"Sophisticated . . . Witty . . . Blume has a unique talent for tracking down interesting, sometimes bizarre, and almost always funny . . . doers of things French." -Diane Johnson, San Francisco ChronicleMary Blume brings her insight, humor, and unique perspective to bear on the French in this collection of thirty-three years of International Herald Tribune columns. A trusted insider in an exclusive world, Blume is also the quintessential American in Paris. Francophiles will love her intimate conversations with French icons such as Franois Truffaut and her tribute to Simone Signoret. In another essay, Blume takes us back to the humble beginnings of the Citroen 2 CV, which began as a motorized wagon and became a beloved symbol to the French, despite its ungainly practicality. From "The Friends of Mona Lisa" to "The Fine Art of Window Shopping," this collection of sixty-one pieces, with illustrations by Ronald Searle, is a delightful celebration of French ways and their meaning.