Biography: Paris in Love by Eloisa James

Paris in Love (Random House) is a book about living the dream. The fact this it was penned by a writer of talent and intense charm makes spending a year in the city of love with her and her family both sweet and remarkable.

In a single week in November, I missed up immanent with imminent, paramount with tantamount, and soup with soup. I addressed my friend Philip as “Paris,” and I put a roll of paper towels in the dishwasher, rescuing it in the nick of time. In the middle of the night, I came to the stark conclusion that my brain must be dying.

With a serious medical diagnosis forcing her to take a good look at her life, professor and New York Times bestselling romance novelist Eloisa James quit her job, sold her house and dragged her family to Paris for a year. While there, James participated and observed, her eyes sharp and her heart open. It’s a lovely journey.

This morning I dropped Anna off at school, then walked across the Siene on a lavishly gilded bridge. The wind was fiercely chilly, but the sky bright blue, and the way the sun shone on the river and danced over all that gold leaf opened a door straight from winter to a slice of spring.

Paris in Love is comprised of snippets from James’ Twitter feed, updates from Facebook as well as longer essays about all aspects of James and family’s Paris year. The resulting book is part travel guide, part diary and -- inexplicably -- part letter from a friend. ◊

Monica Stark is a contributing editor to January Magazine. She currently makes her home on a liveaboard boat somewhere in the North Pacific.