ALL YOU NEED TO BE IMPOSSIBLY FRENCH

Author: Helena Frith Powell ISBN: 0452287782 12/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: PLUME

The allure of the Frenchwoman—sexy, sophisticated, flirtatious, and glamorous—is legendary. More than an eye for fashion or a taste for elegance, the French je ne sais quoi embodies the essential ingredients for looking and feeling beautiful. With wit, whimsy, and wonder, British expatriate Helena Frith Powell uncovers the secrets of chic living in All You Need to be Impossibly French, a cheeky guide to releasing your inner Frenchwoman. Delving deep into a mysterious realm of face creams, silk lingerie, and shopping-as-exercise, Powell reveals how French women stay impossibly thin and irresistibly sexy by achieving the maximum effect from the minimum amount of effort. Forget diet and inspiration books and style guides—this is all you need to embrace the wisdom of French living, and learn how to turn every day into la petite aventure."

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This memoir is a keeper. The author is a British journalist who lives in France with her husband and children. Basically, she spent her time interviewing French and British men and women to try to figure out the differences between French and British women. She draws any number of startling contrasts, and neither side as caricature is very admirable, but it's sure interesting. Her style isn't at all dry, but chatty and fun, though quite insightful.

You will gain information from this book on how to eat and exercise, and a new way of thinking about aging. Much is explored about the way French women see themselves as having a lifetime of seduction in front of them. You also learn about the French political system and how being a mother there is different than in other countries.

This book made me realize how big cultural differences can be, even when the society isn't one commonly considered so different from ours. It considers a lot of the reasons why their female culture is different than the British. If you are an American, you can investigate both cultures in one book as a result.

It made me want to get back to France and do some shopping. I also have the French morning exercise routine bookmarked, and hope to one day get around to trying it! If you have an interest in France or other cultures in general, take a look at these little secrets of French women.

Heather Hiestand