Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley: Book Review

Perestroika in Paris is a family-friendly fantasy book by Jane Smiley. It was first published in December 2020 by Knopf Publishing Group. I listened to the audiobook, which Audible published. The printed book is under 300 pages, while the audiobook is around 8.5 hours.

Perestroika is a racehorse who does a “walk-about” in Paris. Along the way, she makes some friends and gives some people a sense of hope.

Synopsis

Perestroika, also known as Paras, is a 3-year-old filly. After finishing a race, she is still full of energy and finds herself alone in her stall at the track. She then realizes her stall door is open, and because she’s curious, she wanders off. Eventually, she finds herself in Paris, with a German short-haired pointer, a raven, and a pair of mallards as friends. As time passes, she explores more of Paris and makes more friends, including a black rat and an 8-year-old boy. Will Paras ever reunite with her trainer? What will happen if she stays in Paris?

Positives

While this book is listed as adult fiction, there is no reason you can’t share it with the whole family. There is nothing scary gory in the book. I am sure it is one that people of all ages would be able to appreciate and understand.

There were times while I was listening to the book that I found myself transported to Paris. I found myself smiling when the gardener found evidence of Paras in the park, though he hadn’t spotted her as of yet.

Negatives

I must say I found the dialogue from the raven and the mallards a tad on the annoying side. Don’t get me wrong, every animal is different, and much like humans, have different personalities. But a raven as a know-it-all, or at least highly opinionated on everything? A pair of mallards being so nervous about where to place their nest that they move it multiple times only to place it back in almost the same spot?

Another thing that annoyed me was that no one outside of the grocer seemed to know that the boy existed. How is that? Especially when he had lived in the same house almost his entire life? I get that his great-grandmother was a relative shut-in, but how did they fall through the cracks so badly?

My Opinions

This is probably the first animal fantasy book I’ve read since high school when I read Animal Farm. I will say this is nothing like that. The animals work together, forming their own family. I think I like that while they are all different animals, they understood each other’s needs and desires (and not just language). While they may not have started as friends, Paras and Frida had become friends by the end.

Perestroika in Paris is probably one of those books most people won’t pick up because they will judge it by the title. Perestroika is a word that was created by the former Soviet Union and was the word used to describe a political reformation within the Communist party. It is a book about a found family who works together for their survival. This is a book that parents can read with their children.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.