L'Affaire

I like to read a Diane Johnson novel when I travel to France and I was pleased to see this one at the Book Depot before my recent trip. These books are a little fluffy but are perfect for reading on an airplane or when holed up in a holiday rental. My husband was disappointed that I'd brought this novel along as it was way too girly for him to pick up when he'd finished his novels too quickly. Tough luck, I say.
Amy Hawkins is an American dot-com millionaire who travels to France to learn how to be a grownup. She wants to know how to cook, how to ski, how to decorate, how to look after old tablecloths. The story starts in the French Alps where the well-meaning Amy meddles in a situation involving avalanche victims. She funds the medical transfer of Adrian Venn from France to a London hospital, setting into motion legal events that have serious ramifications for Mr. Venn's heirs. There are affairs galore, cultural misunderstandings and an eventual rapprochement. The story begins in the Alps but eventually moves on to Paris. We see that all of French social life unfolds in a virtual small village wherein a small elite group interacts. Americans are treated with some derision or disdain and Amy feels slighted. After all, she's only trying to put into practice the ideals of Prince Kropotkin, the anarchist who promoted social cooperation.
Amy is also seeking true love. After several false starts she finds what she was looking for although,inmy view, she seems to lack the necessary passion to sustain an affair. Nonetheless there are enough twists and turns to keep things interesting