Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For a few weeks when we first arrived in Hamburg, we had an American au pair who did a moonlight flit one afternoon after telling me she had a dentist’s appointment so I needed to take the baby. I returned home after picking up my children from school to find the hall cupboard surprisingly empty, but only realised she’d gone when I poked my head into her room to discover the usual pile of books was gone. This was the only one she left behind. It’s taken me 18 years to get round to reading it, but it was worth it in the end.

As an expat mother myself, I was really interested in what Adam Gopnik had to say about expat parenthood. He seems on the whole to have led a charmed life socialising with some pretty fancy people, but he also spent much time at home with his son. He also had the privilege of visiting magical places like the carousel in the Luxembourg Gardens and a taxidermist’s shop that seems to exist only as a somewhat gruesome version of a zoo.

Gopnik also makes some interesting and familiar observations about children brought up as expats, about differences between American and French attitudes (though I think many of those attitudes are European rather than specifically French). All in all, a very satisfying book. I hope to write a fuller review on my blog sometime.



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This book has been released as part of the following BookCrossing challenges:
- The Ultimate Challenge - read and release books, with extra points for a monthly theme
- Reduce Mount TBR (To Be Read) - read and release books on the TBR list since before the end of the previous year. My reading goal is 36 books.

Ik ben nieuwsgierig naar dit boek; ik kom graag in Parijs en ga er na de zomer weer heen, ik hoop dit boek dan gelezen te hebben en wie weet nog wat interessante dingen te weten te komen over de stad.

This book started off very promising with very nice observations about differences between Parisiens and Americans, between Paris and life in the US. But after this, is was rather dull, just everyday life of a young family. I guess they got used to living in Paris.

Dit boek gaat mee naar de meeting om een nieuwe lezer(es) te vinden.

Dit boek lag nog op tafel toen ik van de meeting vertrok en omdat ik er (nog) niet aan toe ben om het wild te laten vrijlaten heb ik het weer mee terug naar huisgenomen.

Boek zoekt lezer op bc-meeting / book wishes to find reader at bc-meeting.

This book is taken from a perfect summer meeting at beach pavilion Zoomers in Castricum.

I have been in Paris quite often, and was curious to read how an amercan looks at Paris.
But, It did not appeal to me. I couldn't find myself in any way the writer talks about Paris.

So stopped reading before I read half of it.

Dit boek gaat mee naar de nieuwjaarsmeeting 2023 in Eindhoven.

I've taken this one from the wintermeeting in Eindhoven.

Fly and be free!

Released for the 2023 Asian Zodiac / Year of the Rabbit Challenge.
Released for the Januari 2023 Uitdaging: Science Fiction.
Released for the 52 towns in 52 weeks – 2023 challenge.
Released for the Release 52 boeken in 52 plaatsen 2023 challenge.