Lucy Knisley and her mother spent January of 2007 in a Paris apartment to celebrate Lucy’s mother’s 50th birthday (and Lucy’s 22nd.) They rented a small apartment in the 5th arrondissement. Lucy had one more semester of college and hoped to go to graduate school for cartooning. While she was in Paris with her mother, she kept a journal and her book, FRENCH MILK is the result of that journal.

FRENCH MILK is a quick read, since it’s a graphic travel memoir. It does include photographs as well as drawings, which I found unique. I was hooked as soon as Lucy mentioned Tintin and Milou, since our sweet dog is named after Milou.

We lived in France fifteen years before Lucy’s trip, and we never lived in Paris, but this book still brought back lots of memories for me. This book is named after Lucy’s love of French milk – she said it came in bottles and was very fresh. I found this interesting, because the only milk we ever saw in France came in a box – it was pretty nasty and most people wouldn’t drink it.

This book was a lot of fun and I think anyone who loves Paris or who would love to visit Paris will enjoy it. ( )

This graphic novel is written like a travel diary. The reader gets inspired by the sites, sounds and tastes of Paris and is warmed by the close relationship between a mother and a daughter. The author really lets us get to know both characters as they get to know each other in different ways than before. The illustrations make you hungry and thirsty and would make anyone long to go to Paris and experience its mystique and romance. ( )

Lucy Knisley is a student at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Lucy and her mother spend a month between school semesters renting an apartment in Paris. This is Lucy's travel diary from that time, told in drawings and photos. Knisley details every meal and every shopping experience. It actually made me want to travel to Paris -- a place I've had little interest in visiting peviously. I'd have to take this book with me so I could easily find the good food and good shopping. Besides food, shopping and sight seeing the book deals with Lucys upcoming graduation from college and her worries about having to soon become a self sufficient adult.
Prior to reading this book I thought it would suffer in comparison to my favorite graphic novel/ travel memoir Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson. While Knisleys drawings are not as good as Thompsons -- they are more along the lines of cartoons -- I really enjoyed this book. Recommended. ( )

When I saw this, I immediately thought it'd be something I would like. Food and graphic novel in one book - nice! And it is, very nice actually! Although, why this young woman insists on eating foie gras at every meal is a mystery to me. Whenever I hear those words, I visualize the foie gras-process in my head - it's not appetizing! I think she did a really great job at capturing the essence of a traveler's visit to Paris and I'm quite jealous at all the great places they went. What a fantastic idea for a travelogue - I would copy it if I could only learn how to draw. The big problem I had with it was Knisey's own character - the fact that she manages to act like a young teenager when she is 22 years old is a little annoying. Or perhaps I was a very adult 22-year-old (way back when) without angst who can't really sympathize? It's possible... It's definitely worth a read, especially if you're a foodie. Warning: If you like flea markets, you may die of jealousy or find yourself immediately booking a flight to France. ( )

The winter Lucy Knisley turns twenty-two and her mother turns fifty, the two of them decide to spend about five weeks living in Paris. They are both at turning points in their lives.

French Milk is the charming journal of Knisley's experience in the City of Lights. Using drawings and photographs, she shows us a unique mix of typical tourist spots (the Eiffel Tower) and parts of the city discovered only by exploring (small unheralded markets). The book is a little bit travel guide and a whole lot foodie.

What is particularly interesting about the memoir is that Knisley takes a frank look at herself and her own behavior. She is not sure of her future, she misses her friends, and she sometimes feels blue. However, her intelligence and appreciation of the arts (literary, visual, and culinary) are strong elements, whether she is searching for her favorite Courbet painting or marveling that she is standing in the same bookstore that Hemingway frequented. Knisley's honesty also comes across when she writes about the less attractive sides of the city. We learn of the snotty maître d', freaky street people, and rude behavior.

Throughout it all, however, is the food: descriptions of food, drawings of food, hints at recipes, visits to restaurants, wanderings through markets, and shopping ventures in kitchen stores. Knisley and her mother are hearty and adventuresome eaters. If you've ever been to Europe, you'll immediately be dreaming of your favorite meal, good bread, excellent coffee, and wonderful cheese. I was ready to call the airlines and start packing!

ust before leaving for France, Knisley had applied for an internship with a cartoonist; that her journal would be in graphic form was only natural. The drawings in French Milk have just enough detail that the images and people's emotions are instantly recognizable, but they are definitely in the comic genre. I easily connected with Knisley's approachable style. Her photographs provide added interest, but I don't think they are of the same quality as her artwork.

I loved Knisley's relationship with her mother, and the book had me dreaming of spending a month with my own mother in Europe. I wish we had thought of doing the same thing thirty years ago. I recommend the book to travelers, foodies, mothers and daughters, and lovers of memoirs and graphic books.

According to Publisher's Weekly, Knisley is working on a second graphic memoir that will focus more exclusively on food. Lucy Knisley has a website with examples of her art, writing, and music. ( )