What do you think?
Rate this book
100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go
Told in a series of stylish, original essays, New York Times travel bestseller 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is for the serious Francophile and anyone who loves crisp stories well told. Like all great travel writing, this collection goes beyond the guidebook and offers insight not only about where to go but why to go there. Combining advice, memoir, and meditations on the glories of traveling through France, this book is the must-have for anyone—woman or man—voyaging to or just dreaming of France.
Award-winning writer Marcia DeSanctis draws on years of travels and life in France to lead you through vineyards, architectural treasures, fabled gardens, and contemplative hikes from Biarritz to Deauville, Antibes to the French Alps. These 100 entries capture art, history, food, fresh air, beaches, wine, and style and along the way, she tells the stories of many fascinating women who changed the country's destiny. Ride a white horse in the Camargue, seek iconic paintings of women in Paris, try thalassotherapy in St. Malo, shop for raspberries at Nice's Cour Saleya market—these and 96 other pleasures are rendered with singular style. The stories are sexy, literary, spiritual, profound, and overall, simply gorgeous. 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is an indispensable companion for the smart and curious love of France.
Award-winning writer Marcia DeSanctis draws on years of travels and life in France to lead you through vineyards, architectural treasures, fabled gardens, and contemplative hikes from Biarritz to Deauville, Antibes to the French Alps. These 100 entries capture art, history, food, fresh air, beaches, wine, and style and along the way, she tells the stories of many fascinating women who changed the country's destiny. Ride a white horse in the Camargue, seek iconic paintings of women in Paris, try thalassotherapy in St. Malo, shop for raspberries at Nice's Cour Saleya market—these and 96 other pleasures are rendered with singular style. The stories are sexy, literary, spiritual, profound, and overall, simply gorgeous. 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is an indispensable companion for the smart and curious love of France.
- GenresTravelFranceNonfiction
420 pages, Paperback
Published November 11, 2014
58 people are currently reading
650 people want to read
About the author
Marcia DeSanctis
4 books16 followersMarcia DeSanctis is the New York Times bestselling author of 100 PLACES IN FRANCE EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GO (Travelers’ Tales/Solas House) and 2022's A HARD PLACE TO LEAVE: STORIES FROM A RESTLESS LIFE. She is a former television news producer who has worked for Barbara Walters, ABC, CBS, and NBC News. She is a Contributing Editor of Travel + Leisure, and writes for Air Mail, Lonely Planet, Vogue, Marie Claire, Town & Country, O the Oprah Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Tin House, and The New York Times. Her travel essays have been widely anthologized, including six consecutive years in Best Woman’s Travel Writing and Best Travel Writing. She is the recipient of five Lowell Thomas Awards for excellence in travel journalism, including Travel Journalist of the Year in 2012 for her essays from Rwanda, Russia, Haiti and France, and two Solas Award for Best Travel Writing. She grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts and holds a degree from Princeton University in Slavic Languages and Literature as well as a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She lives in northwest Connecticut.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 28, 2023
I'm a lucky girl. In 2010, in what must have been a heavenly intervention, I was able to leave my ordinary life, fly across the big ocean, and spend two weeks in amazing France.
I still can't quite believe it happened. And I will never forget that trip.
And how about you, my friend? Are you like I was for so many years, desperately hoping to find a way to go there? Or have you been there, like me, and think every day about going back?
I have the perfect solution for all of us women...everyone who has been once and hopes to go again...everyone who has never been but hopes one day to go...and even those who know in their hearts that they will probably never get to go...and here it is: 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go by Marcia DeSanctis. It is perfect for you to plan, to dream, to scheme about all the best places we women should visit in France. DeSanctis choose all the beautiful places, all the fun places, all the quiet places, all the secret places that we want to go---sometimes places we don't know we want to go.
And even if you never get to put these plans into reality (as I suspect will happen to me), so what? You can still read about these hundred wonderful places, and, for a time, you will be there.
It's much more than a Best of book; I felt while I was reading it like DeSanctis herself was sitting in the room with me, telling me stories about places she had ventured to in France, sharing secrets she was afraid to tell too many people.
Here are some of the wonderful places DeSanctis shares: the lavender route in Provence; make-your-own-perfume in Grasse; the inspiring Marie Curie Museum in Paris; French language immersion classes; a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a 3-star restaurant in France; George Sand's house in Nohant; the beaches of the Battle of Normandy; the lighthouses of Brittany...oh, I could go on and on.
Not only does DeSanctis make great choices, but can she ever write! Here is a little sample from her book:
"Ile Saint-Honorat is a place to pose your own questions and find the silence in which to resolve them in the dry heat among 17the century olive trees and gatherings of palm, parasol pines and cypress. This is where to come for a spiritual retreat (you don't need to be Catholic---you just need to crave some solitude) and to live from two to six days as the monks do: simply, closely connected to the land they carefully tend. When I disembark at the island's tiny harbor, I head past lavender bushes along a densely packed red soil path that leaves a claylike residue on the soles of my shoes. I ask my friend what smells so sublime. Eucalyptus, pine, dry wood, tea olive blossoms and vine, perhaps something sweet that blows in over the waves. The island is blanketed by the pastel shadows of the Mediterranean sun and supported by a foundation of secluded coves, chalky cliffs and rugged beaches, which frame the vineyards and wild vegetation that cover the parts of Saint-Honorat that the remains of medieval chapels do not...."
You see what I mean, don't you? Yes. Let me give you a minute to take in one more breath of that eucalyptus and pine. Ah. Now go on. Go. Go get this book.
I still can't quite believe it happened. And I will never forget that trip.
And how about you, my friend? Are you like I was for so many years, desperately hoping to find a way to go there? Or have you been there, like me, and think every day about going back?
I have the perfect solution for all of us women...everyone who has been once and hopes to go again...everyone who has never been but hopes one day to go...and even those who know in their hearts that they will probably never get to go...and here it is: 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go by Marcia DeSanctis. It is perfect for you to plan, to dream, to scheme about all the best places we women should visit in France. DeSanctis choose all the beautiful places, all the fun places, all the quiet places, all the secret places that we want to go---sometimes places we don't know we want to go.
And even if you never get to put these plans into reality (as I suspect will happen to me), so what? You can still read about these hundred wonderful places, and, for a time, you will be there.
It's much more than a Best of book; I felt while I was reading it like DeSanctis herself was sitting in the room with me, telling me stories about places she had ventured to in France, sharing secrets she was afraid to tell too many people.
Here are some of the wonderful places DeSanctis shares: the lavender route in Provence; make-your-own-perfume in Grasse; the inspiring Marie Curie Museum in Paris; French language immersion classes; a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a 3-star restaurant in France; George Sand's house in Nohant; the beaches of the Battle of Normandy; the lighthouses of Brittany...oh, I could go on and on.
Not only does DeSanctis make great choices, but can she ever write! Here is a little sample from her book:
"Ile Saint-Honorat is a place to pose your own questions and find the silence in which to resolve them in the dry heat among 17the century olive trees and gatherings of palm, parasol pines and cypress. This is where to come for a spiritual retreat (you don't need to be Catholic---you just need to crave some solitude) and to live from two to six days as the monks do: simply, closely connected to the land they carefully tend. When I disembark at the island's tiny harbor, I head past lavender bushes along a densely packed red soil path that leaves a claylike residue on the soles of my shoes. I ask my friend what smells so sublime. Eucalyptus, pine, dry wood, tea olive blossoms and vine, perhaps something sweet that blows in over the waves. The island is blanketed by the pastel shadows of the Mediterranean sun and supported by a foundation of secluded coves, chalky cliffs and rugged beaches, which frame the vineyards and wild vegetation that cover the parts of Saint-Honorat that the remains of medieval chapels do not...."
You see what I mean, don't you? Yes. Let me give you a minute to take in one more breath of that eucalyptus and pine. Ah. Now go on. Go. Go get this book.
October 27, 2014
I have a special place in my heart for lists of 100 anything, but a list of 100 places to visit in France easily floats toward the top of my list of lists. When they are recommended by accomplished travel writer Marcia DeSanctis, I know I will have a list, and a book, bristling with post-it notes and dotted with marginal exclamation points!
This is the guide to read before you pick up that other guidebook–the one with hotels and restaurants in tiny type–and to pack in your suitcase for the pure pleasure of it. Each of its hundred succinct chapters is enhanced with a small emblematic photo or drawing, but the real star is DeSanctis’s text: her warmly personal prose unites a keen knowledge of French lore with a wealth of travel experience and anecdote. She is a confident connoisseur, but never a stuffy one; she readily shares with the reader those occasions when she changed her mind about a sight or revised a preconception.
Her introduction sets the stage with her own history of loving France. It may have been a madeleine for Proust, but for DeSanctis, it was that first bite of croissant–even the American version that came as rolled-up dough in a can–that got her curious about France. Exploration of French books and music finally culminated in her first visit to Paris as a young adult, which sparked a sense of belonging and fit a piece into life’s puzzle for her:
"Not just me, but every woman belonged in Paris, and to miss out meant missing out on life itself. France was not just my idea; it was a universal one, a rite of passage, the place we were where we could both escape ourselves and find the power and grace to be ourselves. It was one piffling ocean away, and returning there as soon as possible was the best reason I could think of to squirrel away my paycheck…" (p. xvii)
She did save her paycheck, and returned again and again, meeting and marrying her husband, sometimes living there, and sometimes just making another pilgrimage to fulfill a particular longing. As she writes, “In France, we find what we are missing. This book contains 100 of those missing things.” The first 25 places are in Paris, and then she breaks out of the city to explore the rest of France, making stops such as Lake Annecy, Vézelay, the beaches of Normandy, Aix-en-Provence, and Chamonix. Many of the chapters are about experiences (eating an unforgettable meal, hearing sacred music in a soaring space, shopping for the perfect lingerie) with no particular address, but many delightful suggestions of where to find it. In my full review at The Fictional 100, I offer more details highlighting nine of DeSanctis's chapters.
I will simply conclude with DeSanctis’s own statement of one of her chief aims as a traveler, from her chapter on the glorious cathedral of Amiens:
"In travel, I like to seek context–fictional, real or otherwise–for my surroundings. I like to find a memory, even someone else’s, to unearth, as a focus that prevents me from being a mere outsider…" (p. 375)
She succeeds admirably in this aim, conjuring for the reader a delectable wealth of associations for each landmark, or landmark experience, she describes. DeSanctis presents a way of traveling through her 100 Places in France that is comforting, enlightening, and refreshing, and I recommend most highly making the reading journey alongside her.
This is the guide to read before you pick up that other guidebook–the one with hotels and restaurants in tiny type–and to pack in your suitcase for the pure pleasure of it. Each of its hundred succinct chapters is enhanced with a small emblematic photo or drawing, but the real star is DeSanctis’s text: her warmly personal prose unites a keen knowledge of French lore with a wealth of travel experience and anecdote. She is a confident connoisseur, but never a stuffy one; she readily shares with the reader those occasions when she changed her mind about a sight or revised a preconception.
Her introduction sets the stage with her own history of loving France. It may have been a madeleine for Proust, but for DeSanctis, it was that first bite of croissant–even the American version that came as rolled-up dough in a can–that got her curious about France. Exploration of French books and music finally culminated in her first visit to Paris as a young adult, which sparked a sense of belonging and fit a piece into life’s puzzle for her:
"Not just me, but every woman belonged in Paris, and to miss out meant missing out on life itself. France was not just my idea; it was a universal one, a rite of passage, the place we were where we could both escape ourselves and find the power and grace to be ourselves. It was one piffling ocean away, and returning there as soon as possible was the best reason I could think of to squirrel away my paycheck…" (p. xvii)
She did save her paycheck, and returned again and again, meeting and marrying her husband, sometimes living there, and sometimes just making another pilgrimage to fulfill a particular longing. As she writes, “In France, we find what we are missing. This book contains 100 of those missing things.” The first 25 places are in Paris, and then she breaks out of the city to explore the rest of France, making stops such as Lake Annecy, Vézelay, the beaches of Normandy, Aix-en-Provence, and Chamonix. Many of the chapters are about experiences (eating an unforgettable meal, hearing sacred music in a soaring space, shopping for the perfect lingerie) with no particular address, but many delightful suggestions of where to find it. In my full review at The Fictional 100, I offer more details highlighting nine of DeSanctis's chapters.
I will simply conclude with DeSanctis’s own statement of one of her chief aims as a traveler, from her chapter on the glorious cathedral of Amiens:
"In travel, I like to seek context–fictional, real or otherwise–for my surroundings. I like to find a memory, even someone else’s, to unearth, as a focus that prevents me from being a mere outsider…" (p. 375)
She succeeds admirably in this aim, conjuring for the reader a delectable wealth of associations for each landmark, or landmark experience, she describes. DeSanctis presents a way of traveling through her 100 Places in France that is comforting, enlightening, and refreshing, and I recommend most highly making the reading journey alongside her.
November 18, 2014
As most of you know I am a Francophile. Needless to say when the opportunity to review this book became available I jumped all over it.
This is not your typical travelogue, rather it reads more like your bestie sharing her travel journal with you or your bestie writing you a series of personal notes on where to go and more importantly why to visit a few known and unknown sites while in France. DeSanctis possesses a graceful and intimate writing style creating more than a travelogue. This book is knowledge at your fingertips, providing history and personal experiences and overall information piquing your interest further while supplying an armchair education of France and respective locations suggested.
If you’ve never been to France, if you’re planning your first trip or a revisit of this beautiful country you’ll want to read this gem. I have been to France several times and plan on going again and again, now this book will be in my clutches and travel with me. I have visited a few of the suggested locations but after reading this I plan on hitting all 100.
Leaning towards the feminine is a quality appealing to me, and DeSanctis highlights this aspect spot on, again making this book exceptional. It’s not a shopping guide, it’s a well rounded travel adventure. Rest assured I doubt your male travel partner will require having his arm twisted to accompany you on many of the destinations listed. Granted a few you’ll want to visit alone or girls only but honestly both sexes will enjoy the places referenced. Who wouldn’t enjoy the Côte d’Azur, strolling through vineyards, smelling lavender from a rambling field, art, culture, cooking classes, the suggestions are endless and enticing. So much to be discovered and what revelations revealed as you meander along. The locations offered will appeal to a wide audience, no doubt there is something for all to investigate. An eclectic contribution broadening your knowledge of France as well as your senses. The mystique, the sexiness of France as it reaches its hand to women, extending an offer of exploring more than fashion and food, the offerings are unlimited. Wonderful read on France written with sophistication and flair pulling you towards the City of Light. Escape to France or escape from the comfort of your living room, all possible with this treasure trove of knowledge in your hand via 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go.
This is not your typical travelogue, rather it reads more like your bestie sharing her travel journal with you or your bestie writing you a series of personal notes on where to go and more importantly why to visit a few known and unknown sites while in France. DeSanctis possesses a graceful and intimate writing style creating more than a travelogue. This book is knowledge at your fingertips, providing history and personal experiences and overall information piquing your interest further while supplying an armchair education of France and respective locations suggested.
If you’ve never been to France, if you’re planning your first trip or a revisit of this beautiful country you’ll want to read this gem. I have been to France several times and plan on going again and again, now this book will be in my clutches and travel with me. I have visited a few of the suggested locations but after reading this I plan on hitting all 100.
Leaning towards the feminine is a quality appealing to me, and DeSanctis highlights this aspect spot on, again making this book exceptional. It’s not a shopping guide, it’s a well rounded travel adventure. Rest assured I doubt your male travel partner will require having his arm twisted to accompany you on many of the destinations listed. Granted a few you’ll want to visit alone or girls only but honestly both sexes will enjoy the places referenced. Who wouldn’t enjoy the Côte d’Azur, strolling through vineyards, smelling lavender from a rambling field, art, culture, cooking classes, the suggestions are endless and enticing. So much to be discovered and what revelations revealed as you meander along. The locations offered will appeal to a wide audience, no doubt there is something for all to investigate. An eclectic contribution broadening your knowledge of France as well as your senses. The mystique, the sexiness of France as it reaches its hand to women, extending an offer of exploring more than fashion and food, the offerings are unlimited. Wonderful read on France written with sophistication and flair pulling you towards the City of Light. Escape to France or escape from the comfort of your living room, all possible with this treasure trove of knowledge in your hand via 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go.
January 19, 2020
GREAT suggestions. She made me so excited to travel to France.
The way this was organized was confusing. She kept popping around regions and I had no perception where she was in France. If it had been, definitely would have given a higher rating.
The way this was organized was confusing. She kept popping around regions and I had no perception where she was in France. If it had been, definitely would have given a higher rating.
October 9, 2021
Not your typical guidebook, but a personal look at 100 of the author’s favorite spots/experiences in France. I’ve been to many myself, and now have more on my to-see list for future travels, but her personal take, the historical detail, and more, makes for very educational and entertaining reading, whether you’re planning a trip to France or not.
November 8, 2014
This book is a must have for anyone planning on visiting France. It read like the author is talking to you in person, which makes it so easy to follow. Since I’ve always wanted to tour France, this book is one I’ll keep, and read random chapters from time to time.
I can’t list all the things I’d like to, but I can tell you a few in the book that interested me the most. My favorite was Chapter 79, For All The Ships At Sea…The Lighthouses Of Finistere, Brittany. This chapter was amazing to me because I love lighthouses. I love visiting them and collecting them, learning about them. And through this chapter I learned a lot. One of the things I learned was the French name for them, which is phares. The author made so many statements that I’d never thought of before, and that made me spend a lot of time mulling over different things I’d read. One in particular was that a lighthouse embodies a distinct poetry of the human spirit. For a lighthouse lover and collector like me, that sentence really touched me, because for me it’s so true, but I’d never thought of it like that before. I also learned that in Brittany’s Finistere department in the westernmost edge of France, there are twenty nine lighthouses. WOW! That would be an amazing place for me to tour!
Another favorite sections were about the food. It seems the food in France is a bit different than it is here in the U.S. It all sounds so yummy, and the dining experiences there are much different than what I’m used to here! Hopefully one day I’ll get to sample it.
If you have an interest in France at all, whether you’ve already been there or want to go, get this book. It has a variety of information of where to go and what to do, I’m sure you’d find a lot that would interest you.
Thanks so much to the author and Emma @ France Book Tours for sending me a copy of this book!
I can’t list all the things I’d like to, but I can tell you a few in the book that interested me the most. My favorite was Chapter 79, For All The Ships At Sea…The Lighthouses Of Finistere, Brittany. This chapter was amazing to me because I love lighthouses. I love visiting them and collecting them, learning about them. And through this chapter I learned a lot. One of the things I learned was the French name for them, which is phares. The author made so many statements that I’d never thought of before, and that made me spend a lot of time mulling over different things I’d read. One in particular was that a lighthouse embodies a distinct poetry of the human spirit. For a lighthouse lover and collector like me, that sentence really touched me, because for me it’s so true, but I’d never thought of it like that before. I also learned that in Brittany’s Finistere department in the westernmost edge of France, there are twenty nine lighthouses. WOW! That would be an amazing place for me to tour!
Another favorite sections were about the food. It seems the food in France is a bit different than it is here in the U.S. It all sounds so yummy, and the dining experiences there are much different than what I’m used to here! Hopefully one day I’ll get to sample it.
If you have an interest in France at all, whether you’ve already been there or want to go, get this book. It has a variety of information of where to go and what to do, I’m sure you’d find a lot that would interest you.
Thanks so much to the author and Emma @ France Book Tours for sending me a copy of this book!
October 18, 2019
Based on the cover of this book, even the summation, my initial assumption was that this would be one of those frilly guilty pleasure books. Kind of like reading People magazine or some gossipy, fashionista kind of thing. So I was pleasantly surprised by the content, style and glimpses of historical insight beneath the cover.
DeSantis is a journalist and this is evidenced in her prose. From the the well known haunts to the secret gems, from the rural countryside and medieval villages to hidden Paris streets, from freezing coastal castles to warm Mediterranean coastal towns, each chapter offers a reflective and offbeat history. Her insights (as the title suggests) shine a special lens on some bad-ass women warriors, royalty and artists to include Joan of Arc, Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker. Whether you have already been to France, are planning a trip or just want some much neglected lady history, I suggest this one.
DeSantis is a journalist and this is evidenced in her prose. From the the well known haunts to the secret gems, from the rural countryside and medieval villages to hidden Paris streets, from freezing coastal castles to warm Mediterranean coastal towns, each chapter offers a reflective and offbeat history. Her insights (as the title suggests) shine a special lens on some bad-ass women warriors, royalty and artists to include Joan of Arc, Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker. Whether you have already been to France, are planning a trip or just want some much neglected lady history, I suggest this one.
November 5, 2014
I wanted to read this book as I hope to one day travel to France. From the pictures I have seen it is such a beautiful place. The way the author wrote this book makes it easy to read. Another thing that I liked was the way that Marcia made you feel as if you were already in France with her. Her descriptions were very good. She wrote this book as a series of essays so it flows very well. If you are dreaming of going to France one day this would be the book for you. I look forward to more books by this author.
November 2, 2014
VERDICT: Rich with unique advice and achingly beautiful descriptions of France in all its diversity, 100 Places In France Every Woman Should Go is honestly THE companion book you have to purchase for your next trip to France, or to help you dream before you can go.
my full ecstatic review is here:
http://wordsandpeace.com/2014/11/02/r...
my full ecstatic review is here:
http://wordsandpeace.com/2014/11/02/r...
January 11, 2015
This book is the perfect, interesting, intelligent travel companion. It’s full of excellent advice, humor, experience, and the kind of information you’d get from talking for hours with your well-traveled best friend who has lived there.
We talked with DeSanctis about her book, writing, research and more (she's awesome!): http://www.wanderingeducators.com/bes...
We talked with DeSanctis about her book, writing, research and more (she's awesome!): http://www.wanderingeducators.com/bes...
November 10, 2015
Don't be misled by the title: This book contains 100 excellent short essays on savoring life, appreciating history and enjoying landscape that men and women will both find engaging and satisfying.
A quick and terrific read.
A quick and terrific read.
August 8, 2017
Easily my favorite travel guide to France. It's much more personal and interesting than the standard travel guide. She doesn't provide details about all of the top sights, restaurants, hotels, etc in every possible place. Instead, the author talks about 100 of her favorite places and what makes her love them, some favorite things to do, some favorite places to eat or stay, some books to read. Some of the places she talks about might be especially interesting to women -- places on which famous women throughout history made their mark -- and some of the places she describes with an emphasis on her experiences there as a woman (like going topless for the first time on the beaches of Nice in her youth). But in truth, all of the places she talks about are wonderful for both women and men. My husband loved the book, too, and he thought the book should really be titled, "100 Places in France Every Person Should Go."
September 16, 2020
I met Roxanne in Paris last October. Our conversations deepened and widened across central and northwestern France. Friendship sealed our kindred spirits at Mont Saint Michel during a long breakfast in a tiny inn.
Months later, back in the States, Roxanne sent me this book as a birthday present. I've savored each short essay over the past several months of coronageddon. The author, Marcia DeSanctis, distills the essence of places and experiences in four pages max. I've enjoyed reliving places I visited, and discovering many other treasures too. I saved the one about Mont Saint Michel for last.
Months later, back in the States, Roxanne sent me this book as a birthday present. I've savored each short essay over the past several months of coronageddon. The author, Marcia DeSanctis, distills the essence of places and experiences in four pages max. I've enjoyed reliving places I visited, and discovering many other treasures too. I saved the one about Mont Saint Michel for last.
June 2, 2019
I loved this book but then again I love most books about Paris and France. I’m always reading two book, one for just reading and then another that has short chapters that I read when I I’m to tired for my big book. This book was great for that. So many places in Paris that I still want to visit and it was nice to read about some of the places we have been to in the south of France. If you can’t get there this is the best book for enjoying it all from your favorite reading spot. Think summer reading. 5 stars for sure.
August 3, 2022
This was truly a bizarre book, and very, very American. Of course I didn’t expect to be equally interested in every chapter, despite the bold claim of the title, but I was surprised by how few of the locations resonated with me.
While I have noted quite a few things from the book I would like to see or experience, these were rarely the focus on the chapter, much more often something only mentioned in a passing comment.
While I have noted quite a few things from the book I would like to see or experience, these were rarely the focus on the chapter, much more often something only mentioned in a passing comment.
June 9, 2021
You can either read this book cover to cover or look up specific places and only read that part. I read it cover to cover over a few months (with several other books going at the same time) and found it to be a delightful escape I could pick up and put down at any time. Each of the 100 places is it's own short chapter that is beautifully written and informative.
August 16, 2022
Marcia DeSanctis has produced the means to aurally holiday in the French capital.
This book is so good my next reading / listen will be the third I shall go armed with
my earbuds and iPad for virtual visit.
Thank you Marcia DeSanctis, for the best holiday on my sunny porch, much appreciated :-)
This book is so good my next reading / listen will be the third I shall go armed with
my earbuds and iPad for virtual visit.
Thank you Marcia DeSanctis, for the best holiday on my sunny porch, much appreciated :-)
October 12, 2017
I do not usually participate in the well-known tourist attractions when I travel, and prefer to use airbnb for lodging to live with the locals. This book was helpful to point out French places and views and secrets that a local knows that is tailored for women, as well as provide bits of history.
May 10, 2018
This is a gem to enrich your travel plans, whet your contextual appetite for adventure, and lure your teens into being jazzed enough about where you're going to get involved in the planning. And it suggest some special lingerie shops ;)
November 23, 2022
Out of the way places to be added to my list. Great descriptions and background without too much extraneous information. Great armchair traveling.
I liked not reading it all at once. It is a book to savor and read one or two at a time.
I liked not reading it all at once. It is a book to savor and read one or two at a time.
January 28, 2024
Only took me 2 years to read this book about Paris (and France) where a woman is writing about Paris while being in Paris, while I was in Paris. I really liked seeing what I was seeing through someone else’s eyes :)
May 8, 2022
« Here, where life is colored with sunflowers and wild peaches, you can raise your glass of luscious pink wine to the joy in almost anything »
Read
July 2, 20230 stars DNF
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/1k6N4YZUnMk
Enjoy!
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/1k6N4YZUnMk
Enjoy!
September 29, 2024
Excellent
March 23, 2025
Was given this book by a friend and absolutely love it! It’s marked up with notes and favorite passages are underlined. Better than any guidebook with real insight on where to go and why.,
January 8, 2015
Do you think every woman has a natural connection to France? There's just something about it that draws people, especially women. And author Marcia DeSanctis taps into that attraction with her book 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go.
This is the kind of book that should be savored slowly, enjoying each chapter as an individual visit, like one delicate piece from a whole box of French chocolates.
I'm already enamored of France, and I've visited nearly a dozen times, but the author found places that I had never discovered and now I can't wait to see them.
The book begins in Paris, and the author could probably have come up with all 100 places within Paris, but she does make herself limit the sites in Paris so that she could venture to the rest of France.
Some of the stories describe the sights and sounds of places. Others include personal stories that help bring the places to life.
This is the kind of book that should be savored slowly, enjoying each chapter as an individual visit, like one delicate piece from a whole box of French chocolates.
I'm already enamored of France, and I've visited nearly a dozen times, but the author found places that I had never discovered and now I can't wait to see them.
The book begins in Paris, and the author could probably have come up with all 100 places within Paris, but she does make herself limit the sites in Paris so that she could venture to the rest of France.
Some of the stories describe the sights and sounds of places. Others include personal stories that help bring the places to life.
February 6, 2015
Marcia DeSanctis has the rare ability to gaze deeply into a culture and illuminate places, objects, tastes, and rituals in the most exquisite way. France is more vibrant after journeying through this book, and I cannot wait to return to experience it anew. I’ve given this book to my daughters, nieces, and friends, suggesting they read it with café and croissant or a glass of champagne. Open to any chapter and you’ll instantly fall under DeSanctis’ spell: She is a masterful guide with a gift for making the subtle luminous—truly merveilleux!
April 28, 2015
This book is essential reading for anyone who is even remotely moved by the magic of France. Marcia write evocatively and eloquently. She took me on the journey with her words and the pictures that inevitably fill my head as I read. I enjoyed re-visiting many places I've already seen, reminiscing with treasured memories, as well as learning about places I'm yet to visit. I'm a self confessed history geek so I thoroughly enjoyed the back stories. Being designed as stand alone stories, this is also the perfect travel book.
Read
October 25, 2015A Very Detailed Guide to France
The author has made numerous trips to France over the years and has written a very detailed guide with lots of interesting history and hidden gems to visit if you get the chance. If you like learning about the history of places you want to visit, then this is the book for you.
The author has made numerous trips to France over the years and has written a very detailed guide with lots of interesting history and hidden gems to visit if you get the chance. If you like learning about the history of places you want to visit, then this is the book for you.
September 5, 2015
Marvelous little gem. An absolutely delightful invitation to daydream about visiting France sometime soon! I adored the way each recommendation included a bit of history. I have a feeling I'll be re-reading it often.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews