The Red Notebook with Paris bookshop owner Laurent Letellier

The story of Paris bookshop owner, Laurent Letellier, starts when he finds a woman’s handbag on the street and becomes obsessed with finding the owner. There is however no identifying information about the handbag’s owner other than a dry cleaning ticket and a small red notebook full of handwritten thoughts and jottings.

This red notebook with its personal jottings and drawings reveals a personality that appeals to Letellier and to whom he would very much like to meet. How will he ever find this one woman in a city of millions though?

The story which follows his detecting, is quirky, fun, and a little romantic.  Thankfully for Laure (who has met with an unfortunate accident) Laurent is persistent and takes care of the loose ends in her life, like feeding her cat, while she recuperates in hospital unaware of his help.  Laurent, who I liken to a stylish Parisian good Samaritan, continues in his search for the owner of the bag and women he would like to meet.

A Parisian Lifestyle

The Red Notebook is a pleasant, good read with snippets of the Parisian way of life exposed. With only 159 pages this book is a great choice for a rainy week, or long weekend holiday.

Do you jot down messages, notes or draw pictures in a notebook?  I always have a notebook in my handbag to catch my ideas and write the little stuff that I am prone to forget.

What Does Your Handbag Reveal?

I got to thinking about the contents of a handbag or computer bag and what it reveals about the owner. At any one time it is a snapshot of who we are and what we are doing. What an interesting research project to collect this information about a group of people, rather like a local census.

Other Books Set in Paris or France

Another book written by Antoine Laurain is The President’s Hat and for more books set in Paris or France you might like to read these further book reviews:

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

One Sip At A Time by part time Frenchman Keith Van Sickle

The Matchmaker of Périgord by Julia Stuart

My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh of The Good Life

The Little Breton Bistro by Nina George

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