I noticed a book as I was getting into bed here at the cottage tonight. Rather, I noticed its author.
Isabelle Lafleche.
When I was 16 yrs old I was chosen to go to a school program in Ottawa called “Encounters with Canada” which simply brought students from each province and territory together. The idea of course was that we’d be exposed to a variety of Canadian cultures.
I can’t remember much about the week to be honest other than an RCMP show on horseback and being so terrified that I’d snore in the multiple bunk bed dorm setup that I literally tucked my arms under the mattress to keep me on my stomach.
The other thing I remember is Isabelle. Peroxide hair, frosted cotton candy lip gloss, a thick Québécois accent and a penchant for Hermes scarves. I fell in love. I mean what gay teen wouldn’t? I cried (very dramatically) when it came time to leave and we wrote scrawly letters to each other on loose leaf for at least 2 months after we got back to our respective provinces. I remember she used hearts to do her “I”s.
The novel here in the cottage shows a bleach blonde lady with a silk scarf and some very fetching lipstick. There may have been a nose job too. Her bio says she’s a lawyer who got transferred to NYC. The book is called “J’Adore New York” and it about (as its description reads) “an effortlessly chic Parisan lawyer who gets an offer to transfer to the New York office of her prestigious law firm.” It goes on to say that as “a dedicated follower of fashion and all things stylish, she unhesitatingly accepts.”
Wow. I wonder if she’s writing about her personal experience…