I got an advance copy of this after asking for it, just because it was set in Paris. I had no expectations at all and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It is a very readable book that really plays on the differences between American and French society. You can see the author spent time in France and has first hand experience of what exactly the role and status of an au pair is within a French family. She uses the different points of view to her advantage and together they make for an intelligently written commentary on this particular phenomenon. Being an outsider is never easy and all the characters in this story are outsiders in their own way, even the employer and her daughter. All of it makes for a very good read. An intelligent debut.

This was a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me I think. I wanted a suspenseful mystery. This is not that. It’s a snap shot of various people that live and work in a Parisian suburb.