Sunday, August 06, 2017

Dreaming of France -- That Spring in Paris


Thank you for joining this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.

I'm reading another book set in France, and, of course, I always want to share with readers who are Dreaming of France like I am.
That Spring in Paris by Ciji Ware takes place just within the past few years in Paris as Juliet rushes
from San Francisco to Paris after her best friend is injured in the Paris bombings in November of 2015. As she rushes into the hospital, she literally runs into Patrick, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, who is at the hospital to visit someone else mortally wounded in the attacks. The two form a supportive relationship and begin to battle their own demons connected to terrorism. Juliet works for a video game company that creates graphic war games and allows encrypted messaging, much like what the terrorists used to communicate with each other. And Patrick flew planes and then drones during the war, so he is dealing with PTSD.
It's definitely a different look at Paris right after it has been swept by bombs and gunfire, but the strength and beauty of the city shine through, as the two watch to see when the Eiffel Tower will sparkle again, as it does eventually.
I'll be reviewing this book for FranceBookTours on August 17 and there will be a giveaway too, so make sure you check back to have an opportunity to win it.

Hey, I was in Paris during the spring, too. I'd better share a picture from my experience.

Thanks so much for playing along with Dreaming of France. Please leave your link below and visit each other's blogs to share your love for France.
I promise to blog more this week. My daughter and I are taking a mother-daughter trip to Florida. Can't wait.

7 comments:

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

That book is very different from the typical book about France. It sounds quite interesting.

Anonymous said...

As Deb says, it's unusual and sounds interesting. I don't think I'm ready to read about the 2015 attacks yet though.

Paulita said...

Deb, Yes, a lot of drama along with a love of France
Francetaste, Understandable. Every time another attack happened in Brussels or in Nice, the main character would worry for her friend and Patrick suffering through the same fears. I'm sure it's something that everyone in France feels.

Philippe F. said...

Les commémorations du 14 juillet dernier, 1 an après l' attentat de Nice, ont montré que la douleur des familles des victimes, des niçois et de tout le pays était encore très forte. Il est trop tôt pour les français de lire ou voir une fiction après une telle barbarie. J' ai, nous avons tous eu le même temps de deuil après l' horreur du 11 septembre 2001 à New York. Peut-être l' an prochain nous aimerons lire " That spring in Paris " par Ciji Ware.// Remembrances last july 14th , one year after Nice attack, have shown that the pain of the victim' s families, and also people of Nice or the whole country was very strong.It' s too early for most of the french people to read or see fiction stories or magazines after such inhumanity. I have, we all had the same time of mourning after the horror in New York the 09/11/2001. Perhaps next year we' ll enjoy " That spring " by Ciji Ware. Thanks Paulita to share with us your passion for france.

Sim Carter said...

Sounds like it's too soon! I guess a lot of us feel that way, preferring to romanticize our war stories from a distance. Fiction can be a great healer but it takes time to look at it that way. Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, about 9/11, came out in 2005 which seems incredibly close to the tragedy. I know I didn't read it until at least ten years after the towers fell and even then it was incredibly wrenching.

Beautiful picture of you though.

Paulita said...

Philippe, Yes, thanks for sharing your experience seeing the families of these horrible tragedies.
Sim, Good point. The book is told from an American viewpoint, so maybe more distance than you imagine.

Just Me said...

You look fabulous Paulita. Enjoy your mother daughter trip to Florida. Much deserved by you both.

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