Novels to read in France

So you are about to set off on the trip of a lifetime to one of the most-loved countries in the world — France! You have been practicing your ‘bonjours’ and your ‘mercis’, and studying maps of Paris to work out how to get around, but there is one more thing you can do to make sure your trip is extra special. And that is to immerse yourself in French life by reading some books set in France.

Reading novels set in Paris or the French countryside will give you an insight into the country which is impossible to get from the guide books. As the characters walk along the Seine or drink their coffee at a table on the Parisian pavement, it will fill you with anticipation to do the same — making the experience so much sweeter when you finally get to do it yourself. If the novel is set in the past, you will have more appreciation for France’s history, bringing many of the places and old buildings alive when you visit them on your trip. And if the novel is set in the present day, there’s nothing more fun than trying to find the streets, bars and restaurants that might be mentioned in the story.

So what books should you read? Here is a selection of five novels which do a great job in bringing France to life, even before you set foot on that plane.

‘Foreign Tongue’ by Vanina Marsot
Nursing a broken heart, Anna moves to Paris from Los Angeles. She begins working as the translator of a cryptic erotic novel and of course, finds herself some romance. The book is a love-letter to the city, with plenty of wanderings through the streets as well as descriptions of French life, food and cafes.

‘The Coral Thief’ by Rebecca Stott
History, mystery, romance and intrigue intertwine in this novel set in post-Napoleonic Paris. It is 1815 and a young Englishman travels to Paris to take up a position at the renowned Jardin des Plantes. But when the collection of rare coral specimens he is carrying is stolen by a beautiful woman, he is drawn into a plot involving revolutionaries, spies and the intelligentsia. Victorian Paris comes alive in this novel, which will surely enhance any present day visit to the Jardin des Plantes, France’s main botanical garden.

‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ by Susan Vreeland
Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ is a famous painting depicting a group of Parisians enjoying lunch on the terrace of a restaurant on the Seine. In this novel Vreeland tells the story of those in the painting and how they came to be there. It is a glorious look at Paris at the time of the Impressionists, and you can still eat at the restaurant itself today.

‘Five Quarters of the Orange’ by Joanne Harris
Now we move out of Paris and into the Loire Valley with this novel by Harris that takes us to a village occupied by the Germans in WWII. The book moves between WWII and the present day, giving us an insight into the long-term effects the Nazi occupation had on the French people. And as it is a book by Joanne Harris, there is a of course lots of time spent exploring French food!

‘The Matchmaker of Perigord’ by Julia Stuart
We finish up with something fun and quirky, in a fictional village in France’s south-west. Amour-Sur-Belle might not be a real place, but it gives a taste of some of the declining villages of rural France. Here, the town barber decides to reinvent himself as a match-maker, quite a task when there are only 33 residents to match up. Filled with delightful characters and semi-ridiculous situations, this novel should just leave you giggling and enjoying the French temperament.

So if you have your tickets booked for Charles de Gaulle airport or you just WISH you had a holiday planned for France, try the books above to immerse yourself in a bit of French life and culture. And if you find yourself enjoying them…well, there’s plenty more to explore…Bon Voyage!

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Books In Sync Recognizes For A Second Year Author Allen Epling

Who holds the truth: Science or the Bible?

Beyond Genesis: The Untold Story of Man’s Origins by Allen Epling

With all the public fascination lately with ´Bible Codes´, the author has uncovered ´hidden´ messages in the book of genesis that could not have been understood until the present age of understanding. With a refreshingly new interpretation, based on present day knowledge, Allen Epling presents new evidence that the events in Genesis are real and that there is a genetic link to the patriarchs of the Old Testament.

Beyond Genesis offers an alternative explanation for the origin of man that is unique and different from either side in the familiar Creationism versus Evolution debate. The author believes the truth revealed in this book was not meant to be understood completely until the present age of information and reason. He reveals new insights which uncover a storyline in Genesis that has previously gone unnoticed. He offers timely new explanations for all the “myths” of Genesis. All hypotheses are based on sound, recent science and the field of genetics, and are supported through references to the original sources. The central theme of the entire book is that the book of Genesis is accurate historically, and that modern man is a product of BOTH the evolutionary processes, AND a unique, separate line of man, the one referred to in Genesis. The book also reveals the ultimate “plan” for man and that it is not finished.

Beyond Genesis Book Review:

In Beyond Genesis, author Allen Epling attempts to solve the decade’s long debate between science and religion, Creationism versus Evolution. Epling proposes that the book of Genesis is historically accurate. The problems lie in the interpretation and translation of ancient text originally written in Hebrew. Epling goes on to suggest that if interpreted correctly, the Book of Genesis would fit with what is considered true in scientific data.

Epling draws on his considerable formal education and life long study and research of religion, history, and the work of earlier religious scholars to explain the mysteries of Genesis. He explains how the first two chapters of the book of Genesis describe two different creation events: the first around 12 billion years ago when God creates Heaven and Earth in a burst of light known as the “Big Bang,” with man-like creatures (Neanderthals, etc.) beginning nearly 2 million years ago.

The second Creation Event took place around 6 thousand years ago when God created the Garden of Eden, Adam and domesticated animals. Epling uses new discoveries in genetics and science as evidence to back his hypothesis that both scientific theory and religious belief about creation are correct.

Is Allen Epling’s interpretation of Genesis the true version? As of now, we have no way of knowing for certain. His theories are as believable as anything presented by academia, science, or religion. I urge you to pick up a copy of this compelling argument, to keep an open mind, and to make your own decision.

I highly recommend Beyond Genesis to anyone open to alternative religious theories and to those who have allowed science to cloud their faith.

Reviewed by WR Potter for Reader’s Choice Reviews.

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Details:

ISBN13: 978-1-4257-0414-8 (Trade Paperback)

ISBN: 1-4257-0414-X (Trade Paperback)

ISBN13: 978-1-4257-0415-5 (Hardback)

ISBN: 1-4257-0415-8 (Hardback)

Pages: 110

Subject: HISTORY / Ancient / General

Subject: HISTORY / Civilization

Subject: RELIGION / Antiquities & Archaeology

Subject: RELIGION / History

Author’s Website Purchase Link

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Trade Paperback:  .84

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Availability

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Allen Epling’s Website

http://www.beyondgenesis.com

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http://www.christianpost.com/blogs/

Allen Epling’s Email

a_epling@yahoo.com

Please Visit Allen Epling’s Author’s Webpage On Book In Sync

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Submitted by Books In Sync

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Submission Date: April 2010