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The Strays of Paris
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres and the New York Times best-selling Last Hundred Years Trilogy, a captivating, brilliantly imaginative story of three extraordinary animals--and a young boy--whose lives intersect in Paris
Paras, short for "Perestroika," is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and--she's a curious filly--wanders all the way to the City of Light. She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians. Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the vegetable market. They keep company with two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven. But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion. As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself? Jane Smiley's beguiling new novel is itself an adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the desire of all creatures for true love and freedom.
Paras, short for "Perestroika," is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and--she's a curious filly--wanders all the way to the City of Light. She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians. Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the vegetable market. They keep company with two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven. But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion. As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself? Jane Smiley's beguiling new novel is itself an adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the desire of all creatures for true love and freedom.
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First published December 1, 2020
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About the author
Jane Smiley
133 books2,707 followersJane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,854 reviews
December 3, 2020
A horse, a dog, a raven, a pair of mallards, and a pair of rats survive and thrive on their own in downtown Paris. All of them can talk to and understand one another. All of them can understand what people say. But people can't understand them. Their view of the world is childlike and naive. They muddle along thanks to good luck and the sympathetic good will of the people they encounter, especially an eight-year-old boy.
This isn't an allegory or a fable, like Aesop, Animal Farm, or Watership Down. It isn't a story told from the perspective of a horse as a way to reflect on human behavior, like Black Beauty or Tolstoy's Strider. It also isn't a tale of a child's special bond with horse or dog, like Lassie, Black Stallion, or Old Yeller.
Rather this is a fun story for the sake of story. The characters happen to be animals and their personalities are built on the typical behavior and the physical capabilities and limitations of their species. But they come alive and grow and interact with one another as unique individuals.
Hop on the back of Paras, the race horse, and enjoy a midnight ride around the Champs de Mars, with the lights of the Eiffel Tower in the background. Sit behind Etienne the eight-year-old boy. Raoul the raven will settle on your shoulder. Kurt the rat will hold onto the horse's mane. Frida the dog will run alongside. The night is young, and you can be as well.
This isn't an allegory or a fable, like Aesop, Animal Farm, or Watership Down. It isn't a story told from the perspective of a horse as a way to reflect on human behavior, like Black Beauty or Tolstoy's Strider. It also isn't a tale of a child's special bond with horse or dog, like Lassie, Black Stallion, or Old Yeller.
Rather this is a fun story for the sake of story. The characters happen to be animals and their personalities are built on the typical behavior and the physical capabilities and limitations of their species. But they come alive and grow and interact with one another as unique individuals.
Hop on the back of Paras, the race horse, and enjoy a midnight ride around the Champs de Mars, with the lights of the Eiffel Tower in the background. Sit behind Etienne the eight-year-old boy. Raoul the raven will settle on your shoulder. Kurt the rat will hold onto the horse's mane. Frida the dog will run alongside. The night is young, and you can be as well.
December 9, 2020
Jane Smiley opened my mind about horses and their personalities. I continue to feel that her novel “Horse Heaven” is one of my all-time favorites. For me, that novel is a 10-star novel.
So, upon seeing her newly released novel, “Perestroika in Paris” which is also about a horse, I immediately pre-purchased it. What Smiley does perfectly is write about the minds and personalities of horses, and in this case, many animals. For those of you who have noticed birds yapping away before they fly south for the winter, well Smiley has given them voice. In “Perestroika in Paris” a dog is a major character as well. I have always thought my dog thinks human thoughts that she communicates with her eyes and body. Now, I see Smiley feels the same.
This is a sweet story about a racing horse who escapes her horse stall and walks the streets of Paris. The horse, Paras, short for Perestroika, was curious, as all fillies are, and wanted to know what lay beyond the racetrack. She meets a dog who just lost his owner. There are a pair of ducks and a raven as well. Oh, and two rats! Smiley even made the rats interesting. This is an animal adventure book with talking animals, and they are hilarious.
The story does include a few humans, all of whom are kind, and perhaps a bit unaware. People in general walk with their heads down, minding their own business, no eye contact, hurrying to their destination. A city gardener did notice some horse dung, but shook it off, without much curiosity. The horse roams at the dead of night, when most people are sleeping. Paras does find a baker who is awake, and she feeds the horse when the horse visits.
It's the animal observations that are fun. Paras thinks “Dogs, evidently, saw humans as friends, whereas horses saw them as coworkers.”
What Smiley does is make the reader sit back and notice nature more. What are those birds saying? Are they really fighting? What about my dog? Are those small dogs who bark consistently really saying “stay away! Stay away!” Or “don’t harm my owner!” Or “pick me up mommy!!”
This is a quick novel, a bit over 200 pages. It’s one of those stories that makes my heart soar and brought me back to when I read stories to my little ones. It’s clever, observant, and innocent. It’s just what I needed.
So, upon seeing her newly released novel, “Perestroika in Paris” which is also about a horse, I immediately pre-purchased it. What Smiley does perfectly is write about the minds and personalities of horses, and in this case, many animals. For those of you who have noticed birds yapping away before they fly south for the winter, well Smiley has given them voice. In “Perestroika in Paris” a dog is a major character as well. I have always thought my dog thinks human thoughts that she communicates with her eyes and body. Now, I see Smiley feels the same.
This is a sweet story about a racing horse who escapes her horse stall and walks the streets of Paris. The horse, Paras, short for Perestroika, was curious, as all fillies are, and wanted to know what lay beyond the racetrack. She meets a dog who just lost his owner. There are a pair of ducks and a raven as well. Oh, and two rats! Smiley even made the rats interesting. This is an animal adventure book with talking animals, and they are hilarious.
The story does include a few humans, all of whom are kind, and perhaps a bit unaware. People in general walk with their heads down, minding their own business, no eye contact, hurrying to their destination. A city gardener did notice some horse dung, but shook it off, without much curiosity. The horse roams at the dead of night, when most people are sleeping. Paras does find a baker who is awake, and she feeds the horse when the horse visits.
It's the animal observations that are fun. Paras thinks “Dogs, evidently, saw humans as friends, whereas horses saw them as coworkers.”
What Smiley does is make the reader sit back and notice nature more. What are those birds saying? Are they really fighting? What about my dog? Are those small dogs who bark consistently really saying “stay away! Stay away!” Or “don’t harm my owner!” Or “pick me up mommy!!”
This is a quick novel, a bit over 200 pages. It’s one of those stories that makes my heart soar and brought me back to when I read stories to my little ones. It’s clever, observant, and innocent. It’s just what I needed.
December 14, 2020
It's been many years since author Jane Smiley, whose 1991 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award bestseller "A Thousand Acres," has been in my book radar. What a Big Treat it was to discover that not only has Jane Smiley published a new novel to share with her fan base, she's written a story with delightfully unique voices who have a timely message to share with the world. From page one and through the last page, I found myself utterly hooked, falling head over heels in love with each and every character who include a racehorse, a raven, two ducks, two rats, and an 8-year old Parisian boy. Smiley rejoices in the animal world and their commanding communication skills, showing her readers that all living things desire freedom, love, and understanding. I highly recommend this absolutely charming read and can't say it loud enough: "Perestroika in Paris" is my end of 2020 all-time favorite novel!
October 30, 2021
Due to the characters being animals mixed with several people, it's heart warming but a bit flat. Following a thoroughbred mare, a dog, raven and ducks who speak with one another while making their way around Paris, it becomes repetitious at times. I'd hoped for something similar to the Art of Racing in the Rain, but failed to get it. She's a gifted writer with a great imagination, but the pace, plot and characters are a bit dull.
December 29, 2020
Talking animals book for adults? Okay...
That was my initial thought. But because I have a friend who is an absolute horse-lover I got her this book. She also enjoys cozy, and whimsical reads so maybe Perestroika in Paris would be a good book ...
Later I saw this on our library overdrive and decided to borrow it and yup, this is such a great story of friendship through differences. Charming with Paris setting and uplifting. It's a wonderful read especially during this time of year. I can see children enjoying this as well.
Please someone make this into a movie!!
That was my initial thought. But because I have a friend who is an absolute horse-lover I got her this book. She also enjoys cozy, and whimsical reads so maybe Perestroika in Paris would be a good book ...
Later I saw this on our library overdrive and decided to borrow it and yup, this is such a great story of friendship through differences. Charming with Paris setting and uplifting. It's a wonderful read especially during this time of year. I can see children enjoying this as well.
Please someone make this into a movie!!
December 20, 2020
This novel made me feel like a child reading a fairy tale, in a good way. To enjoy it, you'll need to suspend all disbelief. It reminds me of Dr. Doolittle. If you're looking for some nice light reading where animals talk and 8-year-old boys can take care of themselves, this book is for you. If a dog carrying a purse with money into a grocer's and buying food seems too far-fetched, you're better off skipping this one.
October 5, 2022
I don't have much to say more than it's was a cozy story for adults that felt sometimes for kids
February 26, 2021
This book needs to be a Hayao Miyazaki anime asap! It's a studio Ghibli movie in a book form.
This is a very sweet story about friendship, found family and kindness.
We have a titular very curious filly Paras, smart suspicious dog Frida, who is grieving the death of her human and pompous wise raven Raoul. There's also a young rat Kurt who just wants to find a mate. And we have also 8 year old boy Etienne, who lives with his blind and deaf great-grandmother. And every person around them is kind and sweet. This is that kind of completely unrealistic uplifting story.
Just adorable.
This is a very sweet story about friendship, found family and kindness.
We have a titular very curious filly Paras, smart suspicious dog Frida, who is grieving the death of her human and pompous wise raven Raoul. There's also a young rat Kurt who just wants to find a mate. And we have also 8 year old boy Etienne, who lives with his blind and deaf great-grandmother. And every person around them is kind and sweet. This is that kind of completely unrealistic uplifting story.
Just adorable.
November 26, 2021
No long review here. The synopsis gives the gist of the story. Jane Smiley is one of my favorite authors. This novel is to be read slowly and savored like comfort food, a delight for passing the winter season.
December 26, 2020
I feel this fantasy is destined to become a classic. A French racehorse, Perestroika, aka Paras, curious to see the outside world, leaves her stall and escapes to Paris, where she lives for a time, becoming friends with critters [Frida, a dog who instructs the naïve horse about life in the outside world; a bossy though well-meaning raven, Raoul; a duck couple raising a family; Kurt, a rat pining for a mate;] and sympathetic humans, including Etienne, an 8- year-old boy and his nearly 100-year-old great grandmother. This was absolutely charming and delightful to read. For the young and young of heart alike.
Very highly recommended.
Very highly recommended.
November 17, 2020
Perestroika (Paras for short) discovers an unlatched stall and ventures out to find out if the grass really is greener in other parts of Paris. She meanders into a park near the Eiffel Tower and her period of freedom begins. Along with her are Frida (a dog), Roux (a raven), and Sid and Nancy (the Mallard couple). Frida is smart enough to know what to do with the euros in the purse Paras brings along. Roux pontificates at length on a variety of subjects. Eventually they go home with a boy who lives with his blind and deaf great-grandmother, Madame de Mornay. A rat named Kurt joins the circle and it is delightful to see how all of their lives are changed as a result of their fellowship with one another. Assorted neighborhood shopkeepers and others develop relationships with one of more of the band of animals, but no one puts two and two together. How long can they all remain under the radar? Until the root cellar is empty? As long as Madame de Mornay is still living? When does indecision cross the line to procrastination? The city of Paris is a character of her own in this story. If I had visited that iconic city in the past I do believe I would have been ready to give this book five stars. The cover alone is spectacular. Thinking of a horse taking naps inside a beautiful old house makes me smile so big. Smiley's ability to take us into the minds and hearts of the animals is a gift and reminds me of Meindert DeJong and Kate DiCamillo.
Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
Yes, this is a talking animal book, but the animals only talk to each other; they communicate with humans through their gestures and soulful eyes. Kindly shopkeepers work out what Frida wants to buy based on what she stares at or points to with a paw; the baker whose window Paras passes on her early morning walks intuits that the horse is hungry; Etienne, who gives a couple of the stray animals a home during a chill winter, learns to understand when Paras needs to go out to relieve herself, after piles of dung build up in the sitting room. I liked how patiently and convincingly Smiley builds the portrait of each character – human or animal – and the overall situation of kindness and good fortune. Raoul is particularly amusing for his birdsplaining: “It is a feature of age. I have learned so many things in my life that they just force their way out of my beak,” he says. However, a crow would be much more realistic for Paris (or any city) than a raven, and, overall, this was a little twee and farfetched for my tastes. Still, it’s nice to read something a bit different from Smiley, who I haven’t tried since her Last Hundred Years Trilogy.
August 19, 2020
This is the perfect book to help you escape the world today. Delightful story with lovable and charming characters-an adventurous racehorse, a lonely dog, a know-it-all raven, a pair of ducks, and a couple of rats as well. I loved how the animals interacted with each other and with the compassionate humans they encountered in Paris. I think of it as "Charlotte's Web" for grown ups, but no spiders die. Older children might enjoy the story as well. Definitely one of my favorites read in 2020. Thank you to Edelweiss and Knopf for the ARC.
December 14, 2022
Perestroika is Paras, a curious filly who runs away from her life as a racing, jumping thoroughbred to Paris. She finds a meadow there in Champ de Mars, where she is able to live freely. Her found companions are a German short hair dog named Frida, a raven, a mallard duck pair and a rat. Before reading the book, I was curious about how the author could pull this off, writing about these animals in an interesting, believable way. Jane Smiley does this admirably - It is evident that she has a sensitivity towards animals and can imagine how they perceive their world. She especially loves horses.
In the book, the animals and birds can understand each other. They can not talk to the humans who are encountered in the story. The humans include an 8 year old boy and his aged great grandmama, as well as assorted shop keepers and others. Etienne is the boy who becomes very attached to Paras and learns to ride her.
All in all, this is a very gentle story which was soothing and interesting to read. In an interview, the author said that she purposely did not put a villain into the story. She believed that during the pandemic, people need a respite from grimness.
Additional note: After the riot on the U.S. capitol, I found it difficult to focus on a book. I must have started at least 5 books, before being able to concentrate and read this one. Thank you, Jane Smiley!
4.5 stars
In the book, the animals and birds can understand each other. They can not talk to the humans who are encountered in the story. The humans include an 8 year old boy and his aged great grandmama, as well as assorted shop keepers and others. Etienne is the boy who becomes very attached to Paras and learns to ride her.
All in all, this is a very gentle story which was soothing and interesting to read. In an interview, the author said that she purposely did not put a villain into the story. She believed that during the pandemic, people need a respite from grimness.
Additional note: After the riot on the U.S. capitol, I found it difficult to focus on a book. I must have started at least 5 books, before being able to concentrate and read this one. Thank you, Jane Smiley!
4.5 stars
December 15, 2020
I loved this book. It made me feel so peaceful and happy. It was a nice change of pace to read something where the characters (animals mostly) were innocent and pure. That's the great thing about animals - what you see is what you get. There are no games; their intentions are true. Of course, we can't know for certain what they're thinking but we can imagine - as Jane Smiley did - that they can communicate with each other - interspecies - and have happy, fulfilling lives without us. It's lovely to think of, that a horse, a dog, a rat, a raven, and a boy can form a meaningful friendship and take care of each other. We could learn a lot from them.
This was a beautiful book, full of laughter and love. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.
This was a beautiful book, full of laughter and love. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.
February 19, 2021
This book was a book club selection. I was looking forward to reading it... that is until I got about five pages into it! Is this book a joke? Jane Smiley should be ashamed of herself. I felt like I was reading a children’s book from beginning to end - both due to story and writing. I can’t fathom why this book has received such good reviews from readers. It was pure torture to read. I did finish it to confirm that my early opinion stayed the same - and because it was for my book club. But that is time I can never get back! One of the worst books I’ve read in many, many years.
December 5, 2020
Jane Smiley's Perestroika in Paris was an easy reading, charming book, but for many pages I wondered what was the 'point'? Every book that gives animals human thought and language has a point, right?
Sure, Paras (short for Perestroika) is a wonderful character, a filly too curious for her own good, who leaves the comforts of her home at the stable and the horse racing she loves to see the world--or, at least, Paris under the Eiffel Tower.
Then there is Frida, the German Shorthaired Pointer ticked all over with a brown head and two patches, left on her own when her brilliant and eccentric owner is picked up from the streets by the gendarme. Frida understands human behavior better than we understand each other.
Paras and Frida meet up and help each other, for Paras has brought her groomer's purse filled with winnings from the last race Paras ran. Frida takes the euros to the local shops and returns with dinner for them and their new friends, the bickering mallard ducks, Sid and Nancy, and Raoul, an aged raven.
Paras walks the streets of Paris by night, visiting a Patisserie for a meal. Into her life comes Etienne, an eight-year-old human child living with his blind and deaf great-grandmother in the rundown family mansion. The elderly lady knits, using up her stash of yard, worrying about what will happen to her great-grandson upon her death, wondering if she did right by keeping him from school.
The child secretly takes Paras into his home and his heart, Frida joining the family. They are befriended by the house rats Conrad and his son Kurt. Together they cobble together everything they need.
Just when everything seems to have gone wrong, and Etienne faces his biggest challenge, the story resolves happily.
The story never gets too syrupy and never gets preachy. And yet, I did find a 'point'.
First, it is the story of family, the families we create by helping one another, joining our strengths, even if we seemingly have nothing in common--are 'different species'.
Second, it is about finding our bliss, how curiosity leads us to new discoveries and fulfillment.
Third, Etienne's family has survived horrible tragedy. WWI and WWII, the deaths of Etienne's great-grandfather and his grandfather and his parents.
"It was their fate as a family, perhaps, or merely lick, merely a part of being French in the twentieth century, when wars came and went like terrifying, unstoppable tempests." ~from Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
Out of great tragedy, we can survive and even thrive.
And last of all, there is the fortitude and persistence these animals show, accepting what they cannot change and changing what they can change.
In the end, I discovered a novel that can be read by any age, in any age, portraying the core values that make a life.
I was given a free book by the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
Sure, Paras (short for Perestroika) is a wonderful character, a filly too curious for her own good, who leaves the comforts of her home at the stable and the horse racing she loves to see the world--or, at least, Paris under the Eiffel Tower.
Then there is Frida, the German Shorthaired Pointer ticked all over with a brown head and two patches, left on her own when her brilliant and eccentric owner is picked up from the streets by the gendarme. Frida understands human behavior better than we understand each other.
Paras and Frida meet up and help each other, for Paras has brought her groomer's purse filled with winnings from the last race Paras ran. Frida takes the euros to the local shops and returns with dinner for them and their new friends, the bickering mallard ducks, Sid and Nancy, and Raoul, an aged raven.
Paras walks the streets of Paris by night, visiting a Patisserie for a meal. Into her life comes Etienne, an eight-year-old human child living with his blind and deaf great-grandmother in the rundown family mansion. The elderly lady knits, using up her stash of yard, worrying about what will happen to her great-grandson upon her death, wondering if she did right by keeping him from school.
The child secretly takes Paras into his home and his heart, Frida joining the family. They are befriended by the house rats Conrad and his son Kurt. Together they cobble together everything they need.
Just when everything seems to have gone wrong, and Etienne faces his biggest challenge, the story resolves happily.
The story never gets too syrupy and never gets preachy. And yet, I did find a 'point'.
First, it is the story of family, the families we create by helping one another, joining our strengths, even if we seemingly have nothing in common--are 'different species'.
Second, it is about finding our bliss, how curiosity leads us to new discoveries and fulfillment.
Third, Etienne's family has survived horrible tragedy. WWI and WWII, the deaths of Etienne's great-grandfather and his grandfather and his parents.
"It was their fate as a family, perhaps, or merely lick, merely a part of being French in the twentieth century, when wars came and went like terrifying, unstoppable tempests." ~from Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
Out of great tragedy, we can survive and even thrive.
And last of all, there is the fortitude and persistence these animals show, accepting what they cannot change and changing what they can change.
In the end, I discovered a novel that can be read by any age, in any age, portraying the core values that make a life.
I was given a free book by the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
October 1, 2020
I’m suspicious of adult novels written from an animal’s point of view, but I trust Jane Smiley, and I admit, I was charmed by the cover, so I gave Perestroika in Paris a try and loved it. It is the story of a curious filly named Paras, short for Perestroika, who slips out of her open stall one autumn afternoon after winning a race at Auteil Racecourse and ventures into Paris. She takes up residence in the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower and makes friends with a stray German shorthair named Frida, a raven named Raoul, and a pair of mallards called Sid and Nancy.
This much you could guess from the cover, and I’ll try to explain why I liked it so much without giving away any more than that. Once I suspended my disbelief about animals being able to understand human speech and communicate with one another across species (though they have to find means other than language to communicate with humans), I loved being inside the minds of these remarkable characters, experiencing the City of Light in the way a horse or a dog or a bird might. What do they eat? Where do they sleep? Will Perestroika’s trainer find her? Can Frida avoid the dog pound? I will reveal just enough more about the plot to say that as the animals connect with human characters, the reader comes to care about them too, especially young Etienne, an orphan who lives alone with his very old great-grandmother in a big ivy-covered house on the Rue Marinoni.
Even as I wanted to linger in Paris with these endearing people and creatures, the book turned into a page-turner. Each character faces real risks as they try to balance the desire for freedom with the desire for love, but their concern for one another ultimately cushions them against the world’s dangers (and against uncomfortable suspense for the reader). In a time of national discord, the possibility of connecting with others quite different from oneself gave me hope.
#netgalley
This much you could guess from the cover, and I’ll try to explain why I liked it so much without giving away any more than that. Once I suspended my disbelief about animals being able to understand human speech and communicate with one another across species (though they have to find means other than language to communicate with humans), I loved being inside the minds of these remarkable characters, experiencing the City of Light in the way a horse or a dog or a bird might. What do they eat? Where do they sleep? Will Perestroika’s trainer find her? Can Frida avoid the dog pound? I will reveal just enough more about the plot to say that as the animals connect with human characters, the reader comes to care about them too, especially young Etienne, an orphan who lives alone with his very old great-grandmother in a big ivy-covered house on the Rue Marinoni.
Even as I wanted to linger in Paris with these endearing people and creatures, the book turned into a page-turner. Each character faces real risks as they try to balance the desire for freedom with the desire for love, but their concern for one another ultimately cushions them against the world’s dangers (and against uncomfortable suspense for the reader). In a time of national discord, the possibility of connecting with others quite different from oneself gave me hope.
#netgalley
August 24, 2020
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A marvelous, fantastical read, Perestroika in Paris needs to become an instant classic. This book has, by leaps and bounds, surpassed anything else I have read so far this year!
I've never read a Jane Smiley novel, but I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this one. A fun, magical, wholesome story about a very special bond between an old woman, a young boy, and the animals he befriends.
Perestroika - Paras, for short - is a young racing horse that, being the curious filly she is, slips out of her pen one night and ventures into Paris. There, she meets Frida, a stray German Shepard; Raoul, an opinionated and self-aggrandizing Raven; and Étienne, a young boy caring for his 97-year-old blind and deaf great-grandmama. As these four lives intersect, they affect several others, both human and animal, setting into motion events that alter perspectives and change lives.
I initially went into this a bit skeptical, as it's rare that I've found anthropomorphized animals done well for an adult audience. My uncertainty was quickly dispelled, however, as I immediately became enamored with the inner thoughts and social interactions of these very different animal personalities. I found myself enthralled as I discovered the world through the eyes of Paras, Frida, and Raoul.
Through the use of lyrical language and beautifully-written prose, the author paints an enchanting picture of Paris and its inhabitants. The characters are pure, and their motivations - both human and animal alike - are lead by curiosity, adventure, love, and respect. Reminiscent of Milo and Otis and Homeward Bound, Perestroika in Paris is a story that brings with it a sense of wonderment that can, and should be, loved by all ages.
A marvelous, fantastical read, Perestroika in Paris needs to become an instant classic. This book has, by leaps and bounds, surpassed anything else I have read so far this year!
I've never read a Jane Smiley novel, but I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this one. A fun, magical, wholesome story about a very special bond between an old woman, a young boy, and the animals he befriends.
Perestroika - Paras, for short - is a young racing horse that, being the curious filly she is, slips out of her pen one night and ventures into Paris. There, she meets Frida, a stray German Shepard; Raoul, an opinionated and self-aggrandizing Raven; and Étienne, a young boy caring for his 97-year-old blind and deaf great-grandmama. As these four lives intersect, they affect several others, both human and animal, setting into motion events that alter perspectives and change lives.
I initially went into this a bit skeptical, as it's rare that I've found anthropomorphized animals done well for an adult audience. My uncertainty was quickly dispelled, however, as I immediately became enamored with the inner thoughts and social interactions of these very different animal personalities. I found myself enthralled as I discovered the world through the eyes of Paras, Frida, and Raoul.
Through the use of lyrical language and beautifully-written prose, the author paints an enchanting picture of Paris and its inhabitants. The characters are pure, and their motivations - both human and animal alike - are lead by curiosity, adventure, love, and respect. Reminiscent of Milo and Otis and Homeward Bound, Perestroika in Paris is a story that brings with it a sense of wonderment that can, and should be, loved by all ages.
June 1, 2021
Delightful light fantasy-adventure of a curious filly footloose in Paris, and her animal (and human) friends. Read the publisher's blurb first, which will get you up to speed. The animals can talk to each other, but not to the humans. If you are feeling low and a bit blue, this is the perfect pickup. Nothing bad happens, the animals are all sweethearts, the people are kind. And the storytelling is first-rate.
My favorite review here is Richard Seltzer's, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
". . . a fun story for the sake of story. The characters happen to be animals and their personalities are built on the typical behavior and the physical capabilities and limitations of their species. But they come alive and grow and interact with one another as unique individuals."
If this sounds even remotely like your kind of book, go for it! Strong 4 stars. And it's short!
My favorite review here is Richard Seltzer's, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
". . . a fun story for the sake of story. The characters happen to be animals and their personalities are built on the typical behavior and the physical capabilities and limitations of their species. But they come alive and grow and interact with one another as unique individuals."
If this sounds even remotely like your kind of book, go for it! Strong 4 stars. And it's short!
November 9, 2020
Charming, but my heart still belongs to Justa Bob.
October 22, 2025
so lovely… like a dreamy disney movie!
i do think i would have enjoyed the story more if it had been told in half the pages :)
i do think i would have enjoyed the story more if it had been told in half the pages :)
December 8, 2020
Such a delightful book and such a pleasure to read something so positive and uplifting. I'm passing it on to my 10-year-old grandson as it's a book for all ages. Most highly recommended.
December 11, 2020
I have been wanting this book since the minute I saw it advertised. I am a HUGE fan of Jane Smiley's Horse Heaven (10 stars), and she knows horses, and this premise sounded so delightful. I got hold of the book the MINUTE my library put it out (Dec 9). I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed in it. I was hoping for magic and charm and humor, and largely, it was missing. It was mechanical, the horse did this and then she did this and then the dog did this....At 1/3 I was feeling so disappointed (and glad I hadn't bought the book), but at 2/3 I was getting invested in the characters and had to see if they were going to be all right and by the end, I was happy that it ended well. Surprisingly for me, my favorite character was not the horse, she was a bit empty headed and didn't excite too much interest....it was the raven, Raoul, who was a smarty pants and too opinionated. He was cool. And the mallards were funny. I guess I like birds.
The only time I laughed out loud was on pg 182, when Raoul the raven, who thought the mallards were silly, hysterical creatures, said he had "seen flocks of mallards squawking constantly, as if shouting to humans , "Shoot me! I can't stand myself any longer!". Hahahaha! Can totally picture it. Later, "Sid" the male duck, comes back after a winter in the south, and Raoul doesn't recognize him because he's calm and easy-going now. Sid the duck reveals that he's had a lot of counseling over the winter. He found out that duckling traumas had had a strong impact on his worldview, but he can own his future...Oh, and he finds his mate, Nancy, has had 6 ducklings and "they all look like Nancy." Have you ever seen ducklings???? We needed more of this in this book...!
I did find a few things I wanted to underline, but couldn't because it was a library book...but there weren't many...sorry, Jane Smiley!!! I wanted to love it!! Honest, I've been telling everyone I HAD TO HAVE THIS BOOK! I'm suspecting that if Disney options it for a movie, that the movie will be better than the book, because the movie will make the animals cute and give them better dialogue.
Someone did say that it was interesting to see the animal's view of humans and there were some good parts....Paras the filly says that humans needed to name racehorses because otherwise, they couldn't tell them apart, and she's incredulous over that.
I read all the other reviews and almost all told the whole story and synopsis OVER and OVER and OVER again....not doing that here.
Sometimes all the other people in the story were hard to keep track of: Rania, Delphine, Madeleine, Pierre, Anais, Jerome, Etienne, etc, etc....
And what time period was this? Sounds like modern day, but in the story, Paris is deserted at night, even downtown, near the Eiffel Tower and other famous attractions, but as far as I'm aware this is another city that never sleeps.....right?
Anyway, I'm in the minority here, among all the 4 and 5 star reviews, so maybe others see more in it than I do. I do feel fond about it, but it wasn't GREAT. I was glad that nothing traumatic or sad happened to the animals, at least I didn't have to cry.
The only time I laughed out loud was on pg 182, when Raoul the raven, who thought the mallards were silly, hysterical creatures, said he had "seen flocks of mallards squawking constantly, as if shouting to humans , "Shoot me! I can't stand myself any longer!". Hahahaha! Can totally picture it. Later, "Sid" the male duck, comes back after a winter in the south, and Raoul doesn't recognize him because he's calm and easy-going now. Sid the duck reveals that he's had a lot of counseling over the winter. He found out that duckling traumas had had a strong impact on his worldview, but he can own his future...Oh, and he finds his mate, Nancy, has had 6 ducklings and "they all look like Nancy." Have you ever seen ducklings???? We needed more of this in this book...!
I did find a few things I wanted to underline, but couldn't because it was a library book...but there weren't many...sorry, Jane Smiley!!! I wanted to love it!! Honest, I've been telling everyone I HAD TO HAVE THIS BOOK! I'm suspecting that if Disney options it for a movie, that the movie will be better than the book, because the movie will make the animals cute and give them better dialogue.
Someone did say that it was interesting to see the animal's view of humans and there were some good parts....Paras the filly says that humans needed to name racehorses because otherwise, they couldn't tell them apart, and she's incredulous over that.
I read all the other reviews and almost all told the whole story and synopsis OVER and OVER and OVER again....not doing that here.
Sometimes all the other people in the story were hard to keep track of: Rania, Delphine, Madeleine, Pierre, Anais, Jerome, Etienne, etc, etc....
And what time period was this? Sounds like modern day, but in the story, Paris is deserted at night, even downtown, near the Eiffel Tower and other famous attractions, but as far as I'm aware this is another city that never sleeps.....right?
Anyway, I'm in the minority here, among all the 4 and 5 star reviews, so maybe others see more in it than I do. I do feel fond about it, but it wasn't GREAT. I was glad that nothing traumatic or sad happened to the animals, at least I didn't have to cry.
July 11, 2020
Jane Smiley has a knack for expressing the feelings of animals, and "Perestroika in Paris" is a magical canter through Paris. It's not just the curious Perestroika, a filly living at a racetrack, but a dog, a raven, two ducks and a couple of handsome black rats who go along for the ride. Did I mention that Peres takes along a groom's purse as she leaves the stable? Her trainer, owner, and groom are all women and the filly has seen how they always carry these bags with them. This one turns out to be full of money, and you'll be delighted to see how animals figure out how to spend it.
The humans in the story are the sweetest kind, and their communication with the critters does not include language, as it wouldn't. The animals can communicate with each other, and what they think about other species is quite fun. The most outspoken of these is the raven, Raoul, who is old and has met a lot of other animals, whom he addresses by their Latin names. Perestroika is a young filly and has only met other horses and a Jack Russell terrier named Assassin. Her innocence makes a delightful foil for the others.
One of the most charming scenes has Perestroika's trainer consulting an animal psychic who says she sees the filly on a dark city street, window shopping. The trainer thinks she's thrown 100 euros away, but guess, what? The psychic is right on.
The story goes on a little long, but it is a charming, lovely tale for these rocky times. Following the animals along the streets of a Paris neighborhood was a delightful vicarious vacation.
The humans in the story are the sweetest kind, and their communication with the critters does not include language, as it wouldn't. The animals can communicate with each other, and what they think about other species is quite fun. The most outspoken of these is the raven, Raoul, who is old and has met a lot of other animals, whom he addresses by their Latin names. Perestroika is a young filly and has only met other horses and a Jack Russell terrier named Assassin. Her innocence makes a delightful foil for the others.
One of the most charming scenes has Perestroika's trainer consulting an animal psychic who says she sees the filly on a dark city street, window shopping. The trainer thinks she's thrown 100 euros away, but guess, what? The psychic is right on.
The story goes on a little long, but it is a charming, lovely tale for these rocky times. Following the animals along the streets of a Paris neighborhood was a delightful vicarious vacation.
February 9, 2021
Who knew a book about a dog, a raven, a horse and a rat named Kurt living in Paris would be my favorite of 2021 so far. It’s sweet, everyone lives happily ever after, the people are kind. It’s as if your favorite watercolor filled, fairy tale picture book came to life in the novel. Is it silly and unlikely? Yes. Is it soothing and warm like a hot tea and freshly baked croissants? Double yes.
December 6, 2020
I was expecting warm-fuzzy; I wasn't expecting it to feel like a children's book. DNF @ 42%.
December 22, 2020
A sweet tale by a great writer about a horse, a dog, a raven, and a child that takes place in Paris. What else do you need in times like these?
March 30, 2022
Spectacular
This was such a delightful book. In the spirit of “Animal Farm”, the animals themselves tell the tale. What wonderful characters they were.
Like a little boy, I enjoyed every syllable of this story.
This was such a delightful book. In the spirit of “Animal Farm”, the animals themselves tell the tale. What wonderful characters they were.
Like a little boy, I enjoyed every syllable of this story.
December 17, 2025
This novel was a lovely follow-up for fans of Smiley's previous Horse Heaven. This is a very different type of story, being told from the point of view of the non-human characters. Obviously this isn't for everyone; but we literary horse-girls are celebrating.
Who are the horse girls? You might remember one of us from childhood. We were the girls who didn't want to play with dolls or miniature kitchens, the objects of our nurturing instincts walked on four legs. We also weren't fond of playing ball with the boys, our idea of sport involved running faster and jumping higher than any human body was capable of achieving.
Horse girls are a much misunderstood group, marginalized by society for our equine obsessions. Even in adulthood, people just don't get our motivations. Yes, I've had my corporate executive career, but it really sucked balls in comparison to working as a groom at the racetrack. Yes, I have my own family, including a child that I conceived, gestated, birthed and raised to young adulthood. Soon she will be an adult with a life of her own. When that happens, there will be a horse waiting for me. That's what being a horse girl is all about; we know exactly what we want to look at, spend time with, blow our money on, and toil laboriously for: single horsepower quadrupeds.
To quote the author: "But what truly horsey girls discover in the end is that boyfriends, husbands, children, and careers are the substitute-for horses” and “Fascination with horses predated every other single thing I knew. Before I was a mother, before I was a writer, before I knew the facts of life, before I was a schoolgirl, before I learned to read, I wanted a horse.”
Jane Smiley is one of us; I call her the literary patron saint of horse girls who also happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winner.
I noticed that GR members were asking if this was an adult book.....as if a novel with animal characters is beneath the dignity of grown-up readers. Yeah, and Animal Farm must be a children's book also, right? I have a sneaking suspicion that these same readers might devour a YA novel about fae teens and their anxiety over getting dates for the fae prom.......so those snooty attitudes are giving me secret giggles.
So, in closing, this is a recommended novel for horse girls and I don't care if anyone else reads it or not......this is OUR thing!
Who are the horse girls? You might remember one of us from childhood. We were the girls who didn't want to play with dolls or miniature kitchens, the objects of our nurturing instincts walked on four legs. We also weren't fond of playing ball with the boys, our idea of sport involved running faster and jumping higher than any human body was capable of achieving.
Horse girls are a much misunderstood group, marginalized by society for our equine obsessions. Even in adulthood, people just don't get our motivations. Yes, I've had my corporate executive career, but it really sucked balls in comparison to working as a groom at the racetrack. Yes, I have my own family, including a child that I conceived, gestated, birthed and raised to young adulthood. Soon she will be an adult with a life of her own. When that happens, there will be a horse waiting for me. That's what being a horse girl is all about; we know exactly what we want to look at, spend time with, blow our money on, and toil laboriously for: single horsepower quadrupeds.
To quote the author: "But what truly horsey girls discover in the end is that boyfriends, husbands, children, and careers are the substitute-for horses” and “Fascination with horses predated every other single thing I knew. Before I was a mother, before I was a writer, before I knew the facts of life, before I was a schoolgirl, before I learned to read, I wanted a horse.”
Jane Smiley is one of us; I call her the literary patron saint of horse girls who also happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winner.
I noticed that GR members were asking if this was an adult book.....as if a novel with animal characters is beneath the dignity of grown-up readers. Yeah, and Animal Farm must be a children's book also, right? I have a sneaking suspicion that these same readers might devour a YA novel about fae teens and their anxiety over getting dates for the fae prom.......so those snooty attitudes are giving me secret giggles.
So, in closing, this is a recommended novel for horse girls and I don't care if anyone else reads it or not......this is OUR thing!
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