I hope this will become a recurring feature. I want to review books that may be helpful or insightful for an au pair in Paris (or France more generally).
There are no shortage of books for people who have the desire to up sticks and make a home for themselves in France. Yet these books tend to focus on those who have both the means, and the luxury of time, to renovate quaint farm houses in the south of France. They know that they have years of warmth and sunshine in which to make their mistakes. This is not the case for au pairs. Au pairs have a maximum stay of 12 months on the stagiaire aide familial étranger and every minute not spent speaking French or trying to absorb chic by osmosis is a minute wasted. The easiest way to get around this is by reading the tales of those who have gone before you.
So I will be highlighting books which may be the most useful for you as an au pair on your placement. I am not looking at any particular genre - travel guides, travel writing, language books, poetry, and prose. If it will help you make sense of French life, I will read it and review it. So, let's start with:
Almost French: A New Life In Paris - Sarah Turnbull.
There are no shortage of books for people who have the desire to up sticks and make a home for themselves in France. Yet these books tend to focus on those who have both the means, and the luxury of time, to renovate quaint farm houses in the south of France. They know that they have years of warmth and sunshine in which to make their mistakes. This is not the case for au pairs. Au pairs have a maximum stay of 12 months on the stagiaire aide familial étranger and every minute not spent speaking French or trying to absorb chic by osmosis is a minute wasted. The easiest way to get around this is by reading the tales of those who have gone before you.
So I will be highlighting books which may be the most useful for you as an au pair on your placement. I am not looking at any particular genre - travel guides, travel writing, language books, poetry, and prose. If it will help you make sense of French life, I will read it and review it. So, let's start with:
Almost French: A New Life In Paris - Sarah Turnbull.
