Janice MacLeod

If ever there were a book I’d love to climb inside, an author through whom I could live vicariously, it’s Janice MacLeod. And Paris Letters.

After climbing the metaphorical advertising ladder in Los Angeles, Janice realizes her “dream job” — and dream life — aren’t quite what she imagined. Worn out by her 9-to-5 and dreaming of so much more than a dull commute and another birthday cake for a coworker, she begins to fantasize about a life beyond the square walls of her office. show more Encouraged to journal her thoughts and think about something more, a question rises to the surface: How much money does it take to change your life?

The answer is roughly 60K, actually — enough to quit her job, sell most of her worldly possessions and leave California for a walkabout in Europe. By scrimping wherever possible, she amasses enough to arrive in Paris and walk sip creamy lattes in the sidewalk cafes just as she imagined. Though she speaks no French, her arrival in the City of Light isn’t burdened by language barriers. She soon meets Christophe, a handsome butcher, and begins her French education rather romantically.

When she considered her talents back in America, one passion kept returning to her: art. Painting. With the time and freedom to now explore those dreams, she sets to work cultivating and fashioning an entirely new life for herself. And the results are pretty extraordinary.

How to describe my love for Paris Letters? Picture me in my pajamas sipping coffee on a snowy day, imagining what it must feel like to step off a plane with only a tiny suitcase in a foreign city — unburdened, untethered, totally free. Though I love my own work, I know the constraints of a desk job all too well. The idea of abandoning it all to chase your passions — in Paris! — holds an allure I can’t deny.

For Janice, shedding her old skin and finding love in France is revelatory. Who among us can’t relate to holding that holy grail of professional accomplishment — that “I did it!” cup declaring you finally met a longstanding goal — only to realize . . . you’re not happy? It isn’t what you wanted after all? If the joy is in the journey, reaching the end of that journey — job stability; boring routines — isn’t actually so joyous in the end.

And that’s okay.

Janice’s experiences in Europe are absolutely enchanting — and I’m going to be honest here. It’s been a long time since I read a Paris- or London-themed book that didn’t make me green and rage-y with jealousy. Usually when I read a memoir about an American/Canadian upending their lives to eat macarons, write and paint abroad with a seemingly unending pile of cash, I think, Oh, golly — must be freakin’ nice.

But here? All I felt about Janice’s story was complete enchantment. She’s down-to-earth, friendly, funny, interesting. Writing honestly about both her feelings on leaving behind her old life and the stress of beginning a new one (and with a new man), I bonded with Janice immediately — and that’s all to say nothing of her actual Paris letters, which she paints, writes and addresses to subscribers through Etsy. When I finished Paris Letters, I made a mad scramble to see if her work is still available online — and it is! And my delight will continue. show less

I read this book in one sitting. It was incredibly charming and addictive. I felt as if Janice was the little voice in my head speaking over my shoulder. I know it's a memoir, but it's so refreshing to hear her thoughts and concerns and have them mimic my own. Her sense of humour is wonderful, and the whole story was filled with romantic fantasy with just enough reality to fill the blanks. I was immensely excited to find out at the end that she is Canadian like myself, and currently living show more in my city! show less

This was an interesting mix of love story and quitting a life, and I very much enjoyed it. As a romance reader, it was fascinating to see a real life romance initially based solely on attraction since neither spoke the other’s language; I guess this is how people can fall in love, but it was definitely something new to me. The author got the Etsy dream back when it was still viable a decade ago and managed to create a life as an artist. It all seems a bit too perfect, but I’m rather show more jaded so oh well good for her. show less

I think this is the type of memoir you really have to be in the right mood to read. And when I started I may not have been in the right mood, as I found it extremely difficult to empathize with the writer AT ALL. I really do get tired of reading about 30-something women who whine and moan about not having a boyfriend, and is there something wrong with them that they don't. Blah blah blah.

However, this did eventually turn into more than just a woman's quest to find true love. And granted, I'm show more probably not being all that fair to being with. I was also skeptical about her ability to save up enough money in 1 year to be able to live in Europe for any amount of time without working. That could just be jealously speaking, though, as I have enough debt in student loans to fund a more-than-comfortable year in Europe. Sigh...I wish I had the kind of drive it took for this author to just get up and go. Very admirable.

I also really liked the formatting of the book (if that matters to anyone). I received the paperback edition, with both covers being copies of her watercolors. Really beautiful.

Overall I enjoyed the book, even with the already mentioned caveats. I think I will recommend this to people who are looking for inspiration in making some kind of major change in their lives, whether it be personal, professional, or whatever. It's good to know that it really is possible.

I received this from Goodreads First Reads. show less