Civilisation Francaise

August 14, 2024August 21, 2024 by onemoreexclamation

Civilisation Francaise by Mary Fleming is a contemporary women’s fiction. Join us on the book tour hosted by Suzy Approved Book Tours.

About the Book

Title: Civilisation Francaise

Written by: Mary Fleming

Genre: Coming of Age, Psychological Fiction

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Find it: Amazon

When recent college graduate Lily Owens enrolls in the Civilisation Française course at the Sorbonne in 1982, she hopes to put a difficult childhood behind her and find direction for adulthood. She moves into a historic mansion on the Place des Vosges where her job is helping elderly, half-blind Amenia Quinon, another ex-pat American. Unbeknownst to Lily, Amenia is haunted by memories of World War II, as is her Jewish housekeeper, Germaine.

The three women live alone in this house of silence and secrets, mostly revolving in their own worlds until Lily secretly lets her friend, Thibaud, move into the empty wing. When Thibaud lets in others, the abandoned part of the house quickly turns into a squat, causing turmoil and distress among the three women, but ultimately bringing them closer together.

About The Author

Mary Fleming was born in Chicago and has lived in France for many years. After working as a journalist and consultant, she turned to fiction and has written two other novels, Someone Else and The Art of Regret. Her bi-weekly photo essay, A Paris-Perche Diary, tracks city and country (Normandy) life.

Website & Blog – Instagram

Reviews for Civilisation Francaise

“In Mary Fleming’s absorbing and affecting novel, a young American takes a course in French civilization and learns more than she bargains for – about sex, cooking, and a family’s unhappy past – and is the better for it. So is the reader.” —Lily Tuck, author of The News from Paraguay and winner of the National Book Award for Fiction

“Two women live uneasily on separate floors of a decrepit mansion in Paris. The younger can’t envision any future for herself. The older woman’s wish to live is failing. Mary Fleming weaves their stories together in Civilisation Française, a haunting novel about the pull of time past and future, and the courage to live fully one’s life and death.”—Laura Furman, author of Tuxedo Park and The Mother Who Stayed

Anyone who has spent her junior year abroad (or not) will love this Balzacian tale of a dark old house in Paris, a powerful old woman, strangely closed-off rooms, and a young American heroine with whom to explore the mysteries of French culture. This book will either take you back or introduce you afresh to the wonders of French life.”—Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce, Le Mariage and L’Affaire

My Thoughts

Both intriguing and timely, the author has penned a wonderful novel. Set in the ’80s, Lily, a recent college graduate enrolls for a course in France to find herself and a direction for her life. She finds work with Amenia, an elderly woman with failing eyesight. Along with the mansion’s housekeeper, the women have secrets – always the best part of a book. In this case, bringing the setting alive is second only to the characters who are both relatable and endearing. When Lily helps out a friend, her real problems begin. I’m a big fan of multiple points of view and the author did a fantastic job blending them. As a bonus, we get a glimpse into French history.