NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop, an extraordinary novel about self-discovery and new beginnings. Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne … the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as “the end of the world.”
Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life’s small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it’s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.
With all the buoyant charm that made The Little Paris Bookshop a beloved bestseller, The Little French Bistro is a tale of second chances and a delightful embrace of the joys of life in France.
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I was disappointed in this book…I loved reading her other books but this one just didn’t work for me.
Authors seldom grasp the nature of women at midlife who realize that their lives have been less-than and seek to change. This book spoke to the heart of the issue without leaning on an improbable story line, restoring to histrionics and/or relying on heroic characters. Great read!
Not as good as Little Paris Bookshop
I did not think this would become a book about a woman and her power. The main character is someone you want to shake and say “wake up and see what you are doing to make yourself unhappy!” And then there is the awakening and the gradual change begins.
An additional perk for me is the matter of the accordion. I could almost hear the sound as it wove through the story.
Reread the ending about a dozen times.
very satisfying and enjoyable.
This small novel covers many issues that can occur in anyone’s life, but particularly women’s. It shows how marital abuse isn’t always physical. It shows how difficult it can be to break free from the “monster you’ve known” for many years. But it also shows strength, love, and that it’s never too late. Although in many ways, unrealistic, the story offers hope and lets us know that beauty can be found.
From despair to being able to finally see the infinite possibilities of life, and new beginnings, Marianne, from Germany who has been stuck in a loveless marriage for 40 some years, decides she has had enough, and decides to change her life on her own terms, and after one botched attempt in Paris, where she and her husband were visiting; she decides to leave him and her life and to go to a place called Kerdruc, a place that she had seen painted on a tile, a beautiful depiction of a port village, in Bretagne. Marianne makes her way to this village, where she ends up getting a job in a small restaurant, with little French to communicate. Marianne is taken in by the people of this small town who include her as their own, teaching her the language and making her see her own self worth. She is also a great contributor to all of their lives. This is a magical place that transforms her both inside and out. The town has some wonderful characters each with their own gifts and wonderful insights. A story about a group of people of a certain age, for the most part, yet ageless at the same time.
This is a fun and different story with a bit of magical for all. I cannot wait for another of her stories.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC copy of this book