happy Meals? Paris, Baby!is novelist Kirsten
Lobe's warm, funny memoir about Paris, Frenchmen,
friendship, babies, and making it on one's own.
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