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In Paris, 1970, readers wander the city streets with Jordan, an ex-military narrator who studies at the Sorbonne. As the book progresses, a romance on all levels flares between the narrator and the captivating Jasmin, a woman whose intellect is as sharp as her beauty. As their relationship grows, so do Jordan's experiences and enlightenments in France, along with his comprehension, perceptions, and self-awareness. Along the way, he makes unique insights about the creative process sure to inspire readers in both their creativity and their lives: "Take whatever comes and then follow it for a while. Drop it. Find something else, maybe related, maybe not." As Jasmin and Jordan navigate cultural nuances and their personalities clash and mesh, Paris' magic and beauty unfold, giving life to characters and readers alike.
The indentation of paragraphs throughout the book creates the structure and tone of an epic poem. Dialogue-driven, the book relies on the conversations between two people to illuminate the narrator's philosophical insights. This technique shocks and surprises the reader when they encounter these revelations between large portions of dialogue. At its core, the book is one narrator's pursuit of the truth of himself and within himself, as well as the truth and beauty that lies in other people and places: "Therefore, if we ask where the truth is, the answer seems simple and complicated. Either it lives outside of us or it lives in our obscure, irrational, and complex imagination." Those readers with a keen interest in Paris and France, even French literature and philosophy, will quickly place this book among their must-reads.