Author: Carol A. Seidl
Stories of French Adolescence and History that Many Want to Forget
If you follow my blog, you’ve probably recognized that I have a penchant for sobering literature. While feel-good stories aren’t exactly banned from my shelves, most of what I read is either nonfiction or historical fiction that sheds light on a troubling period in human history. Likewise, when it comes…
Trial of Peter Cherif, One of France’s Most Wanted Terrorists
Nearly 10 years after Islamic terrorists broke into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, Peter Cherif, one of the last Al-Qaeda jihadists accused of participating in preparations for the attack, was brought to trial earlier this fall. The case was tricky because the attack, which occurred in January 2015, was actually…
The Complex and Controversial Saga of the Golden Owl
Something to Celebrate and the Art of Émilie Charmy
Fun French Memes To Free You from Election Woe
To lighten the stressful atmosphere around election 2024, this week’s post features several minutes of fun French humor with a handful of French brain teasers at the end. Enjoy! Learn to recognize the tracks of different animals. A week ago, I bought a book titled, “Learn to Know Yourself.”That makes…
France’s Dirty Indochina War & Whistleblower Jacques Despuech
Last week I wrote about a financial scandal that bilked the French people out of massive sums of money and slowed France’s economic recovery after World War II. Through a series of government-approved transactions, moving money from Saigon to mainland France, the French people inadvertently funded the weaponization of the…
The Surprising Bilking of a Nation, The Piastres Affair
In the novel, Le Grande Monde, by Pierre Lemaître, part of the story anchors on a true financial scandal that bilked the French people out of massive sums of money and slowed France’s economic recovery after World War II. Through a series of government-approved transactions, moving money from Saigon to…