Author Talk: Ruth Reichl, "The Paris Novel"

Foodies, fashion, and fiction fans: are you ready for a "mouthwatering” (New York Times) adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980's Paris? 

Darien Library, along with Barrett Bookstore, welcomes author Ruth Reichl who will discuss her new book, The Paris Novel. Ruth will be in conversation with Page Berger. 

When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.

Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.

Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.

As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.

About The Author

Ruth Reichl is the New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, the novel Delicious!, and the cookbooks My Kitchen Year, and Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir that was published in 2020. She was editor in chief of Gourmet magazine and previously served as restaurant critic for The New York Times, as well as food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times.

She has been honored with six James Beard Awards. In 2024, she received the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.

About Page Berger

Page Berger is a freelance ghostwriter and writer who pens the bi-weekly Four Top newsletter. She graduated cum laude from Davidson College and earned master’s degrees from Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Page held positions at the Robin Hood Foundation and Teach For America and worked for several years as the marketing and event director at Barrett Bookstore. Page’s passion lies in fostering community and connection through conversation and storytelling. Learn more at www.pageberger.com.