It is not surprising that Robert Gibbings, artist to his fingertips, has chosen the Seine to follow Sweet Thames and his other river books. For the Seine comprises Pairs, the natural heart of the artistic world. But when he undertook to navigate that quiet-sounding river, little did he dream what was in store for him, and the dangerous nature of his nature in a flimsy little boat on the flooded upper reaches of the river will be missed by none of his readers, despite his light-hearted way of describing it. While Coming Down the Seine is more serious in tone and mood at times than Mr. Gibbing’s last book, it loses none of its appeal because of that. The occasional pause for meditative comment or philosophic aside or discussion of the problems of painting takes nothing away from and, indeed, tends to enhance the characteristically gay tone. No opportunity for the humorous approach is ever missed, no opening for the apt story is lost, no ‘character’ ever fails to receive deft appreciation. From the source of the river to its mouth there can be few places worthy of note about which he does not find something interesting or amusing to relate, whether because of their historical importance, their artistic associations, their scenic peculiarities, or their local legends. He has captured the ‘atmosphere’ of Paris with effortless ease—Paris of the bridges, the pavement cafes, the art schools, and the ateliers, Paris of Montparnasse, ‘cité de toutes les gloires, citée de tous les dédains.’ Recurring through the book are passages of descriptive writing of great beauty, rich in imagery. More than fifty wood engravings illuminate the pages.

An American Library in Paris "Coups de Coeur" Selection A Los Angeles Times Bestseller "Elaine Sciolino is a graceful, companionable writer.… [She] has laid one more beautiful and amusing wreath on the altar of the City of Light.” —Edmund White, New York Times Blending memoir, travelogue, and history, The Seine is a love letter to Paris and the river that determined its destiny. Master storyteller and longtime New York Times foreign correspondent Elaine Sciolino explores the Seine through its lively characters—a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat dweller, a famous cinematographer—and follows it from the remote plateaus of Burgundy through Paris and to the sea. The Seine is a vivid, enchanting portrait of the world’s most irresistible river.

A Connecticut woman trades her smalltown bookshop for one in Paris in this charming contemporary romance for fans of The Holiday. When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend, Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe. But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious, and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order . . . and make her dreams of a Parisian happily ever after come true.

A charming memoir from one of America’s best-loved novelists, William Wharton, author of war-time classic ‘Birdy’.

A vividly rendered portrait of both the rise of Impressionism and of Monet, the artist at the center of the movement. It is, above all, a love story of the highest romantic order.