French Like Moi: A Midwesterner in Paris

(Hardback)

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Description

When Scott Carpenter moves from Minnesota to Paris, little does he suspect the dramas that await: scheming neighbors, police denunciations, surly demonstrators, cooking disasters, medical mishapsnot to mention all those lectures about cheese! It turns out that nothing in the City of Light can be taken for granted, where even trips to the grocery store lead to adventure.

In French Like Moi, Carpenter guides us through the merry labyrinth of the everyday, one hilarious faux pas after another. Through it all, he keeps his eye on the central mystery of what makes the French French (and Midwesterners Midwestern).

Reviews

Many entertaining anecdotes and worthy observations about French and American culture...Carpenter's droll take keeps the reader chuckling. Minneapolis Star Tribune In this funny memoir, Carpenter has a knack for turning potential catastrophes into comedy. Readers will find plenty to appreciate in his sharp take on expat life. Publishers Weekly A delightful read...essays filled with levity and grace. A winning and witty collection offering humor and insight into the French way of life. Kirkus Reviews French Like Moi tours the everyday Paris thats found away from Eiffel Tower tourism. With an entertaining guide at the helm, bon mots and corny puns find a home alongside solid timing, curious anecdotes, and self-aware mocking. This quirky travel memoir uncovers lesser-known facets with verve. Foreword Reviews, Editor's Pick, five-star review Carpenter captures the ironies, oddities, and attractions of the French capital in a way few writers have achievedwhich is saying a lot, considering how many have tried their hand at conjuring the City of Light. French Like Moi is a delightful romp through French life and Midwestern sensibilities, all combined in one compelling story. Midwest Book Review Loaded with lacerating wit and trenchant but tender observations, Scott Carpenters French Like Moi is also a true original: a serious memoir that doesnt take itself too seriously. It is this humility that gives Carpenters book its undeniable strengththat, and his vivid, often hilarious storytelling. Marcia DeSanctis, New York Times bestselling author of 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go Sit back with a croissant and an espressoor better yet, du vin et du fromageand treat yourself to the delights and dilemmas of being a Midwesterner in Paris. Scott Carpenters tales of life in the French capital will make you laugh, marvel, and daydream about amping up the adventure in your own life. Merci Monsieur Carpenter! Lorna Landvik, author of Chronicles of a Radical Hag Deeply French but also deeply Midwesternand thus rather perfect. Alethea Black, author of Youve Been So Lucky Already The most delightful and delicious form of escapismsmart, kind, funny, and (best of all!) French. Perfect for Francophiles and dreamers alike. K. S. R. Burns, author of The Paris Effect and Paris Ever After French Like Moi is not only full of spot-on cultural observations and the laugh-out-loud-yet-self-deprecating humor Minnesotans do so well, its also beautifully written with a timeless literary flair. Heather Stimmler-Hall, author of Naughty Paris, editor of Secrets of Paris I laughed until my sides hurt at Carpenters lighthearted and self-deprecating take on living in l'Hexagone. For loyal lovers of Paris and France, and anyone whos moved abroad or is thinking about it, French Like Moi is a jovial reminder to pack your patience and your dictionary, and gobble up every single, butter-soaked morsel of the journey. Kimberley Lovato, author of Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves Carpenter greets the language, cuisine, culture, and daily details of life with a wit and honesty that makes for a rollicking read. We encounter vivid characters, impossible scenarios, and such hilarious tableaus that soon we all feel French like lui! Erin Byrne, author of Wings: Gifts of Art, Life, and Travel in France Five stars. Readers Favorite Carpenter shares hilarious faux pas and cultural differences, reading with a deadpan, self-deprecating, understated tone. An affectionate, insiders look at French culture. Booklist, Audiobook

Author Bio

Minnesota-born and Midwest-bred, Scott Dominic Carpenter is the author of Theory of Remainders: A Novel (named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013) and of This Jealous Earth: Stories. Winner of a Mark Twain House Royal Nonesuch Prize (2018), recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, and semi-finalist for the Many Voices Project Prize, he has published work in a wide variety of venues, including The Rumpus, Silk Road, Catapult, South Dakota Review, and various anthologies. He lives 45 miles from Minneapolis in Northfield, Minnesota, and Paris.