Set in 1920’s Paris, this is a book about fresh starts and the joy of freedom. At the opening of ‘Parisian Days’, we meet a young passenger waiting for The Orient Express to pull into the Gare de Lyon. Author, Banine, is on the threshold of a new life – far, far away from her homeland of Azerbaijan.

This sparkling memoir follows her journey through the Roaring Twenties, as she gets swept along by the forces of history. She quickly realises that with freedom, comes complications. As her family’s money runs out, she is forced to become a fashion model to survive, entering her into a whole new subculture – but does she have what it takes to survive?

Banine’s depictions throughout the memoir are so powerful. Written as a stream of consciousness, we are afforded a very personal insight into her mindset as she explores a life lost and a freedom gained. It is a beautiful portrayal of what it means to dream, and the elusive search for happiness. 

The real skill in this memoir comes from Banine’s ability to really hone in on the minutiae of life in Paris. She really luxuriates in the detail and has an uncanny aptitude for the telling turn of phrase, making it, in places, a witty read, despite the potentially heavy subject matter.

Who is Banine?

Umm-El-Banine Assadoulaeff, was born in 1905 in the booming oil city of Baku (then part of the Russian Empire). She was the granddaughter of two famous millionaires, who had become wealthy through oil. She was forced into marriage at fifteen, as a fee exacted for the freedom of her father, who had been imprisoned after the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1920. Her father fled to Paris, and shortly before her eighteenth birthday, Banine followed, abandoning her detested husband.

Under her pen name, Banine, she wrote about this and her new life, using real names for some members of her family, but pseudonyms for others.

Other books by Banine

Banine’s first published work was a novel called ‘Nami’, which came out in Paris in 1942. It is set in Baku and Russia, during the revolution and Civil War. ‘Parisian Days’ is the companion to her next work, ‘Days in the Caucasus’. The most successful of her later works was an account of her conversion to Roman Catholicism, ‘I chose Opium’.

‘Parisian Days’ will resonate with any reader who has experienced that feeling of starting over, exploring a new place, or shedding the baggage of strained familial relationships. For more inspiration for your next read, take a look at our latest reviews page and be sure to keep up with our literary advice over on our blog.