Not so long ago I had the opportunity to live and work in Paris for nearly three years. And I loved every minute of it. So it probably won’t come as a surprise that I enjoy reading a good book about France and do so often.

Tita is a glimpse of life in rural France in the 1950s. This beautifully written story starts as though we simply join young Tita one day and ends on a seemingly random scene in the car with her family. In between we go to school and church with Tita meet her friends and family and see French life through this young girl’s eyes.

With its generous use of French words, explanations of customs and descriptions of daily rituals, I felt as though I was living French rural life. Tita’s trials and joys are easy to relate to even though I’m (quite) a bit older than she is in the story. There are glimpses of adult life, politics and both financial and marital struggles as seen through her eyes. 

My only complaint…I longed for more. And that, I think, speaks to the quality of the writing as well as the way the author brings readers into the story making us engage with the characters. I really enjoyed this book and the wonderful scenes of Southern French life. Highly recommended.

Title: Tita
Author: Marie Houzelle
ISBN: 9781940333014
Available at Amazon.