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Au Paris
 
 
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Au Paris [Paperback]

Rachel Spencer (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)


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Book Description

December 1, 2006
It's 2 a.m. and I'm wide awake, counting the days and hours until my plane leaves for Paris--3 days and 16 hours, to be exact. But ready or not, it's bonne journee for me. Croissant anyone?

When twenty-something Rachel Spencer needed a change of pace from her corporate job, she traded in her power suit and stilettos for blue jeans and flip flops, said au revoir to Houston, Texas, and bonjour to a summer in Paris. Little did Rachel know she was about to take on her most challenging job yet: nannying three rambunctious children, ages 14, 11, and 7.

With razor sharp wit and heartfelt humor Rachel chronicles her hilarious adventures--and misadventures--as she works to master her new job, learn a new language, and find her place among a family of strangers:

  • First Day Faux Pas--Determined to make an entrance her first day on the job, Rachel winds up tumbling down the foyer steps in a short black dress--and baring all to the children!

  • The Nanny Book--A small leather-bound book written in Franglais (English and French)--detailing Rachel's daily nannying duties.

  • Dressed to Impress--Despite dreams of capturing the tres chic French style, Rachel learns that strappy sandals and nannying don't always mix.

  • Teen Troubles--When Rachel catches Diane, who is 14 going on 21, mixing rum and boys into her leisure time, she discovers there is a fine line between "nanny" and "friend"

  • Country Living--During a trip to the French countryside, Rachel learns that French Country is much more than a china pattern!

  • Where the Heart Is--By the end of her stay, Rachel realizes the answers she was searching for all along weren't in Houston or in Paris--they were in her heart.

A hilarious real-life tale, Au Paris is a story of self-discovery, independence, and following your heart at all costs.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While older readers might not relate to Spencer's dramatic declaration ("I had woken up at age 23 to realize I was living a life I had never planned"), 20-somethings fresh out of college just might cotton to the latest in nanny memoirs as Spencer narrates her journey from cubicle to croissants, traveling to Paris in order to try her luck as an au pair for a wealthy Parisian family. Visions of shopping trips are quickly replaced with the more quotidian aspects of cooking, cleaning and caring for three children in a foreign country where a simple shopping trip can turn into an adventure. Spencer's portrait of the family she works for is not always flattering and can even become uncomfortable as she describes a particular evening sharing a meal and a couple of bottles of wine with the monsieur of the house. A week in the French countryside exposes Spencer to the highs and lows of country life, giving her a new appreciation for the overwhelming bustle of the city. In this light read, Spencer nicely describes the charm of Paris and the quirks of the French, but her constant surprise at being treated as an employee, as well as her repetitive descriptions of her love of espresso grows tiresome. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Citadel (December 1, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0806527978
  • ISBN-13: 978-0806527970
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,714,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars When in France, Be a Nanny!, December 23, 2007
By 
This review is from: Au Paris (Paperback)
Rachel Spencer's Au Paris is a fascinating study on one woman's adventures as an au pair in Paris. Rachel Spencer often has a unique voice, a journalism major from Texas, Spencer certainly has a distinct way of storytelling. Her memoir is sometimes witty though sometimes self important, if not honest. I spent 3 weeks in France as a part of a study abroad program and her insightful observations of French Culture that can come only with true immersion are poignant. Spencer has created great literature with Au Paris. If you have a little extra time this chic, chick read will reveal a world of language mishaps, unfortunate encounters hilarious disasters and tons of heart. I especially recommend this book to anyone who has already traveled to France, or knows the language or to anyone who is about to depart to the world of chic elegant. Bon Travail, Spencer!
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Pathetic drivel., January 18, 2008
By 
This review is from: Au Paris (Paperback)
Was this book ever published in hard-bound? I doubt it. It appears to be capitalizing on the current fad for nanny stories and the always fascinating Paris. But really, there is nothing new here; nothing even vaguely amusing.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Didn't enjoy this book at all, October 5, 2008
By 
E. Lacey (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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This review is from: Au Paris (Paperback)
Aspiring journalist Rachel Spencer wrote a blog about her experiences as an au pair in Paris. The stories were later compiled into this book. I'm a sucker for stories about ex-pats in Paris but was sorely disappointed by this one. The writing style is very unsophisticated, in my opinion, and there's little to no character development.

Rachel is in her early twenties, working in ad sales at the Houston Chronicle. She decides she hates it and applies to graduate school, but takes the summer off to go work as an au pair in Paris and have a big cultural adventure before classes start. Rachel's whole gimmick is that her period in Paris teaches her about herself and brings her back to the USA a more confident and secure person. However, you really don't see that change in her on the page. There's just not enough depth to her personality.

Also, lacking in this book is a true connection to the children Rachel nannies and the city in which she is living. Rachel fails to meaningfully explain how they impact her, change her opinions, open her eyes, etc. The observations are very general. The one moment in which the story threatens to go a little deeper and expose some true emotion (the oldest daughter in the Parisian family rebels and Rachel is left in the uncomfortable position of challenging & reporting her behavior) is not fully fleshed out.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nanny book, nanny room, house purse
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madame Marion, Maria Celeste, Monsieur Marion, Notre Dame, Ruddy Cheeks, Monsieur Rôti, Eiffel Tower, Tante Mireille, Champ de Mars, Aunt Mireille, Dirty Dancing, Léonie the Star, Boulevard Pereire
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