Foreign Tongue: A Novel of Life and
Love in Paris by Vanina Marsot
Une Histoire Parfaite
Paris, the storybook capital of romance—of strolls down cobblestone
streets and kisses by the Seine—may not be the ideal location to mend a
wounded heart. But pragmatic professional writer Anna, who has been
unlucky in love in L.A., has come here with keys to her aunts empty
apartment. Bilingual and blessed with dual citizenship, she seeks solace in
the delectable pastries, in the company of old friends, and in her exciting
new job: translating a mysterious, erotic French novel by an anonymous
author.
Intrigued by the story, and drawn in by the mystery behind the book,
Anna soon finds herself among the citys literati—and in the arms of an
alluring Parisian—as she resolves to explore who she is . . . in both
cultures.

Personal Review: Foreign Tongue: A Novel of Life and Love in
Paris by Vanina Marsot
"Foreign Tongue" is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read.
This delicious novel is a cleverly-woven tapestry of sensual depictions of
food, wine, fashion, art and sex blended with soul-searching insights into
human relationships.
Our protagonist, Anna, moves from Los Angeles to Paris to mend a broken
heart. When Anna meets a new heartthrob in Paris and takes a job
translating a novel from French to English, she begins a journey of self-
discovery. Anna becomes an intrepid detective as she strives to discover
the identity of the mysterious author of the novel she is translating. She
also makes us want to see if her new lover is faithful to her.
The author, Vanina Marsot, has a gift for painting exquisite tableaux with
her perfectly chosen dialogue and descriptions. Readers will feel
compelled to read some paragraphs several times just to savor her words.
One of my favorite passages out of the many witty bon mots that I enjoyed
during Anna's adventure is:
"The sense of déjà vu was inevitable, but I raced ahead. I knew the
itinerary, could see it on the map, a southwest road trip from hell: first stop,
Shock, like Las Vegas on crack, everything neon and wonky; a long
interlude in Anger and Humiliation, like being held hostage in an unair-
conditioned diner in New Mexico; and then I would run out of gas and hole
up in Miserable and Sorry for Myself, not a town but a rundown intersection
with a motel and a buzzing vacancy sign. The rent was cheap and I was
repeat business."
This novel will have you staying up all night endeavoring to discover if
Anna can find her footing in life. And when you get to the end, the Pièce de
résistance is a surprise ending that I did not see coming. I highly
recommend this book.
Spoiler Alert! If you read this book and have not been to Paris, you will
develop a compulsion to jump on the next plane to France.
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