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Happy Juneteenth! I have the day off work and wanted to share an article I found on the historical legacy of Juneteenth.
I’ve been trying to read a little more lately. I put together a summer reading list for the blog but I also put together a stack for myself by pulling some seasonal books I haven’t read from my bookcase.
My latest read, “Perestroika in Paris” by Jane Smiley — actually takes place in the winter months. However, I added it to my summer stack for two reasons.
For one, I wanted to read at least one book set in Paris before the summer Olympics, and for two, having recently made an animal friend (Zephyr, the bird), I knew this would be a timely read.
This book follows Paras, short for “Perestroika,” a spirited racehorse at a track outside of Paris. One afternoon, she finds the door of her stall open and steps out.
She wanders all the way to the City of Light. She’s dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn’t afraid.
Soon, she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians.
Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city’s lush green spaces, nourished by Frida’s strategic trips to the vegetable market.
They keep company with two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven. But then, Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion.
As the cold weather nears, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself?
Author Jane Smiley’s novel is an adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the desire of all creatures for true love and freedom.
Reading this book was so fun. I loved riding horses as a kid and I went for a ride in New Mexico two summers ago.
I loved reading a story from a horse’s perspective, and having been to Paris, I really enjoyed imagining Paras and her animal friends going on adventures throughout the city.
Given the age of Etienne’s grandmother, you can probably guess one of the challenges the boy faces in this story. There is a scene related to this challenge over several pages in the book that was so beautifully written that I thought I’d share a small part of it with you.
“And now, at last, after so many months, here came Frida in through the small door, her tail down, her ears down, half slinking, a sad but determined look on her face. She looked exactly the way Etienne felt. She came all the way to him, and stood, trembling slightly, as Etienne petted her on her silky head. She mumbled a few things, the raven cawed, the rat squeaked, and Paras nickered gently. Etienne knew that they were talking to him, though not in his language, and he felt comforted. One by one, they settled in—the raven in his great-grandmother’s empty yarn basket, Kurt in the corner of the sofa, Paras in her usual spot in front of the windows, and Frida right there, right at his feet, her lovely head resting on her paws. Very soon, there was quite a bit of snoring, which Etienne found so soothing that he, too, put his head back and fell asleep.”
The entire scene is so sweet — it was my favorite part of the book.
What books have you read that were from an animal’s perspective?
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