To be fair, I am prejudiced, because I have followed the author’s podcast and other media for several years. My daughter has been going to a university in Paris the last 4 years, and she recommended the author’s podcast, The Earful Tower. The podcast is wonderful, and Oliver Gee’s window on Paris every week has helped me feel closer to my daughter. Oliver’s interviews make you feel like you are in the same room, and it is impossible not to like him, and you can tell his many contacts in Paris, including mayors of arrondissements, feel the same way.
Being a supporter of the podcast, I bought the book, more as a show of support as opposed to expecting a great read. After all, Oliver talks for a living not writes, correct? Well I was wrong. This is great, fast-moving account of 5 years in Paris, where the author started from nothing immediately after the 2015 terror attacks, with no friends, and ending with a wonderful wife, a career, and a home in Paris.
The book is very well-written, and reflects Oliver’s self-awareness, good humor, and high emotional IQ. If you want to go for a fast-paced, fun ride in Paris, and actually around France, read this book. You won’t be sorry.