Searching for Peanut Butter in Paris

by Kat Sparks, Kayla Vix (Editor)

Dive into the most romantic spoken language in the world...and then into a dark reality as the romance wears off. Adventure and scholarship money lead Kat from Kansas to France to be immersed in a new culture, language, and understanding of self. Insightful and intriguing, these laugh out loud stories are written as a guide for those who are considering embarking on that endeavor. Follow Kat through unavoidable awkwardness that refines into the finesse of linguistic and cultural fluency. Anyone who has ever traveled overseas, or dreamed of doing so, will find themselves in the pages of this irreverent and enchanting memoir.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2013

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comme ci comme ça.

This is a fast read. There were parts that I thoroughly enjoyed and could relate to, but then there were other parts that I wanted to box the author's ears! I tired quickly of her being so homesick and and seemingly disliking France. And I disliked the book other times because she came across as pompous and arrogant. I would recommend it to francophone friends acknowledging its limitations.

[Julia McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing account of a young woman's year in France. I especially liked the emails written to her family in the midwest and descriptions of French people and places. I won't say if she found the peanut butter but she had a lot of fun looking! If you love France (like I do), you'll find a lot to enjoy in this memoir.

[Stacey Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brings back memories of European studies

Pleasant if not sometimes uneventful read. Can't count how many times the authors states she's speaking French instead of English. Emails were supposed to setup chapters but we're just redundant. Typical that she mourns her life in the U.S. then gets back and realizes she's bored to death.

[Cindy May]

excellent book! I could sympathize with the young author not feeling like she truly fit in when studying and living in France. I felt the same way in England, which is probably why both of us live stateside now (at least I presume she does as it's been some time since her book was written).