Paris or Die

Book excerpt: Sharp, funny and unflinchingly honest, Jayne Tuttle’s memoir lifts you off the page and into a Paris far beyond the postcards. This new edition of Paris or Die is a headlong plunge into not just life in Paris, but life itself. Aspiring actor Jayne lives in Melbourne, where she dreams of a creative life. But after her mother dies unexpectedly, Jayne loses her bearings. Untethered, heartsick, she is soon on a plane to Paris with no return ticket. The city, it seems, has its own plans for her. She finds herself in a vibrant and dizzying neighbourhood, living in a former monastery, studying at a famous theatre school, falling in love with a Frenchman too beautiful to be real. She will forget her past and disappear into the culture if it kills her. And one strange night, it nearly does. Raw, real and evocative, Paris or Die is an unforgettable picture of love, grief and adventure.