Francophile Friday – Lemuria Books

Tag: Francophile Friday

Francophile Friday: Fiction

On March 30, 2018

By Annerin Long

French literature has a long and rich history, dating back to the Song of Roland in the 11th and 12th centuries to modern day masters, including two recipients of the Nobel Prize for Lieterature in the 21st century alone (J.M.G. le Clézio in 2008 and Patrick Modiano in 2014). Today, Alliance Française de Jackson members are closing out le Mois de la Francophonie with a few of their favorite novels from French authors.

One of my all-time favorite books–French or not–is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I read this in my pre-Francophile days, but the great adventure, even if sometimes predictable, has always stayed with me and in my opinion, has rightfully earned its place among the great classics.

Wandering Star by le Clézio is a powerful book set during World War II and the years immediately after and tells the story of two young girls whose paths briefly cross, each impacting the other for years to come. This is a book of survival and change and growth in the middle of often unthinkable circumstances.

Non-fiction books from Peter Mayle and Marcel Pagnol have been mentioned in other Francophile Friday editions. Jeanne Cook also lists these authors among her favorites in fiction. Mayle’s Chasing Cézanne takes readers on a mystery through the jet-setter, art-collector world, while Pagnol’s Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs have been described as Greek tragedy set in Provence.

If you enjoy reading books set in France, regardless of the author’s nationality, Carl Cerco suggests Chocolat (a best-selling book before the movie, and aren’t the books always better?) by Joanne Harris, in which newcomer-to-town Vianne Rocher turns the town upside down with her magical boxes of chocolate. all the light we canot see Two recent books that completely captured me were All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr), a World War II tale told from two perspectives. Perhaps the twist of the story is predictable, but this didn’t detract from the suspense. Paris in the Present Tense (Mark Helprin; sadly, I missed his visit to Lemuria last year) is likewise beautifully written, telling the story of widower Jules Lacour, a septuagenarian who must face his past and make difficult decisions for the future, set in a modern Paris with both its good and bad.

I’m going to finish today with a book (or rather, seven) that I confess I have not read all the way through: Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. I’m attempting to read this one in French, so it’s slow going for this seven-volume work. The best way to tackle this 20th century masterpiece? With madeleines, of course (there is a great recipe in Ladurée’s Sucré, featured in the first Francophile Friday post.

Other recommendations

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Stranger by Albert Camus

About the Alliance Française de Jackson
The Alliance Française de Jackson is a non-profit organization with the mission of promoting French language and culture in the Metro Jackson area. This is done through language classes and other educational programs, cultural programming, and special events centered around French celebrations. Many of our members speak French, but it is not a requirement, and we welcome all who love the language and cultures of the Francophone world.

Francophile Friday: History and Nonfiction

By Guest Author

On March 23, 2018

In History, Nonfiction

By Annerin Long

Bonjour! The Alliance Française de Jackson (AFJ) is back for another Francophile Friday during le Mois de la francophonie, with more book recommendations from our members. This week’s selections are a mix of history and memoirs, including a book for French-speakers by one of our own members.

you will not have my hate On November 13, 2015, the world watched in horror as terrorists attacked Parisians going about life at football matches, concerts, dinners, time spent with friends and family. Journalist Antoine Leiris lived another horror that night: turning on the news and seeing that the Bataclan Club, where his wife was attending a concert, had been attacked. In You Will Not Have My Hate, Leiris recounts the hours and days immediately after the attack, confirming that his wife was one of those killed, handling the duties related to her death, but also the day-to-day life that continued with their infant son. You Will Not Have My Hate is a short, powerful book, sometimes difficult to read because of the subject, but also heartbreaking, and one that I read in just a little more than one sitting.

A favorite book of AFJ member Jeanne Cook is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s memoir Wind, Sand and Stars. The stories from his life that he tells in this collection also serve as a frame for his commentary on broader themes of human life.

Marcel Pagnol’s My Father’s Glory and My Mother’s Castle are two more recommendations from Mrs. Cook. Pagnol was an author and filmmaker (the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française) and is generally considered to be one of France’s greatest 20th century writers. These two books are the first two in his four-book series Souvenirs d’enfance (Memories of Childhood), capturing his days growing up in Provence.

A few years ago, AFJ was fortunate to host Memphis historian for a program based on his book, Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910. This is especially relevant as Paris is only a few weeks removed from flooding in several areas of the city this past winter. Paris Under Water details not just how the flood happened and crippled the city, but also how the people of Paris came together, often forgetting class distinctions that would have normally separated them, to help each other and to rebuild their city.

Finally, for today’s selections, I want to mention a book that is not about the history of France in the way we usually think of it, but rather, the history of the French here in the United States, including Mississippi. Recontres sur le Mississippi, 1682-1763, is actually a French-language reader developed for classroom use and written by AFJ member Gail Buzhardt with Margaret Hawthorne. While written with classroom use in mind, anyone who speaks or reads French and is interested in learning more about this part of our country’s history will find the book to be a great resource.

Be sure to visit Lemuria Books for many of these titles or help with ordering.

Other Recommendations

Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne
How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean
City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris by Holly Tucker

Francophile Friday: World War II History

By Guest Author

On March 16, 2018

In History, War

By Annerin Long

Hundreds of volumes exist covering various aspects of World War II in France alone, and when Alliance Française de Jackson members were asked about favorite history books, the majority of them were on this subject. For Francophile Friday this week, Jeanne Cook and I are sharing some of our top recommendations on France in World War II.

marcels letters As a Francophile graphic designer who spends most of her reading time studying World War II, Marcel’s Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man’s Fate by Carolyn Porter was a must-read. Porter–also a graphic designer–bought some old letters at an antique store for inspiration, but as she worked on the new font, became more and more curious about the man–Marcel Heuzé–who had sent the letters from Germany to his home in France during the war years. Her book tells the story of not just developing another font, but also the search to learn more about Heuzé and his fate from a German workcamp.

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family’s Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris (Alex Kershaw) is about the life of American physician Sumner Jackson, his Swiss wife, and their son on Avenue Foch, one of the grand streets of Paris where many Nazi officials lived and worked during the occupation. Even with Gestapo headquarters also on this street, the Jacksons bravely became involved with the French resistance. Kershaw’s sources included the Jacksons’ son, Phillip, and his writing often had me on the edge of my seat, wondering how close the family was to being discovered.

Jeanne Cook, AFJ’s director of education, includes Is Paris Burning? (Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre) and Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure (Don and Petie Kladstrup) among her recommendations for books on France during World War II.

Is Paris Burning? reads like a spy novel and is filled with suspense that makes this non-fiction book one that can hardly be put down. It focuses on Nazi-occupied Paris and Hitler’s general in control of Paris, Choltitz, who is given the order to burn Paris as German troops flee as Allied forces approach. The New York Times called it “a great story. . . dramatic, exciting, pitiful and intensely human.”

For books specifically related to D-Day, Mrs. Cook recommends D-Day: D-Day through French Eyes: Normandy 1944, by Mary Louise Roberts, 2014. This book provides an insight from the French perspective. Highly readable and in English, Roberts narrates events in Normandy through her historian’s eye and intersperses notes, letters, and journal accounts of events with many of the sources from the Mémorial de Caen archives. Her book provides the needed puzzle piece to better understand D-Day events: it answers “What were the Normans experiencing?” Her chapters address parachutists, friendships, cathedrals, and devastation from bombings.

Finally, she suggests Neptune: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings, Craig L. Symonds (2014). This book, called a “masterpiece,” explores the planning, including the landings and the supply system, which became a part of the Overlord invasion of D-Day. The plan was code-named Neptune.

Whatever your interest in World War II reading, be sure to check out Lemuria’s extensive history section (my favorite section in the store) for a wide selection of books an all aspects of the war.

Other recommendations:

Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France by Caroline Moorehead
Paris after the Liberation: 1944-1949 by Antony Beevor & Artemis Cooper
Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation by Anne Sebba

The Alliance Française de Jackson is a non-profit organization that promotes French language and culture and welcomes all with an interest in the Francophone world.

Francophile Friday: French Travel

By Guest Author

On March 9, 2018

In Travel

By Annerin Long

Next week is spring break for area schools and many people will be taking to the air and roads for vacation. If you find yourself at home but in need of an escape, Alliance Française de Jackson members suggest a virtual trip to France to celebrate le mois de la Francophonie.

Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence is a classic for Francophiles, with the author sharing the adventures of following a dream to move to southern France. Mayle and his wife soon find that Provence is not always the sunny land they had imagined, and with understated wit, he tells of the trials of not only restoring the 200-year-old farmhouse they have purchased, but also of learning the ways of this new home they have chosen. Mayle—who died earlier this year—followed this book with others about his time in France: Toujours Provence; Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France; and French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew among them. He also ventured into fiction with some light mysteries set in Provence, which could make for perfect beach-time reading. For a more recent take on foreigners making France their home, chef and food blogger David Lebovitz wrote about his experience renovating his Paris apartment in l’appart.

Paris: An Inspiring Tour of the City’s Creative Heart by Janelle McCulloch takes travelers on a tour of the French capital’s arrondissements through history and a selection of the best places to visit in each of the unique neighborhoods. This book isn’t a turn-by-turn travel guide as much as a source of inspiration for a trip to Paris and is for the armchair traveler as much as for those headed to Paris, with beautiful photography that captures the spirit of the city. For those venturing further than Paris, McCulloch has also written Provence and the Côte d’Azur: Discover the Spirit of the South of France.

paris in clor Photographer Nichole Robertson used color to organize her coffee-table book Paris in Color, with a different color taking over each chapter: yellow, red, pink, blue, green . . . through Robertson’s eyes, you see the many colors that bring Paris to life. In her follow-up book, Paris in Love, Robertson focused only on reds using the journey of a day, morning to evening, to take readers through the city.

Two books that celebrate strolling the streets as can only be done in Paris are The Most Beautiful Walk in the World (John Baxter) and Flâneur (Federico Castigliano). If you are familiar with the city, these books will certainly bring back memories of your own wanderings through Paris.

To continue your armchair adventures and travel plans, you might also try these:

Markets of Provence: Food, Antiques, Crafts, and More by Marjorie R. Williams
Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso, and More by Christina Henry de Tessan
Any of Hugh Palmer’s and James Bentley’s “Most Beautiful Villages of . . .” books.

And if you are fortunate enough to be planning a trip to France, be sure to check out Lemuria’s selection for practical travel guides to help your planning!

Bon voyage!

Francophile Friday: French Cooking

By Guest Author

On March 2, 2018

In Cooking

By Annerin Long

For Francophones and Francophiles worldwide, March is le Mois de la Francophonie, a month of celebrating the language and cultures of the French-speaking world. Here in Jackson, the local Alliance Française (AFJ) chapter is a great connection to all things French in our area, and this month we’re looking forward to sharing some of our favorite books from French authors and about French culture with Lemuria readers.

Few conversations about traveling in France or French culture will go far before the subject of food comes up, so we will start here with a few favorites for both recipes and about the food scene and personalities.

laduree Because I believe in desserts first to be sure I’m not too full for the sweets, I’ll begin with Ladurée: The Sweet Recipes, a collection from the famous Paris (now worldwide) pâtisserie. Baking isn’t my strength in the kitchen, but my sweet tooth makes this little book one of my favorites to flip through and recall the beautiful windows full of small cakes and tarts found all around Paris. The instructions are clearly written and shortcomings in my attempts with the recipes have more to do with a lack of patience on my part; everything always tastes great and as it should, but just isn’t put together in picture-perfect form. The Sweet Recipes features not only the macarons that Ladurée is so well known for, but also other classic French pastries such as madeleines, savarins, crème brúlée, oeufs à la neige (eggs in snow, or meringues in custard), and tarts, along with other small cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

Hungry for France by Alexander Lobrano is a book for food lovers as much as cooks. Lobrano takes readers around France, exploring the restaurants and food traditions of the different regions, introducing readers to the chefs, and sharing a selection of recipes from each region. A word of warning: the beautiful photography of food, restaurants, and countryside in Hungry for France may leave you wishing you could catch a flight to France the next day.

Julia Child’s objective in writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking was to introduce an American audience to French cooking. This classic deserves a place on every home chef’s shelf for its direct instructions and information for preparing classic French food. Child herself is an interesting and entertaining subject, and AFJ member Carl Cerco recommends her biography My Life in France for a look at the years that were to have such a big impact on the rest of her life.

Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France by Michael Steinberger is an interesting look at the crisis the food industry in France has been facing in more recent years, and for me was an eye-opener on the stresses and pressures restaurants face in having a once sought-after Michelin star.

In The Paris Cookbook, Patricia Wells draws on her friendships with well-known chefs around the city for a collection that will bring a French restaurant dinner into your own kitchen. The scallops with warm vinaigrette from la Cagouille is my go-to recipe when I want a simple but special dinner.

It’s difficult to narrow a list of books of French food, so in addition to other books by the authors already mentioned, a few more for consideration are:

French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards by Mimi Thorisson
My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz
On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Hermann Loomis
Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier

Bon appétit!

Tag: Francophile Friday

Francophile Friday: Fiction

Francophile Friday: History and Nonfiction

Francophile Friday: World War II History

Francophile Friday: French Travel

Francophile Friday: French Cooking

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