{"product_id":"the-french-effect-9781069128126","title":"The French Effect","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the bestselling author of the LOVE IN PROVENCE series, comes a hopeful and heartwarming journey that reminds us it's never too late for a second chance.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrance has a way of changing your mind ... and your heart ...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNovelist Nora Bennett is living her fifties with more doubts than dreams. Once content with her quiet life, she's recently found herself battling writer's block, a growing restlessness-and resistance to a holiday season she's long stopped celebrating. So, when her daughter Chloe, an artist living in Paris, asks her to dog-sit an intimidating Doberman named Atticus, Nora surprises\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethem both by saying yes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelicious meals, long walks through the storied streets of Montmartre, and a chance to rediscover a spark of joy in the glittering holiday lights of Paris: Six weeks in the City of Light might be just the escape Nora needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExcept Paris has other plans. Nora agrees to ghostwrite a memoir for 93-year-old Marie-Louise, who reveals haunting memories of surviving the Occupation as a child of the Resistance. A charming younger tango partner with secrets of his own introduces Nora to the French art of pleasure. All the while, the city's irresistible festive spirit envelops her gently.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChloe invites Nora to spend Christmas at her husband Olivier's centuries-old ancestral farm in Provence. There, Nora is embraced by the warmth of family and treasured traditions. She's also unexpectedly drawn to Pierre, her son-in-law's moody and magnetic father. Their connection is undeniable, even as he seems intent on keeping his distance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut when Atticus suddenly goes missing, Pierre joins Nora in searching for him. Soon a winding road trip returning to Paris softens their defenses ... and reveals complicated truths behind their guarded hearts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet as Nora's time in France begins to wind down, she must decide: Return to the comfort of the life she knew - or leap into a bold new chapter she never imagined beyond the pages of her novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Patricia Sands Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781069128126\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 330\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.84lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.74d","brand":"Patricia Sands","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52034443444405,"sku":"9781069128126","price":14.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_d1d943c4-0395-4c91-b6b3-8f3974bc6223.jpg?v=1763594280","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-french-effect-9781069128126","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}