My (Part-Time) Paris Life

How Running Away Brought Me Home

By: Lisa Anselmo

Narrated by: Lisa Anselmo

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

Lisa Anselmo wraps her entire life around her mother, a strong woman who is a defining force in Lisa's life - maybe too defining. When her mother dies from breast cancer, Lisa realizes she hasn't built a life of her own and struggles to find her purpose. Who is she without her mother - and her mother's expectations?

Desperate for answers, she turns to her favorite city - Paris - and impulsively buys a small apartment, refusing to play it safe for the first time. What starts out as an act of survival sets Lisa on a course that reshapes her life in ways she never could have imagined. Suddenly she's living like a local in a city she thought she knew, but her high school French, while fine for buying bread at the corner boulangerie, goes only so far when Paris gives her a strong dose of real life. From dating to homeownership in a foreign country, Lisa quickly learns it's not all picnics on the Seine and starts to doubt herself - and her love of the city. But she came to Paris to be happy, and she can't give up now. Isn't happiness worth fighting for?

In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love and Wild, My (Part-time) Paris Life is a story for anyone who's ever felt lost or hopeless but still dreams of something more. This candid memoir explores one woman's search for peace and meaning and how the ups and downs of expat life in Paris taught her to let go of fear, find self-worth, and create real, lasting happiness in the City of Light.

©2016 Lisa Anselmo (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Way better than I needed it to be. Loved it! Get it.

I love books about Paris and am a sucker for most of them. I've read mostly all of them that you were likely ever to find on bookshelves and on audible over the last 10 years. This book is more than you expect it to be. It will pull at anyone's heart strings. I live in NYC and have been to Paris over 20 times and I think she nails it. You feel her struggle, understand her perspective and feel like you have a seat at the cafe. Get it.

Very touching story

The book I listened to was not the book I thought it was going to be.

I knew Lisa was on International House Hunters and that's why I bought this book.
I thought she would talk about how that came about and what it was like to shoot the show..
She did none of those things.
Instead she wrote a honest story of grief, anxiety and how she got through it.

This book touched in a way I never imagined.

I'm a lover of Paris and it warmed my heart to know that it helped her through some of her toughest days.

The best Paris book

This is the only book that I could listen to from start to finish. It is charming, funny and I could relate to most of the emotions that she experienced in the book. I love Lisa’s voice - very soothing and filled with personality. Definitely recommend!!

More loss and recovery

Great narration. I love stories about Paris. This is a story of loss and recovery with less of Paris life.

Extremely annoying

While there were some interesting parts of the book, overall the author just came across as a whiny, irritating woman who was unhappy wherever she was.

Amazing!

So much deeper than I thought it was going to be. Very sweet and thoughtful book. Highly recommended!

Paris - the love of my life!

Absolutely enthralling! I loved every single word Lisa uttered. Her story was so captivating. What a beautiful writer! I wish I could express my life story the way Lisa did. Her book gives me the impetus to go out and live that Parisian life that has eluded me for over 20 years since I fell in love with her back in 1991! That is my dream and I hope I can summon up the courage to finally make this dream of living in Paris come to fruition - the most magical city in the world❤️

Insightful. Inspiring. Self-Examining Memoir

An insightful, inspiring, memoir about loss, letting go and choosing to live and be happy.

Bravo

I loved every second of this book!!!! I cried, laughed and smiled. I hope that you write another book. I learned a lot from this book. I too will choose happiness.

Fun read!

I very much enjoyed this memoir. Fantastic performance by the author. I look forward to Part 2