Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories
Colombe Schneck gathers three short autobiographical works into one book, each a chapter in the life of a woman growing up and growing older in Paris. One follows a teenage abortion and the friendship that carried her through it; another, a passionate love affair; another, a reckoning with grief and the freedom of middle age. Schneck writes plainly and intimately about the experiences that shape a woman's life, the ones often left unspoken. Translated from the French, the book has been praised for its honesty and restraint. Natalie Portman recommended it through her book club.
What you might want to know about Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Three connected autobiographical novellas trace a Parisian woman's life through friendship, an abortion, a great love, and the slow work of claiming her own freedom.
It is a collection of three connected autobiographical novellas by Colombe Schneck, translated from French, following a woman's life in Paris through friendship, love, and grief.
Yes. Natalie Portman recommended it through Natalie's Book Club.
Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories was written by Colombe Schneck, published in 2024 by Penguin Press.
Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories is 240 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
