I'm prefacing this post with the fact that it has nothing to do with PR or fashion. Sorry to disappoint, but I like to break the rules. I just really enjoyed this book and thought I should share! Seriously, it was so good!
The book is called The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay. I literally finished it in two days, albeit the book is pretty short and I had plenty of free time on my five hour car ride home last week. Normally I don't fly through books, but I just couldn't put this one down.
It's by the same author as Sarah's Key (another great book if you haven't checked it out!). She writes a lot of historical pieces that center around Paris, where she currently lives. de Rosnay has the ability to transport you back in time and really make you feel like you are the characters she writes about. And there is something so innately magical about Paris in the 1860s. Or just Paris in general. Ever since I read The Paris Wife, I've been on a big Paris kick and I really, really want to go back!
This book in particular is written in the form of letters by the main character, Rose Bazelet, to her late husband, Armand. At the time she is writing the letters, Paris is going under a massive renovation, turning it into the "modern city" we think of today. However, Rose's house stands in the way of the construction plans and she is determined to fight against its destruction. The home was her husband's family home, where the Bazelet's lived for generations. Rose's dedication to not leave the home, despite its impending demolition, is so very poignant and heartfelt.
The book made me think of the importance of home and one's family. Especially for a college student, home is such a strange concept. I have my childhood home in the Chicago suburbs, where I grew up and lived for 18 years. But I also have my home(s) in Bloomington, that include three different dorms. I'm sort of in the in-between where my childhood house isn't really "home" anymore, but Bloomington isn't entirely either. Sometimes when I was reading, I envied Rose because she has such strong roots to one particular location. But at the same time, as a twenty-something, I thrive on having the freedom to move around and not be tied down to one spot.
The House I Loved also got me thinking about change. In today's society I think we are a lot more accepting of change. I mean, we have a new model of the iPhone out just about every year, and millions line up to swap in their old phones for the latest and greatest. In the 1860s, things didn't move as fast and I don't think they realized the good that could come from remodeling the city. We seem to view change as "better" now as technology constantly improves to make life easier. But it also begs the question, do we have the "shiny-new-toy-syndrome"? Are we continually striving for the newest and best thing that we aren't actually enjoying what we do have?
Ok, I'll get off my soap box for now, but you should seriously check out this book! It's a quick read but leaves you full of questions and really gets you to think. A perfect read on the train or subway ride to work in the morning!
And now I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures from Paris. I'm at the top of the Eiffel Tower and the view was INCREDIBLE! Take me back, please?!
What book are you excited to read this summer?
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