The Mustard Zone

I’m always on the lookout for books about France from an American’s point-of-view.

Just such a book arrived at my doorstep last week in the form of Mademoiselle Benoir. The publisher promised me that I would love it, and I did!

Inspired by a true story, Christine Conrad’s novel begins when Tim Reinhart, a 30-something Harvard graduate and former mathematics professor suddenly quits his job, buys an old farmhouse in a rural part of Southern France, and decides to pursue his love of painting.

In a series of letters to and from his family back in the States, we voyaristically follow Tim’s adventures in La France Profound.

Living in a similar region, I found Tim’s descriptions of France accurate, though sometimes idealized and romantisized.
Tim writes about the difficulites he endurs as a foreigner with a healthy dose of optimism and humor.

At first, problems arise with his quirky French neighbors (many of whom I could imagine bumping into here in Burgundy).

Later on, as Tim’s character grows and evolves, his relationships with his American friends become strained as well.

Things get even more problematic when Tim and the title character of Mademoiselle Benoir (20 years his senior) realize that they are soulmates!

As her sister tries to sabotage their relationship, we learn a lot about French history and French societal codes in letters between Mademoiselle Benoir’s bourgeois family, clergy, and various government officials.

A fun, fast read, Mademoiselle Benoir is a page-turner that’ll take you on an insightful little journey to a not-so-touristy part of France.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 19th, 2006 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Everything Else. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.