Book Review of The Little French Bistro by Nina George

Sixty-year-old Marianne Messmann has had enough of her loveless, one-sided marriage of forty plus years. Lothar Messman is an overbearing oaf who has no idea how to show Marianne the love and affection she so desperately wants. For far too long, Marianne has blamed herself and when she becomes overwhelmingly despondent during their Paris vacation, she wanders off to end it all. When her suicide doesn’t go as planned, Marianne uses the near death experience to embark on an adventure of self-discovery and reinvention.

I read Nina George’s “The Little Paris Bookshop” and was less than enthusiastic about it. In it, George writes from the male perspective and I couldn’t find it convincing or compelling. The Little French Bistro, by comparison, was fabulous. Writing from the female perspective, to me, makes the author’s voice so much more believable and enjoyable.

The Little French Bistro brings a lovely cast of characters together. The 60+ crowd has great deal of experience with life, love and loss to teach younger generations and this theme shines through beautifully in this book. I loved every single character here. The author does a wonderful job of creating believable, likable characters that peel away layers to reveal their genuine hopes, dreams, thoughts, feelings and faults.

I can’t say enough good things about The Little French Bistro. It’s definitely worth reading and the characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Thanks to the publisher and the now defunct Blogging for Books for a complimentary copy.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog