The literary season means over 500 new releases, representing hundreds of authors with distinctive voices. Don’t panic—the Do It in Paris team has sorted through this treasure trove of surprises. La promesse by Camille Laurens, the poignant story of a grieving father by Philippe Besson, a new intimate testimony from Vanessa Springora, and a fascinating journey into the archives of Chaumet... Discover the must-reads right here!
A feel-good novel infiltrating the world of influencers
The must-read book: Les Influentes by Adèle Bréau
The pitch: Anne, a mother of three who runs a small business selling handmade creations, sees her life turned upside down when Beyoncé is spotted wearing one of her jumpsuits. Blanche, the editor-in-chief of the major magazine Attitude, immediately notices and seizes the opportunity to capitalize on her rising fame. In a world increasingly driven by social media, Myrtille, a young, trendy stylist, realizes the need to embrace modern tools to promote emerging talents.
Through live Insta sessions, stories, crossposts, and hashtags, the influencer world collides with the fashion scene. But when you bring together a mom who shies away from the limelight, a conservative editor who detests talentless influencers, and a fresh-faced stylist debuting during Paris Fashion Week, three vastly different worlds clash—for better or worse.
Why you’ll love it: Whatever your life, you’ll likely find a bit of yourself in the characters of Blanche, Anne, and Myrtille. The interconnected lives, aspirations, and talents in Les Influentes echo the spirit of La Tresse by Laetitia Colombani, weaving the stories of three strong women. And who better than Adèle Bréau—fashion director at Gala and author of the acclaimed L’Heure des Femmes (published in 2023)—to deliver such a witty, insightful portrayal of the fashion world? She takes readers behind the scenes of major magazine offices and into the most exclusive events, crafting a story that’s both critical (of influencers and old-school editorial practices alike) and nostalgic for a world of glitz and glamor. Her novel is a delightful, eye-opening treat.
Splendor and Misery at the Heart of Place Vendôme
The book: Briller by Laurence Cossé
The pitch. The jewels of Marie-Étienne Nitot for Napoleon, the treasures of the Dolly Sisters, the “sun” tiara of Princess Irina Yusupov, niece of Tsar Nicholas II, or the emeralds of the Romanov princesses... These treasures come from a high-jewelry house with a history brimming with anecdotes. Founded in 1780 by Marie-Étienne Nitot, Chaumet has passed through the hands of passionate families: the Nitot of the Empire, the Fossin of the Restoration, the Morel of the Second Empire, and, of course, the Chaumet family since 1889.
This house has not only preserved exceptional craftsmanship but also countless secrets entrusted by its clientele. Chaumet’s history is also marked by a series of disappearances: the Crown Jewels, partially stolen in 1792 and later sold off in 1887, the Napoleonic sets melted down or repurposed during the Restoration… A jewel’s life is full of misadventures, and this makes for an unpredictable and delightful journey through time.
Why you’ll love it: After imagining an ideal bookstore selling only masterpieces in Au bon roman and exploring the political stakes behind the construction of the Grande Arche in La Grande Arche, Laurence Cossé ventures into the world of a Parisian high-jewelry house. With meticulous research from Chaumet’s archives, this novel revives brilliant personalities from the Empire era to today, blending historical and fictional narratives. The author effortlessly takes us behind the scenes of this fabulous family saga that has lit up Place Vendôme since 1780.
A Cruel Tale of Love and Disillusion
The book: La promesse by Camille Laurens
The pitch. This novel begins at the end, with its last lines. Claire discovers the proof we’ve been waiting for throughout the story. Why start at the end, you may ask? Because it allows the story to unfold easily, even if it means breaking a promise. Let’s go back to where it all began: a candlelit dinner where Claire makes a promise to her lover—a promise she knows she won’t keep. And where it all ends: in court.
How does Claire Lancel end up recounting her story before a judge? It’s simple: the rise and fall of a couple, condensed. A love story that could have been extraordinary if not for the lies and manipulations. Between Claire and Gilles, it was love at first sight, quickly followed by disillusionment, the discovery of a man’s perverse love, and finally, nothing left but the question: “Was what we experienced love?”
Why you’ll love it: Camille Laurens is a seasoned author whose name has resonated in the literary world since her debut novel Index in 1991. Before La promesse, there was Fille, where the author delicately explored the transmission of womanhood and the importance of words in their formation. Here, Laurens crafts the tension of a thriller, pulling us into the heroine’s quest for truth. With her incisive style, she dissects a couple’s rise and fall, examining contemporary narcissism, a lack of empathy, and the blindness we embrace when things fall apart.
A Remarkable Identity Quest
The book: Patronyme by Vanessa Springora
The pitch. “You’re writing a book about your father? You’re quite tolerant, given all the harm that scumbag did to you!” Yet that’s exactly the project Vanessa Springora undertakes after her father’s death. On her way to La Grande Librairie, she’s called to identify her father’s lifeless body, a man she hadn’t seen in 10 years. A toxic, mythomaniac, hypermnestic, and misanthropic figure who had descended into madness in his final years.
As she empties the 35m² space Patrick Springora occupied, she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: two photos from the late 1930s showing her paternal grandfather wearing Nazi insignia. Horrified, she embarks on a quest for the truth.
But who was this “Czechoslovak refugee always presented to me as a hero”? Her search takes her to the Czech Republic, to German archives, to witnesses in Moravia, and back to her French roots—a nearly obsessive identity quest. Amid small breakthroughs, doubts, and dead ends, Springora delivers a compelling genealogical investigation. The effort is immense, but the result is sublime.
Why you’ll love it: Vanessa Springora became a household name with her first book Le consentement, a powerful testimony of the abusive relationship she endured at age 14 with the renowned writer Gabriel Matzneff—a text that sparked significant judicial changes in France. With Patronyme, she delivers another intimate journey, blending fiction and analysis, travelogues and family legends. She interrogates the myth of her origins, the twists and turns of her family name, and the mysteries surrounding the male figures of her childhood, exposing the devastating power of silence.
A Powerful Novel About School Bullying
The book: Vous parlez de mon fils by Philippe Besson
The pitch. Why did Hugo succumb to the torment inflicted by two stupid and cruel kids? That’s the question Vincent asks as he walks in the procession honoring the memory of his 14-year-old son, Hugo. Accompanied by his wife Juliette and their youngest son Enzo, Vincent reflects during the “white march” through the streets of Saint-Nazaire.
Vincent recalls the moment Juliette confided, “I think something’s wrong with Hugo,” and the harrowing memories of his son’s descent into the nightmare of bullying and despair. Questions intertwine: How are they responsible? How did they fail him? And above all, how can they forgive the bullies’ cruelty, the institution’s cowardice, and the indifference of bystanders?
Why you’ll love it: Philippe Besson, author of L’Enfant d’octobre (on the Gregory affair), Les Jours fragiles (on Rimbaud’s final days), and Un soir d’été (on an unresolved Île de Ré case), has a knack for crafting heart-wrenching narratives. In Vous parlez de mon fils, Besson presents a poignant indictment of modern society’s ordinary violence. Through the narrator’s raw thoughts, he examines intolerance, bullying, institutional shortcomings, adult helplessness, and the complexities of grief and family ties.
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