Elaine Sciolino crafts narratives that delve into the cultural heart and lifestyle of places, particularly France. Her writing, marked by keen observation and lyrical prose, invites readers on immersive journeys through the soul of Paris and its hidden facets. Sciolino possesses a remarkable ability to capture the essence of a location and its people, producing works that are both insightful and deeply evocative. Her capacity to penetrate beneath the surface and reveal subtle nuances makes her a distinctive voice in literature.
Exploring a vibrant Parisian street, the narrative blends memoir and travelogue, showcasing the rich history and unique characters that inhabit the rue des Martyrs. Elaine Sciolino, a former New York Times Paris bureau chief, highlights the street's significance, from its historical events to its artistic legacy, featuring renowned figures like Degas and Zola. Through engaging portraits of local residents, including a greengrocer and a cabaret owner, the book celebrates the enduring charm of Parisian life amidst the challenges of globalization.
Blending memoir, travelogue, and history, The Seine is a love letter to Paris and the river that determined its destiny. Master storyteller and longtime New York Times foreign correspondent Elaine Sciolino explores the Seine through its lively characters—a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat dweller, a famous cinematographer—and follows it from the remote plateaus of Burgundy through Paris and to the sea. The Seine is a vivid, enchanting portrait of the world’s most irresistible river.
The hidden truth about the French way of life: it's all about seduction—its rules, its pleasures, its secrets France is a seductive country, seductive in its elegance, its beauty, its sensual pleasures, and its joie de vivre. But Elaine Sciolino, the longtime Paris bureau chief of The New York Times , has discovered that seduction is much more than a game to the French: it is the key to understanding France. Seduction plays a crucial role in how the French relate to one another—not just in romantic relationships but also in how they conduct business, enjoy food and drink, define style, engage in intellectual debate, elect politicians, and project power around the world. While sexual repartee and conquest remain at the heart of seduction, for the French seduction has become a philosophy of life, even an ideology, that can confuse outsiders. In La Seduction , Sciolino gives us an inside view of how seduction works in all areas, analyzing its limits as well as its power. She demystifies the French way of life in an entertaining and personal narrative that carries us from the neighborhood shops of Paris to the halls of government, from the gardens of Versailles to the agricultural heartland. La Seduction will charm you and encourage you to lower your defenses about the French. Pull up a chair and let Elaine Sciolino seduce you.
