Perestroika in Paris, Jane Smiley
Perestroika in Paris, Jane Smiley
1 Rating(s)
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Perestroika in Paris

Author: Jane Smiley

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Unabridged: 8 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 12/01/2020


Synopsis

A joyful, captivating story of three extraordinary animals and a young boy

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 shorthair 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.

About Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley is the author of many novels, works of nonfiction, and books for young adults, including A Thousand Acres and the Last Hundred Years trilogy, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Barbara on December 09, 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-pur......more

Goodreads review by Richard on December 03, 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 mu......more

Goodreads review by vicki on 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......more

Goodreads review by Jonathan on 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 Racin......more

Goodreads review by Ms.pegasus on 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.......more