Book: The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
Location: Douglas Vineyards, 7696 Freeze Rd, Kannapolis, NC https://douglasvineyardswines.com/
For May, I thought we would go back to Douglas Vineyards. We had a great time there last year. For those who weren't there, they have a covered patio, wine tastings, flights, slushies, cheeses, etc. Last year we all brought food to share. (Cheeses, crackers, dips, fruits, etc.)
Please feel free to bring your own non-alcoholic beverage if you don't drink wine!
The Book: When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.
Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.
Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.
