The French Art of Living Well

By Cathy Yandell,

Book cover of The French Art of Living Well: Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World

Book description

What is joie de vivre, and why is it a fundamentally French concept?

In search of those ineffable qualities that make up the joy of living, this lively book takes readers on a voyage to France through forays into literature, history, and culture. How does art contribute to daily life?…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The French Art of Living Well as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

As a dedicated Francophile, I love books that celebrate all that is wonderful about the French, and this book definitely falls into that category. It is, however, not blindly celebratory.

Cathy Yandell’s love of France and the French is tempered by a balanced view of French life: the stories she tells about her experiences in France over a period of 40-some years provide insight into some of the ways that American and French sensibilities (and habits and ways) can occasionally collide. All of this is recounted with humor and affection—from a soundly American, French-loving point of view.

I also love…

Want books like The French Art of Living Well?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The French Art of Living Well.

Browse books like The French Art of Living Well

Book cover of The Ambassadors
Book cover of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
Book cover of Me Talk Pretty One Day

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,064

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in France, Francophiles, and presidential biography?

France 942 books
Francophiles 5 books