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Return to Paris: A Memoir
Return to Paris A Memoir
Author: Colette Rossant
"My first meal in France, in a hushed and formerly elegant dining car, was a revelation. The menu was absurdly simple; there was a choice of an omelette aux fines herbes or a sandwich jambon beurre. I chose the omelette and was delighted by the flavors of chives, tarragon and chervil mingling in the creamy lightness of th...  more » In 1947, as Paris recovers from the war, young Colette returns to the city of her birth after eight years spent among warmhearted Egyptian relatives in Cairo. Initially Paris seems gray and forbidding to the young Colette, especially after her mother abandons her to the disinterested care of her stern grandmother. Yet Paris will prove the place where Colette awakens to her senses. Her transformation from "l'Egyptienne" to "la Parisienne" begins when she is taken under the wing of the family cook, Georgette, who introduces Colette to the city's markets and inspires a love and talent for French cooking. The streets of Paris soon become Colette's own as she navigates to and from her lycée -- occasionally skipping class altogether, thus beginning a decades-long habit of making room for adventure in an otherwise disciplined life. Colette is sixteen when her mother returns with a new husband, and although initially suspicious of the round man with the twinkling eyes, she soon realizes she has a soul mate in Almire Ducreux, her new stepfather. Mira introduces Colette to her first truffle and her gastronomical self. He will also be the only one to support her when she falls in love and runs away with a young American, scandalizing her proper French family. With Return to Paris, Colette Rossant proves herself the true heir of M. F. K. Fisher. In clear, understated prose she writes of a life lived and enjoyed passionately. Memories and family stories segue gracefully into descriptions of great meals and recipes. This is food writing at its finest.s
ISBN-13: 9780743439671
ISBN-10: 0743439678
Publication Date: 3/18/2003
Pages: 240
Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
5 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Atria
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 2
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 reviewed Return to Paris: A Memoir on + 100 more book reviews
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a good look at Paris after WWII. I also liked the author. She lived the life she wanted instead of being pushed by relatives into their vision of her life.


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