Paris was the Place by Susan Conley

I’ve been doing much more reading of late.  2013 held me captive to a number of one-time activities: saving KGGV, the Big Read, and a Sonoma State graduate course in fundraising for nonprofits.  Now I’m reading some good books for a change.  Susan Conley’s book, which takes place mostly in Paris, struck just the right chord with me. 

I’ve visited Paris dozens of times – alone, with friends, with lovers, wives, my father, and my child, Patricia.  Conley writes this book as a short-term visitor; that matches my experience.  She is a broader, world traveler: peripatetic, me too.  It is a rare gene that allows one to “go native” in a foreign land and become quite settled in and comfortable.  I passed that one on to my daughter, Patricia.  Susan Conley’s Paris is all about people and relationships: mine too – shared fond memories – good times in retrospect, but bad things happen as well.

There are aspects of her character’s personality that are completely opposite of mine.  Willow Pears, the protagonist, is flighty; totally driven by emotion, little room for logic.  It is an endearing quality to the men in her life: brother, lover, father, and friends: at least after they calm down following one of her escapades.  She lacks focus in every area of her life, except for poets and poetry. 

The most minor plot line, “girl meets boy; girl loses boy; girl finds boy” is far and away pre-empted by the major plotlines: brother dies of 1980’s AIDS; pregnancy; Indian independence.

Sarojini Naidu, known by the sobriquet as The Nightingale of India was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet. Naidu was one of the formers of the Indian Constitution. Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress, and, as the Governor of the United Provinces from 1947 to 1949, the first woman to become the governor of an Indian state. Her birthday is celebrated as Women's Day all over India.

This isn’t the end.  The book keeps giving of more plot lines: the French legal system; Child sex trafficking, French cooking, poetry in general, teaching, wines?

A book with something for everyone: even some gourmet cooking.

I suspended disbelief.  I bought into Willie.  I wanted to protect her as did all males in the story.  Willie is worth doing whatever is necessary to make her succeed. I feel the same way about my daughter, see above.  Patricia has moved the mark a milestone further.

Paris, poetry, and pathos: It makes for a good read.