PARIS BY THE BOOK

An intriguing opening immediately sparks curiosity and captures attention when main character Leah tells us, "Once a week, I chase men who are not my husband. . . ." Narrator Kim Bubbs provides an intense listening experience of Callanan's cleverly plotted novel. When her husband, Robert, an author, disappears after purchasing a ticket to Paris, Leah and her two daughters uproot their lives in Wisconsin and head to the City of Light. Bubbs is particularly effective in delivering Leah's wry observations as the little family finds itself, first, living above and, then, purchasing and operating a failing bookstore. Children's classics MADELINE and THE RED BALLOON, both set in Paris, work as metaphors for the differences between Leah and Robert as Bubbs keeps Callanan's plot twists and discoveries fresh and satisfying. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]