I have followed Anna since the beginning of the pandemic so being able to read her words was its own form of magic. I really enjoyed this one

This book was fantastic! I have followed Anna on instagram and I knew part of her story but her book really showed it all. I even went and brought the book. I loved it. Its a book that really helps with anyone that might have felt lost after going through an unexpected loss and its about being able to do things on your own. She got up and moved to Paris and started a whole new life. She filled it with people that truly loved her and she got her happy ending that she deserved.

I was excited to read this book as I’ve followed the author online for a while and wanted to know more about her experiences, especially traveling abroad. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable read - bar some typos and grammatical issues with the French dialogue - and would recommend for readers looking to enjoy a memoir, travel literature or autobiographical essays.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

As I suspect will be the case for many readers, I was eager to read about Anna Kloots’s story because I follow her travels on Instagram. I actually discovered her account more recently, after the timeline of the book closes, so this story was entirely new to me, despite being a follower!

I expected this to be a story about being an expat in Paris, but instead I was struck by what an important case this memoir makes for women’s financial and creative independence during marriage, and for appreciating and nourishing love in all its forms in our lives. Anna’s friends and family are so wonderful! I looked forward to their appearances on the page the way I would a beloved supporting character in a work of fiction.

I loved reading about a different version of success and family than what we normally see, too. Moving around loads, including internationally, and having friends-turned-family all around the world? Sounds like the dream to me!

Also, the pink glitter exit? INCREDIBLE.