La Vie de Paris

About the Book

As a youngster in 1912, Toby Edgeworth first visited Paris. His holiday ended far too soon, but Toby vowed to return. He fulfilled his promise in 1923 and stayed a lifetime.

In this fictional memoir, journalist James Brogan is assigned to discover what became of Toby, a fellow journalist, who once wrote a column for the same British daily for which James now works. Toby's columns presented vivid images of what occupied the attentions and possessed the imaginations of Parisians between World Wars I and II.

Surprised to find Toby still alive, James develops a close friendship with him. Beyond penning just a single newspaper profile, Toby asks James to chronicle his life story, including detailed reminisces of Paris when she was alive with the littérateur and bon viveur.

Over their six-year relationship, Brogan listens to Toby's recollections and lyrically illustrates one of the most glamorous periods in Paris history. La Vie de Paris captures Toby's joys of living, from promenading the Grande Boulevards to observing the kaleidoscope of people from café terraces. Through Toby's story, you'll delight in everything from a restful morning in Luxembourg Gardens to a glimpse of nightlife on the fairyland-like tableau of the Champs Elysee.

About the Author

Gil Jackman, a former Royal Marine, New Zealand SAS, and New Zealand police officer, has seen action in many parts of the globe and now lives in France. Several years ago, he discovered a handwritten manuscript that sparked the idea for this book. This is Brogan?s first non-action novel.