Paris Letters

Overwhelmed and burned out by the grind of her copywriting career and daily life in Los Angeles, and tired of being single, Janice MacLeod decides to take a leap of faith by quitting her job and setting off for Europe for several months of travel. Narrator Tavia Gilbert offers a youthful and enthusiastic reading of Janice's story, imparting the author's wonder and delight at the twists and turns her life takes, and capturing the light tone of the story. That said, though, Gilbert's narration sometimes tends toward being over-the-top. Ultimately, during her travels, Janice ends up finding her passion and her purpose in Paris: She meets her husband, Christophe, and builds a life for herself creating and selling hand-painted letters about the city she so clearly loves. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

December 2, 2013
Feeling trapped and unfulfilled in her copywriting job, MacLeod began a process she hoped would transform her life. Within several months of pledging to write three pages a day in her journal, a question bubbles up: “How much money does it take to quit your job?… I needed to figure out how to save up enough money to fund my own sabbatical, or even better, get out of my job.” MacLeod (The Dating Repair Kit) contemplates the multitude of ways she can save or make $100 a day toward her goal for financial independence. She reassesses her spending habits and devises a plan for whittling down spending and boosting her savings. With her financial makeover successful, MacLeod leaves her corporate life in the States behind departing for two years of European travel. MacLeod sheds her vegan menu choices, falls in love with a butcher, and discovers what makes her happy. She decides to sell painted letters depicting her life in Paris through a subscription service, and with that, she creates a cash flow for her daily life. “I would create a painted letter, copy it, personalize each copy, and mail them off to people who love fun mail.” MacLeod engagingly takes readers on her personal odyssey, and offers them a sweet reminder of the joy found in learning to make your life one you really love.