Lessons from Madam Chic

by Jennifer L. Scott

This nonfiction tome is part advice and part memoir. This delightful book draws on Scott’s experiences as a college student living with a family in Paris for six months. I first encountered Jennifer L. Scott in a YouTube video series The Daily Connoisseur. She has written several books that mesh with the stories on her channel. A proponent of the ten-item wardrobe and gracious living, many of her writings and videos center around how to “be classy.”

Jennifer shares some of her many ideas on how to live a passionate life “filled with love, art, and music” where “no moment was wasted.” She dispenses her advice with her trademark, sometimes self-deprecating, gentle humor. She lived with two families, each with their own variety of a fulfilled life. Madame Chic ran a sophisticated, orderly household with a minimalist style that displayed an appreciation for the simple, finer things in life. Madame Bohemienne had a more free flowing joi de vivre approach to life. Both women were role models to Jennifer.

This book is divided into three parts: Diet and Exercise, Style and Beauty, and How to Live Well. One of my favorite chapters is “Snacking Is So Not Chic.” It tells the story of newly arrived Jennifer trying to sneak down to the kitchen for a snack. She soon learned that French people don’t snack or eat on the go. Another of Jennifer’s memorable chapters is “Look Presentable Always” that goes against what many of us in the United States revert to, seeking the comfort of sweats and ragged tees. “Practice the Art of Entertaining” is a chapter this introvert found quite interesting. I’ve focused on three standout portions of the book, but I enjoyed the entire read, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Nonfiction, Humor, Travel

Notes: subtitled: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris

Publication: 2011—Simon & Schuster

Memorable Lines:

And when you’re not doing housework…Dance! I love to put on music in the morning and dance with my children. They find it quite amusing, I get a good workout in, and we all laugh. It’s a mood booster.

Famille Chic had impeccable manners and used them on a daily basis. They applied the “use your best” philosophy to their behavior toward their guests, of course, but also to their behavior toward each other every day.

There are few things better, in my opinion, than attending a proper dinner party—with apéritifs, hors d’oeuvres, music, a properly set table, interesting guests, excellent cuisine, dessert, cheese course, coffee, and digestif. The experience can be divine. Throwing a dinner party, on the other hand, can be very daunting.