French Connections

This morning, I finished up Murder in Bel-Air by Clara Black along with my coffee. This one is part of a series that I checked out from e-books at our local library. Since it was from the library, I take what I can get with e-books so started this series with #19 instead of #1.

Vocabulary and Background Knowledge

When I had to take foreign language in high school and college, I studied Spanish and German, so never had any French other than souffle, croissant, and the basics like greetings, salutations and a few simple swear words. I managed to expand my vocabulary some while reading this story through a few context clues as well as through Google (good readers use tools!). 

I am a strong reader but I did find myself struggling some when reading this novel. I have some knowledge of sound-symbol relationships with french words since I'm a word nerd, but needing to think so deliberately about pronunciation slowed me down a little. I also realized that I have never read very much about France or French history which meant I had to work a little harder than normal to comprehend all the connections in this particular story. I had to look up Abidjan to really see where it was. I looked up Ivoirian and then realized it was related to Ivory Coast. I do wish I would have looked that part up when it first came up in the story rather than at the very end. I went through the whole story not knowing anything about Cote d'Ivoire, but I definitely have some background knowledge about the Ivory Coast.  Part of me felt a little stupid not knowing those things already while another part of me knew that it's not possible to know everything. That's one reason I choose to read - to expand my mind and my knowledge base. And, since I was reading for pleasure, rather to study for a test or answer comprehension questions, it didn't really matter in the long run what I knew when. (Purpose for reading really makes a difference!)

A Mom Moment

I chose this book because it looked interesting and because of the Around the World in 80 Books challenge. I was looking for a book set in France. I read it yesterday and today and realized this morning that while I've been reading it, my youngest daughter was actually in Paris with her high school band on their trip. I didn't a lot of Paris specific experiences per se, but it was a connection which created that little "awww" moment as I thought about it and added to my enjoyment of my reading experience. It made this experience a little different than it would have been last week or even next week. A slightly different context for me and one reason I enjoyed this story.

A Cherished Memory

The main character in this series by Black is Aimee Leduc, a private investigator in Paris, France. I naturally enjoyed the fact that the main character and I shared the name Amy but not until I read the interaction between Aimee and her mother did I really connect. Aimee's mother is (potentially) an asset for the CIA. When Aimee and her mother were talking, Black used Amy as the spelling for Aimee's name. I have always been Amy-with-a-y; except to Great-Uncle Rich.

My mom was an only child but she had one uncle who was only a few years older then her. They grew up together and were always close. As adults, mom stayed in West Michigan while her uncle became a fashion designer and moved out to the Bay Area. I remember him visiting when I was a little girl. He drove an orange convertible VW bug. I loved when Great-Uncle Rich came to visit because it meant mornings of my dog and I spoiling his sleeping in on our little twin guest bed so he could take me on adventures around town in The Bug. Adventures which always included a visit to his Aunt Win who made the most amazing chocolate cake I had ever had.

I always knew when a card or note was from Great-Uncle Rich because he never wrote my name as Amy. He didn't really write it Aimee either -  I think it was always Ami - but as soon as I saw the American spelling in that conversation between Aimee and her mother, it immediately brought to mind Great-Uncle Rich and his choice to always write my name in a more European fashion.  One story was that he did it because he knew it irritated my dad. I don't really know. I only knew that he we a designer and always did his own thing. I appreciated that about him but it was also something special for just us.

Great-Uncle Rich died when I was in middle school so it's been quite some time since I received a card or note for Ami. When I read about Aimee's Chanel and Louboutin, I wondered if those would've been choices okayed by Uncle Rich or if he would've been a student of some other fashion camp (I also sent up silent thanks to cousins Morgan and Kara since without them I'm not sure I would have known what Louboutin was!). When Aimee had to destroy her cashmere scarf , I actually laughed and wondered how Uncle Rich would've responded; would he have considered that survival or blasphemy.

I don't know where adventures in The Bug may have included as I would've grown into an adult or how I might have an actual understanding of fashion design if he had lived longer, but, for just a bit, I carried Great-Uncle Rich in my heart while I was reading a story and that made this reading experience one I will treasure for a while.