Synopses & Reviews
They Eat Horses, Dont They?:The Truth About the French tells you what life in France is really like. Do the French eat horses? Do French women bare all on the beach? What is a bidet really used for?
In this hilarious and informative book, Piu Marie Eatwell reveals the truth behind forty-five myths about the French, from the infamous horsemeat banquets of the nineteenth century that inspired an irrepressible rumor, to breaking down our long-held beliefs about French history and society (the French are a nation of cheese-eating surrender monkeys, right?).
Eatwell lived in France for many years and made the most of long French weekends, extended holidays, and paid time off to sit on French beaches, evaluate the sexual allure of the French men and women around her, and, of course, scan café menus for horses and frogs. As a result, They Eat Horses, Dont They? reveals a fascinating picture of historical and contemporary France—a country that has both changed radically in the twenty-first century, but yet still retains much of the mystery, romance, and allure that has seduced foreigners for decades. Truth, as always, is stranger than fiction. . . .
Review
Winner of the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Award in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category
“Lovers of Paris will enjoy Eatwells chronicles of her journeys...Entertaining mini-essays that debunk common idealized conceptions of the French.”—Kirkus Reviews
“British-born francophile and France-resident Eatwell conducts a lighthearted journey through her adopted country by setting the record straight on commonly held stereotypes about the French… the combination of history, trivia, and firsthand observations offers insights into the cultures on both ends of the Channel.”—Publishers Weekly
“With a lawyer's forensic approach, she examines the stereotypes of French life,so beloved of the British in particular, and discovers that many are completely false.”—Daily Mail (UK)
“Eatwell's fun but informative cultural overview delights in exploding a few myths that the British in particular have about the French, but it's also a timely answer to the slew of studies promoting a French way of life”—Independent on Sunday
“Eatwell...offers an entertaining and fluently written tour around the subject, touching on everything from adultery to the bad smell of the Paris Metro.”—Charles Bremner, The Times (UK)
“An intriguing portrait of just how much France has changed over the past 50 years or so.” —The Spectator
“A fine read.” —The Sun
“Bracingly factual.” —The Daily Mail
Synopsis
They Eat Horses, Don't They?: The Truth About the French tells you what life in France is really like. Do the French eat horses? Do French women bare all on the beach? What is a bidet really used for?
In this hilarious and informative book, Piu Marie Eatwell reveals the truth behind forty-five myths about the French, from the infamous horsemeat banquets of the nineteenth century that inspired an irrepressible rumor, to breaking down our long-held beliefs about French history and society (the French are a nation of cheese-eating surrender monkeys, right?).
Eatwell lived in France for many years and made the most of long French weekends, extended holidays, and paid time off to sit on French beaches, evaluate the sexual allure of the French men and women around her, and, of course, scan caf menus for horses and frogs. As a result, They Eat Horses, Don't They? reveals a fascinating picture of historical and contemporary France--a country that has both changed radically in the twenty-first century, but yet still retains much of the mystery, romance, and allure that has seduced foreigners for decades. Truth, as always, is stranger than fiction. . . .
About the Author
Piu Marie Eatwell went to France for a long weekend one August summer holiday many years ago. She never left. After graduating from Oxford University with a First Class degree in English language and literature, she trained first as a BBC television producer and then as a lawyer. Over the years she has worked in various positions as a documentary film maker, barrister, teacher, mother, and—most recently—full-time writer, both in London and Paris. They Eat Horses, Don't They? is her first book.