Left with an unusual inheritance, a young woman navigates Paris alone in the 1980s, finding a city that is a true feast for the senses filled with food, fashion, and art. This year's All Henrico Reads title, The Paris Novel, is the most recent book by the James Beard Award-winning author, food editor, and restaurant critic Ruth Reichl.

A “mouthwatering” (The New York Times) adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris, from the bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!

Ruth Reichl is the New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, novels, and the cookbook My Kitchen Year. She was editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, a restaurant critic for The New York Times, and a food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. Reichl has been honored with six James Beard Awards, and in 2024 received the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reichl is recognized as one of the leading voices in the culinary world. She was born and raised in New York City and moved to Berkeley, California in the early 1970s. She began her career there as chef and co-owner of Swallow Restaurant. Reichl went on to become one of the top restaurant critics in America, a best-selling author, and host of the PBS series Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth. A favorite with audiences of all flavors, Ruth shares her current musings on her La Briffe Substack channel.

— Bio and photo from Robin Wolfson Agency

Read our February 21 interview with Ruth Reichl on our Library News blog.

"An enchanting and irresistible feast…As with a perfect meal in the world’s most magical city, I never wanted this sublime novel to end.” —Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company

"In Ruth Reichl's singularly capable hands, how could Paris be anything less than completely delicious? You will devour this hopelessly and hopefully romantic novel." —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife

"What a joy to discover 1980s Paris alongside Stella, through fashion, food, and art, all wrapped up in a tantalizing mystery. This is a sumptuous book that I simply could not put down. C'est formidable!" —Julia Louis-Dreyfus

"Savor Paris through this story of a lost young woman who finds herself in a city she never knew she'd love, let alone finally feel at home in. It's all here: Les Deux Magots, Dior, L'Ami Louis, and Shakespeare and Company. And there is no better guide than Ruth Reichl." —Padma Lakshmi, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Loss, and What We Ate

"Nothing less than an absolute enchantment." —Nigella Lawson

"The Paris Novel whisks us into a world full of Parisian pleasures, mouthwatering delights, and entangled mysteries. This is a journey of discovery and transformation that probes the fascinating marrow of life: food, family, beauty, and art. This book is a gem, and Reichl a charming and delightful guide." —Bianca Bosker, New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork

"A splendid novel of family, food, and all things French, by one of the world's best food writers at the top of her game." —J. Ryan Stradal, author of Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

"The Paris Novel is a movable feast through France in the 1980s, with stops in memorable bistros, markets, and Left Bank cafés and an evocative tale of personal discovery and finding one's true calling in the most delicious city in the world." —David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen

All Henrico Reads is a "One Book" reading program in which we encourage members of the Henrico community to all read the same book or a book along the same topic, then discuss it together—whether at HCPL book discussion groups, or on their own—and join us to hear the author speak at a public event. By bringing people together over a common topic, we aim to encourage a sense of community, promote literacy, and foster a love for the connecting power of literature.

Since 2007, we have partnered with Henrico County Public Schools and the Friends of Henrico County Public Library to host the authors of our featured books at a public event. We thank them for their support.