Civilisation Française

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By DV Rothman

Civilisation Française is special because it shows how two lives that seem normal can hold so much history, longing, and unspoken pain. Mary puts a young student who is trying to figure out who she is with an older woman who lives in another country and is keeping her memories safe. This makes the story feel both big and personal.

This book makes me feel like I'm walking through an old Paris apartment where every door has a memory behind it. Mary's writing takes you to a peaceful, atmospheric place where emotions are just under the surface. The experience is soft, a little scary, and surprisingly interesting. You start to notice the spaces between characters, the shadows of their past choices, and the small things they do that show their whole lives.

The themes are much bigger than the place where the story takes place. Mary thinks about who she is, how she feels like she doesn't fit in, her shame, her sadness, and how little she wants to connect with other people. If you've ever felt like you didn't belong in your own life or had memories that were too painful to share, these ideas will make sense to you. The book also talks about echoes between generations, which show how things that have happened in the past can still affect the future even after they are no longer visible.

Mary’s craft is elegant and purposeful. Her writing is simple but vivid, and it shows both the texture of 1980s Paris and the inner lives of her characters. One memorable moment is when Lily realizes that the house she goes into every morning is more real than it looks like it is. Another powerful scene is when Madame Quinon tells a memory in such a clear way that it shocks you. This shows how thin the line is between silence and confession.

In the end, Civilisation Française offers a deeply felt meditation on belonging and the stories we inherit. It is a novel that lingers, inviting reflection long after the final page.

About the Author 

Mary Fleming

Mary Fleming, originally from Chicago, moved to Paris in 1981, where she worked as a freelance journalist and consultant before turning full-time to writing fiction. Her novel Someone Else was published in 2014 and The Art of Regret in 2019. A new novel, Civilisation Française, has just come out (July 2024). She chronicles her French life between Paris and the Perche (Normandy) in the photo-essay,  A Paris-Perche Diary.