Joie de Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining and Romancing Like the French

Rochefort, an American married to a Frenchman and living in the country for four decades, is a foreign observer of what it means to be French and, with wit and a unique insight, offers advice on loving life the way her adopted country does. The author, a Midwesterner, adapted quickly, although she’s still amused and baffled by Parisian women’s inability to give her compliments (other than her mother-in-law), the French passion for arguing—“controversy is the French national sport.” But what she does admire about the French is their “talent for finding joy in the moment. They don’t actively seek pleasure. It comes unbidden.” She’s learned the blissful art of just lingering over an espresso in a cafe and gazing at the exquisite architecture and the breathtakingly put-together Parisiennes. For them, small brings beaucoup bliss, whether it’s a stroll or a good glass of wine. They appreciate and expect something as insignificant as a tiny cake to be beautifully wrapped, which they will savor without guilt because it’s petit and not American-sized. Although understanding French attitudes may be futile or not worth the exhaustive effort, Rochefort makes it hard to argue with a philosophy that advocates slowing your pace, being fully engaged by what’s in front of you and incorporating four-course meals into your week. Agent: Regula Noëtzli. (Oct.)