Saturday Book Club: Paris Sizzles On The Page Of This Great Mother’s Day Gift Option
Illustrator Joel Holland and writer Vivian Song deliver quite the treat.
Mother’s Day is tomorrow, so you’ve probably already ordered a gift and made the brunch reservation for the maternal figure in your life. However, it’s OK if you haven’t. It just means you’re thoughtless and ungrateful.
I do have an idea for a last-minute present that will seem you like give a damn. I received a copy of the book, Paris Shopfronts: Illustrations of the City's Best-Loved Boutiques, Brasseries, Bars, and More, which I highly recommend. It’s like taking Mom to Paris but you don’t have to worry about passports or make a point of wearing a “I Didn’t Vote For That Fool” shirt every day.
The book features gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations of more than 100 Parisian storefronts by artist Joel Holland, and accompanying each illustration is a Rick Steves-style entry from Paris-based journalist Vivian Song. The iconic spots are all here, including Le Bon Marché, France’s first department store; Shakespeare and Company, the famous bookstore where Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and the Fitzgeralds loitered; and the Moulin Rouge, as featured in that 2001 documentary starring Nicole Kidman.
My first trip to Paris was with my wife in 2009. The day we arrived, we had dinner at Lapérouse, billed as a “House of Pleasure since 1766,” and it’s true that they have an amazing cheese course. Holland’s illustration of the restaurant instantly takes me back.
We also had a fabulous dinner at La Tour d'Argent, where we watched the sun set slowly behind Notre-Dame Cathedral as we savored a bottle of wine from 1985. When they brought it up from the cellar, it was covered in dust, but unlike me, it still had a robust body.
However, what makes the book stand out is all the lesser-known, quirky spots you might otherwise overlook if you do make it to Paris. For instance, you probably wouldn’t think to try soul food in the “City of Lights,” but Gumbo Ya Ya in Paris is worth one of your vacation meals.
Paris Shopfronts: Illustrations of the City's Best-Loved Boutiques, Brasseries, Bars, and More is both aspirational and informative, a lovely addition for the coffee table that can also help you plan your next big foreign adventure. Don’t worry, civilized nations still welcome Americans. It’s just a little embarrassing.
Holland’s first book in this theme is 2022’s NYC Storefronts: Illustrations of the Big Apple's Best-Loved Spots, which he began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He started drawing storefronts near his apartment, commemorating a way of life that had been put on pause, perhaps forever. It was a very uncertain time. He posted the illustrations on his Instagram and they soon gained a large following, as people online recommended some of their own favorite storefronts to him.
Since his New York book was published, he’s produced versions based in Brooklyn, London, and now Paris. They all make great gifts for mothers every day of the year.
Aw, thanks for the shout out—Joel actually just did my Substack branding. He’s so talented and the nicest guy....this is definitely a lovely book.
𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤, 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒. 𝐻𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑂𝐾 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛’𝑡. 𝐼𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙.
Not for many of us, including myself. It means that our maternal figure has passed away.
A better T-shirt idea for Paris, or any place, would say, "Don't blame me, I voted for Harris."