Well, the Melbourne Covid lockdown looks set to continue for longer than we might have hoped. I guess that means I’ll just have to keep reading about France rather than travelling there!
And that’s where memoirs have a certain appeal. If I can’t see France through my own eyes, I can at least enjoy French goodness through the eyes of others. So when the publicity team for Lisa Baker Morgan’s new memoir Paris, Part Time reached out to provide a PDF version of the book, I was very happy to follow Lisa’s French adventures.
This book covers a six year time span where, following a divorce and a near death experience, Lisa reinvents herself. She also chases her dream to live in Paris – at least for some of the time. If you’ve ever wanted to buy your own little piece of the City of Light, then this book is a must read.
Title: ’Paris, Part Time’
Author: Lisa Baker Morgan
Published: 2020 by ciao yummy! I read the PDF version, but the Paperback has 408 pages.
What I Liked:
- The fact that Lisa Baker Morgan seems like a complete powerhouse and an inspirational woman. A one-time lawyer turned chef and author. Single mama of two daughters. Intrepid solo traveller. Marathon runner – and then Ironman competitor. Home owner and decorator on two continents. Seriously, this lady appears to never sleep – and is seemingly unstoppable.
- The recipes. Yes, there are over 25 recipes in this memoir. You all know how I love a good cookbook – so to find recipes in the memoir was a real bonus. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised – the author is a chef after all. I haven’t cooked anything from the pages of this book yet, but I’m keen to try more than a few.
- The gorgeous photography. Double bonus – Paris, Part Time also contains a stack of photos. I really like Lisa’s photography style, which in some ways reminds me of Scotty’s. There is always something lovely about photos that capture the little details of a place.
- The level of detail the book goes into, especially when it comes to the purchase of the Parisian apartment. As far as memoirs go, Paris, Part Time is quite long. But that means there is plenty of information on apartment buying and life in Paris and France.
- Lisa’s descriptions of her French travels. Lisa shares her memories of a number of French destinations in the book. We’ve visited many of cities and towns she mentions and I found myself remembering our own travels through her words.
What I Wasn’t So Sure About:
- Like I said earlier, this is a lengthy memoir that spans a six year time period. Which means there are lots of ‘characters’ to keep up with. Sometimes I found myself getting lost about whether the people Lisa was referencing had already been introduced or if they were new. However, this was only a minor issue. I had no trouble keeping up with the regular players in Lisa’s life, like her daughters, close friends and tradesmen.
Have you read Paris, Part Time? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And until next time – au revoir.
Photograph supplied courtesy of Lisa Baker Morgan. While all opinions are my own, I’d like to thank the team at Dini Von Mueffling for sending me a PDF version of Paris, Part Time.
