Perestroika in Paris: A novel
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2020-12-02 04:10:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jane Smiley
- ISBN：9780525520351
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
09/14/2020
Fans of Pulitzer winner Smiley （A Thousand Acres） won’t be surprised to find a horse in her fanciful latest; this time out it’s a talking racehorse named Perestroika。 Paras， as the horse is known， wanders out of her stable and finds herself in Paris’s Place du Trocadéro， where she meets Frida， a shorthaired German pointer who understands money and uses it to buy food for Paras and herself。 There are no yellow vest protestors in Smiley’s idyllic Paris， where shopkeepers know all their customers and happily make change for well-behaved Frida。 Paras was happy at the track， but she’s too curious to stay there （as Smiley indicates perhaps too often）， and in her fable-like travels around Paris she encounters a wise raven who dispenses advice， an eight-year-old orphan who can hide a horse， and plenty of happy endings—not just for the animals， but for the people they encounter， especially if they， like Paras， are open to seeing the wonders of the world。 As relationships deepen between animals and humans in their exploration of where to call home， Smiley steers them toward a satisfying feel-good ending。 Relentlessly upbeat—there are no villains here， and even dogs and rats cooperate—this is the perfect book for those for whom the real world， wracked with pandemic and politics， has become something to avoid。 （Dec。）
Reviews
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Nelda Brangwin
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This is an enjoyable animal fantasy。 Peres （Perestroika） is a racehorse who managed to let herself out of the stable in Paris and sets out on an adventure。 As she explores Paris， she becomes friends with a dog and an orphan boy。 Their adventures are a great way to see Paris though different eyes and escape the political talking heads。 I’ve been a children’s librarian forever and reading this book gives me the same warm feeing that reading a book by Kate DiCamillo。
Anna Marie Jonas
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A nice， feel-good book， well written by a talented author。
Lain | onceuponanattorney
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4 ⭐️ for Perestroika in ParisSynopsis: From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author， Jane Smiley， comes a novel about extraordinary animals whose lives intersect with a young boy in Paris。 When Paras， short for "Perestroika，" curiously wonders out of her horse stall into the City of Light， her world is turned upside down。 She meets Frida， a German shorthaired pointer， who recently lost her “person，” and has been forced to learn to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians。 The tw 4 ⭐️ for Perestroika in ParisSynopsis: From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author， Jane Smiley， comes a novel about extraordinary animals whose lives intersect with a young boy in Paris。 When Paras， short for "Perestroika，" curiously wonders out of her horse stall into the City of Light， her world is turned upside down。 She meets Frida， a German shorthaired pointer， who recently lost her “person，” and has been forced to learn to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians。 The two embrace their freedom and love for the city as they explore its different parts and meet other animals。 Everything changes， though， when Paras meets a human boy， Etienne， who is living alone with his sickly great grandmother。 The relationship that forms between Paras， Frida， and Etienne celebrates curiosity， ingenuity， and the desire of all creatures for true love， freedom， and companionship。My thoughts: this is a heartwarming story filled with some amazing elements。 It gives you adorable animals and the City of Light （numerous pastries are described 🤤）—what more could you ask for？ Between the length （only 288 pages） and the writing style， it is a quick and easy read。 Also， although I requested this one because it has a German shorthaired pointer in it， it turned out being much deeper than I expected。 The book is quite philosophical at times， musing on each animal’s or human’s desires for his or her life。 Overall， the book is a perfect tale of how each of us can find our “pack，” even in the most unlikely of places and creatures。Who should read: fans of W。 Bruce Cameron， fans of books that feature animal perspectives， or any animal lover who would enjoy a Parisian setting。 。。。more
Darla
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Perestroika （Paras for short） discovers an unlatched stall and ventures out to find out if the grass really is greener in other parts of Paris。 She meanders into a park near the Eiffel Tower and her period of freedom begins。 Along with her are Frida （a dog）， Roux （a raven）， and Sid and Nancy （the Mallard couple）。 Frida is smart enough to know what to do with the euros in the purse Paras brings along。 Roux pontificates at length on a variety of subjects。 Eventually they go home with a boy who liv Perestroika （Paras for short） discovers an unlatched stall and ventures out to find out if the grass really is greener in other parts of Paris。 She meanders into a park near the Eiffel Tower and her period of freedom begins。 Along with her are Frida （a dog）， Roux （a raven）， and Sid and Nancy （the Mallard couple）。 Frida is smart enough to know what to do with the euros in the purse Paras brings along。 Roux pontificates at length on a variety of subjects。 Eventually they go home with a boy who lives with his blind and deaf great-grandmother， Madame de Mornay。 A rat named Kurt joins the circle and it is delightful to see how all of their lives are changed as a result of their fellowship with one another。 Assorted neighborhood shopkeepers and others develop relationships with one of more of the band of animals， but no one puts two and two together。 How long can they all remain under the radar？ Until the root cellar is empty？ As long as Madame de Mornay is still living？ When does indecision cross the line to procrastination？ The city of Paris is a character of her own in this story。 If I had visited that iconic city in the past I do believe I would have been ready to give this book five stars。 The cover alone is spectacular。 Thinking of a horse taking naps inside a beautiful old house makes me smile so big。 Smiley's ability to take us into the minds and hearts of the animals is a gift and reminds me of Meindert DeJong and Kate DiCamillo。 Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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Charming， but my heart still belongs to Justa Bob。
Linda
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After the furor of political and Covid19 news， this was a delightful， calming story to simply enjoy。 It manages to bring together the best of people （and animals） at a time when it is needed most。 Told from a horse's point of view （yes， horse）， it champions curiosity， friendship， overcoming fear， and what makes a family。 Loved it。Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the ARC to read and review。
J。
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This was a lovely escapist read。 It is a fairytale for adults and like all fairytales it requires a certain suspension of realistic cynicism。 Personally， I am more than willing to suspend my realistic cynicism and escape to a magical Paris with Perestroika， a Candide like horse。 I encourage you to read this and enjoy pre-dawn trots through Paris visiting bakeries and hidden courtyards with Paras and her loyal dog companion。
Sharon
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What a charming story。 It was such a wonderful read to put the reader into another world， and forget about the troubles all around us now。 Perestroika is a very curious race horse。 When her stall door somehow becomes unlatched， she steps out into a very different world than she is used to。 Grazing her way through green areas， she wanders further and further away from her stall。 She meets a streetwise dog， Frida， who has recently lost her master; Raoul， the Latin speaking raven， a pair of mallard What a charming story。 It was such a wonderful read to put the reader into another world， and forget about the troubles all around us now。 Perestroika is a very curious race horse。 When her stall door somehow becomes unlatched， she steps out into a very different world than she is used to。 Grazing her way through green areas， she wanders further and further away from her stall。 She meets a streetwise dog， Frida， who has recently lost her master; Raoul， the Latin speaking raven， a pair of mallard ducks who go by Sid and Nancy。 They form a sort of unity， and take in a young boy， Etienne and a baker who feeds Perestroika her oats each morning。 A groundskeeper at one of the parks takes an interest in this odd group of characters。 Etienne's grandmother has a part in the story as well。Meanwhile， Perestroika's trainer is at a loss as to where that horse could have gone。 How do you misplace a horse？ After months of searching， to no avail， the story ends well。 This whimsical story could probably only have been set in Paris。 I received an e-book from Knopf Doubleday Publishers and NetGalley， in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Michelle
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I loved this story！ It was just what I needed in my 2020 no power， ice storm， candle lit and wine fueled October evening。 Thank you， Ms Smiley！
Mamie Anthoine Ney
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Jane Smiley certainly doesn't disappoint with this wonderful allegory of friendship and family; filled with a "wild" assortment of animals - a curious race horse， a streetwise dog， a philosophical raven， and homebody ducks。。 It's a marvelous tale where a discontented and curious racehorse leaves his stall， trotting off on an adventure to Paris。 In Paris he makes friends with and is supported by his very diverse animal family。 He also falls in with a very sheltered 8-year old boy who becomes a me Jane Smiley certainly doesn't disappoint with this wonderful allegory of friendship and family; filled with a "wild" assortment of animals - a curious race horse， a streetwise dog， a philosophical raven， and homebody ducks。。 It's a marvelous tale where a discontented and curious racehorse leaves his stall， trotting off on an adventure to Paris。 In Paris he makes friends with and is supported by his very diverse animal family。 He also falls in with a very sheltered 8-year old boy who becomes a member of this ragtag group。 The story is filled with charm， wonderful escapades， and love。 Highly recommended for book groups。 Highly recommended as a chapter goodnight book for older children。 This will be one of those well-remembered books for years to come！ 。。。more
Don
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From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of One Thousand Acres comes an almost， but not quite quaintly whimsical story of a jumping/race horse that leaves her stable at the track for an adventure in Paris。 She becomes fast friends with dog whose busker companion has died， a haughty aging raven， a lonely rat searching for love， and a mallard that needs therapy。 Most importantly though he becomes friends with an 8-year-old boy whose is kept home by his great grandmother and very much needs the love From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of One Thousand Acres comes an almost， but not quite quaintly whimsical story of a jumping/race horse that leaves her stable at the track for an adventure in Paris。 She becomes fast friends with dog whose busker companion has died， a haughty aging raven， a lonely rat searching for love， and a mallard that needs therapy。 Most importantly though he becomes friends with an 8-year-old boy whose is kept home by his great grandmother and very much needs the love of all the animals。 This is the feel good book of 2020 for me。 Releases 12/1/2020， a must buy Christmas gift for book lovers。 。。。more
Pam
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I received an electronic ARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group through NetGalley。A delightful cast of characters let readers into their world。 The story begins with a race horse who escapes from her stall and ventures off - winding up in Paris。 There， Perestroika （Paras） meets Frida， a dog， Raoul， a raven， Sid and Nancy， mallards， and eventually Kurt， a black rat。 Along the way， they encounter various humans who provide food and unwittingly help them stay hidden。 One young boy， Etienne， who I received an electronic ARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group through NetGalley。A delightful cast of characters let readers into their world。 The story begins with a race horse who escapes from her stall and ventures off - winding up in Paris。 There， Perestroika （Paras） meets Frida， a dog， Raoul， a raven， Sid and Nancy， mallards， and eventually Kurt， a black rat。 Along the way， they encounter various humans who provide food and unwittingly help them stay hidden。 One young boy， Etienne， who opens his home to Paras。 It's an interesting novel about trust and survival and unusual bonds。 The pace is relaxed but definitely not too slow。 I appreciated this tender story that offers hope and comfort。 Each animal has their own personality and goals in the relationships。 It's refreshing to see how well they overcame their own fears and united to care for the whole group。 This will be a wonderful holiday read。 。。。more
Mary Camille Thomas
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I’m suspicious of adult novels written from an animal’s point of view， but I trust Jane Smiley， and I admit， I was charmed by the cover， so I gave Perestroika in Paris a try and loved it。 It is the story of a curious filly named Paras， short for Perestroika， who slips out of her open stall one autumn afternoon after winning a race at Auteil Racecourse and ventures into Paris。 She takes up residence in the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower and makes friends with a stray German shorthair named I’m suspicious of adult novels written from an animal’s point of view， but I trust Jane Smiley， and I admit， I was charmed by the cover， so I gave Perestroika in Paris a try and loved it。 It is the story of a curious filly named Paras， short for Perestroika， who slips out of her open stall one autumn afternoon after winning a race at Auteil Racecourse and ventures into Paris。 She takes up residence in the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower and makes friends with a stray German shorthair named Frida， a raven named Raoul， and a pair of mallards called Sid and Nancy。This much you could guess from the cover， and I’ll try to explain why I liked it so much without giving away any more than that。 Once I suspended my disbelief about animals being able to understand human speech and communicate with one another across species （though they have to find means other than language to communicate with humans）， I loved being inside the minds of these remarkable characters， experiencing the City of Light in the way a horse or a dog or a bird might。 What do they eat？ Where do they sleep？ Will Perestroika’s trainer find her？ Can Frida avoid the dog pound？ I will reveal just enough more about the plot to say that as the animals connect with human characters， the reader comes to care about them too， especially young Etienne， an orphan who lives alone with his very old great-grandmother in a big ivy-covered house on the Rue Marinoni。Even as I wanted to linger in Paris with these endearing people and creatures， the book turned into a page-turner。 Each character faces real risks as they try to balance the desire for freedom with the desire for love， but their concern for one another ultimately cushions them against the world’s dangers （and against uncomfortable suspense for the reader）。 In a time of national discord， the possibility of connecting with others quite different from oneself gave me hope。#netgalley 。。。more
Jenn
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THIS WAS SO GOOD！！！
Steven
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ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。A marvelous， fantastical read， Perestroika in Paris needs to become an instant classic。 This book has， by leaps and bounds， surpassed anything else I have read so far this year！I've never read a Jane Smiley novel， but I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this one。 A fun， magical， wholesome story about a very special bond between an old woman， a young boy， and the animals he befriends。Perestroika - Paras， for s ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。A marvelous， fantastical read， Perestroika in Paris needs to become an instant classic。 This book has， by leaps and bounds， surpassed anything else I have read so far this year！I've never read a Jane Smiley novel， but I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this one。 A fun， magical， wholesome story about a very special bond between an old woman， a young boy， and the animals he befriends。Perestroika - Paras， for short - is a young racing horse that， being the curious filly she is， slips out of her pen one night and ventures into Paris。 There， she meets Frida， a stray German Shepard; Raoul， an opinionated and self-aggrandizing Raven; and Étienne， a young boy caring for his 97-year-old blind and deaf great-grandmama。 As these four lives intersect， they affect several others， both human and animal， setting into motion events that alter perspectives and change lives。I initially went into this a bit skeptical， as it's rare that I've found anthropomorphized animals done well for an adult audience。 My uncertainty was quickly dispelled， however， as I immediately became enamored with the inner thoughts and social interactions of these very different animal personalities。 I found myself enthralled as I discovered the world through the eyes of Paras， Frida， and Raoul。Through the use of lyrical language and beautifully-written prose， the author paints an enchanting picture of Paris and its inhabitants。 The characters are pure， and their motivations - both human and animal alike - are lead by curiosity， adventure， love， and respect。 Reminiscent of Milo and Otis and Homeward Bound， Perestroika in Paris is a story that brings with it a sense of wonderment that can， and should be， loved by all ages。 。。。more
Nancy
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This is the perfect book to help you escape the world today。 Delightful story with lovable and charming characters-an adventurous racehorse， a lonely dog， a know-it-all raven， a pair of ducks， and a couple of rats as well。 I loved how the animals interacted with each other and with the compassionate humans they encountered in Paris。 I think of it as "Charlotte's Web" for grown ups， but no spiders die。 Older children might enjoy the story as well。 Definitely one of my favorites read in 2020。 Than This is the perfect book to help you escape the world today。 Delightful story with lovable and charming characters-an adventurous racehorse， a lonely dog， a know-it-all raven， a pair of ducks， and a couple of rats as well。 I loved how the animals interacted with each other and with the compassionate humans they encountered in Paris。 I think of it as "Charlotte's Web" for grown ups， but no spiders die。 Older children might enjoy the story as well。 Definitely one of my favorites read in 2020。 Thank you to Edelweiss and Knopf for the ARC。 。。。more
Sally
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Heard about this is a Morning Book Buzz with Penguin Random House Library Marketing。Sounds delighful。
Candace
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Jane Smiley has a knack for expressing the feelings of animals， and "Perestroika in Paris" is a magical canter through Paris。 It's not just the curious Perestroika， a filly living at a racetrack， but a dog， a raven， two ducks and a couple of handsome black rats who go along for the ride。 Did I mention that Peres takes along a groom's purse as she leaves the stable？ Her trainer， owner， and groom are all women and the filly has seen how they always carry these bags with them。 This one turns out to Jane Smiley has a knack for expressing the feelings of animals， and "Perestroika in Paris" is a magical canter through Paris。 It's not just the curious Perestroika， a filly living at a racetrack， but a dog， a raven， two ducks and a couple of handsome black rats who go along for the ride。 Did I mention that Peres takes along a groom's purse as she leaves the stable？ Her trainer， owner， and groom are all women and the filly has seen how they always carry these bags with them。 This one turns out to be full of money， and you'll be delighted to see how animals figure out how to spend it。 The humans in the story are the sweetest kind， and their communication with the critters does not include language， as it wouldn't。 The animals can communicate with each other， and what they think about other species is quite fun。 The most outspoken of these is the raven， Raoul， who is old and has met a lot of other animals， whom he addresses by their Latin names。 Perestroika is a young filly and has only met other horses and a Jack Russell terrier named Assassin。 Her innocence makes a delightful foil for the others。One of the most charming scenes has Perestroika's trainer consulting an animal psychic who says she sees the filly on a dark city street， window shopping。 The trainer thinks she's thrown 100 euros away， but guess， what？ The psychic is right on。The story goes on a little long， but it is a charming， lovely tale for these rocky times。 Following the animals along the streets of a Paris neighborhood was a delightful vicarious vacation。 。。。more
Helene
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A horse， a dog， a crow， a rat， and some ducks， too。 I throughly enjoyed their romp though Paris and I found myself wishing I had a grandchild to read this aloud to。
Creager
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An unlatched stable door is too good to be true for Perestroika， a very curious horse。 She quickly absconds to canter along the streets of Paris。 Along the way she encounters many an odd character; a streetwise dog named Frida， as well as Raoul， the Latin lingo edition raven， and they become a blended family of sorts with a mallard-duo known by way of Sid and Nancy。 Ere long our troupe encounters a range of a humanity; a lonely young boy， Etienne， and an oat serving lady named， Anaias。 Perestroi An unlatched stable door is too good to be true for Perestroika， a very curious horse。 She quickly absconds to canter along the streets of Paris。 Along the way she encounters many an odd character; a streetwise dog named Frida， as well as Raoul， the Latin lingo edition raven， and they become a blended family of sorts with a mallard-duo known by way of Sid and Nancy。 Ere long our troupe encounters a range of a humanity; a lonely young boy， Etienne， and an oat serving lady named， Anaias。 Perestroika in Paris is Jane Smiley’s invitation into the Animalia Kingdom， with dashes of whimsical charm that is Paris and the Parisian。 。。。more
vicki honeyman
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