A poignant and often amusing reminiscence of growing to womanhood through eight visits to Paris

For Deirdre Kelly, Paris is not only a dream city but also the place where she attains a deeper understanding of herself. Having always defined herself in opposition to her mother, Kelly finds in the city itself her “other mother,” the mother of her imagination.

At nineteen, Kelly first arrives in Paris as a starry-eyed ingénue. In a subsequent visit she appears as a budding writer, eager for intellectual and sexual adventure, who interviews the legendary Nureyev and crashes an exclusive fashion show. In an emotionally charged return, Kelly takes her mother to Paris to meet her “other mother,” with not altogether happy results. She also takes her future husband, who has his own connection to the city. On her last trip, she is a mother herself.

During all these visits, Paris is the constant, but Kelly’s shifting emotional world creates varying perspectives on both the city and her evolving self. In Paris Times Eight Paris emerges as a principal character, an influence that inspires and guides Kelly on her path to growth and maturity.

“Deirdre Kelly’s writing is fast-paced and full of colour and gives the reader an insider’s view. She gets it right.” —Sally Armstrong, author of Bitter Roots, Tender Shoots: The Uncertain Fate of Afghanistan’s Women