Book review

Don't laugh, but I just read a book called Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier. I was skeptical, fearing a silly or trite look at the French in terms of pouting, fashion or um ... "romance." Instead, it actually gives a well-rounded, informative cultural background for what comprises French living across the board. The detail is so rich that you feel like you're there, so if nothing else, it's a great escape.

It's written primarily on a behavioral level, but it will provoke some introspection, if you look for it. The overall idea you walk away with is that women of other cultures absolutely have some wonderful things to offer in the form of different perspectives on life, and we might do well to incorporate a few of their viewpoints into our own.

It's an easy, and frankly, relaxing read, that really makes you want to revel in your femininity, as well as find your inner French girl, as the title suggests. I'm definitely working on the latter. There are also several fun "extras." Brush up on the names of famous French intelluctuals, writers, actresses, queens and the like, plus American women who successfully adopted a French lifestyle. The book also recommends several films and books that offer authentic takes on the culture. Apparently, America's own Edith Wharton (one of my absolute favorite novelists) was quite the Francophile.

It's fun, it's cultural and it's a nice break from a day that may have drowned you in testosterone.