The Strays of Paris
by Jane Smiley
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Pub Date 18 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 18 Feb 2021
Pan Macmillan | Mantle
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Description
'Sunshine in book form' – Daily Mail
'A joyfully escapist celebration of friendship and freedom' – Mail on Sunday
'Delightful, heartwarming . . . An especially welcome reminder of the bright spots even in dark times' – NPR
Paras is a spirited young racehorse living in a stable in the French countryside. That is until one afternoon when she pushes open the gate of her stall and, travelling through the night, arrives quite by chance in the dazzling streets of Paris.
She soon meets a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated crow, and life amongst the animals in the city’s lush green spaces is enjoyable for a time. But everything changes when Paras meets a human boy, Étienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the secluded, ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live quietly and keep to themselves. As the cold weather of Christmas nears, the unlikeliest of friendships blooms between human and animals.
But how long can a runaway horse live undiscovered in Paris? And how long can one boy keep her all to himself? Charming and beguiling in equal measure, Jane Smiley’s novel celebrates the intrinsic need for friendship, love and freedom, whoever you may be . . .
From Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres, The Strays of Paris is a captivating story of a group of extraordinary animals – and one little boy – whose lives cross paths in Paris.
Advance Praise
‘This is the perfect book for those for whom the real world, wracked with pandemic and politics, has become something to avoid . . . In her fable-like travels around Paris [the racehorse Paras] encounters a wise raven who dispenses advice, an eight-year-old orphan who can hide a horse, and plenty of happy endings—not just for the animals, but for the people they encounter, especially if they, like Paras, are open to seeing the wonders of the world.’ Publishers Weekly
‘A remarkable novel that splits the difference between Charlotte’s Web and Animal Farm . . . [The Strays of Paris] takes its place alongside the likes of Through the Looking-Glass, in that it will reward both precocious young readers and their parents with a sense of wonder and whimsy.’ BookPage
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781529052978 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 288 |
Featured Reviews
Leanne C, Book Trade Professional
Jane Smiley is an American Pulitzer prize winning writer and this is a big departure from her normal style of writing. Written through the eyes of a stray dog, a horse and the two ducks and raven they come into contact with, this is a beautiful book about the meaning of love and friendship. Étienne is an 8 year old boy who lives with and cares for his 97 year old blind and deaf great grandmother after the death of his parents. He befriends these Strays of Paris and brings them into the big old rambling house he lives in, (along with a rather adventurous rat!) but how long can they live like that before the real world intrudes? The perfect hopeful book to end a tumultuous year of uncertainty and protests.
JC S, Educator
Perestroika (nicknamed Paras) takes advantage of the opportunity to explore away from home when his stable door is left unbolted. This is when his adventures begin! This is a delightful, heartwarming book, a story for children and adults alike, and I loved the theme of friendship that runs all the way through. The story is cleverly told by the different birds and animals, as well as adults and gives it an unusual slant. The very striking cover illustration drew me in before I'd read blurb. Thank you to Jane Smiley, Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Lauren Y, Reviewer
The best book i have read for quite some time!!! I adore books through the eyes of animals. Beautiful story.
Kim M, Reviewer
Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Jane Smiley for this ARC. An absolutely beautifully written story. A welcome and much needed change for me as I've read a lot of thrillers of late. Stunning tale told from the animals points of view. I'll certainly never look at a crow the same way again.
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