French Food Fiction: Books Around France for Food Lovers
Feast your eyes on this delicious list of French food fiction. The following list includes books that blend the themes of France with food (and drink, let’s not forget wine!) in literary form. 🍷
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These titles explore the diversity of French cuisine and food culture from all over the country, with the regions listed below where relevant. They are listed in order of publication, and include a number of memoirs amongst the fiction too. Some highlights include The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
I hope you enjoy this list of French food fiction and are inspired for your next read. As always, this is a constant work in progress. If you know some great French food fiction that’s missing from the list below, please let us know in the comments – we’d love to include it! 🇫🇷
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French Food Fiction
1825: The Pleasures of the Table by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
1873: The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola (Paris)
1920: The Passionate Epicure by Marcel Rouff
1933: Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (Paris, also London)
1954: Murder in the Kitchen by Alice B. Toklas
1964: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (Paris)
1989: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (Provence)
1991: Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle (Provence, sequel)
1993: Hotel Pastis by Peter Mayle (Provence)
1996: The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
1999: Chocolat by Joanne Harris
1999: Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris (Lansquenet)
2000: Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
2001: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
2001: High Bonnet: A Novel of Epicurean Adventures by Idwal Jones (Paris)
2001: On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Herrmann Loomis (Louviers)
2003: The Book of Salt by Monique Truong (Paris)
2004: French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano
2005: The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski
2006: My Life in France by Julia Child (Paris)
2007: The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris (Chocolat series)
2007: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (Paris)
2008: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (Lumière)
2008: Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles by Rupert Kingfisher
2008: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunée (Korea, New Orleans, France)
2009: A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg (Paris, also in Seattle)
2009: The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz (Paris)
2010: Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard (Paris)
2010: Dead in the Dregs: A Babe Stern Mystery by Peter Lewis (Burgundy, also in Napa Valley)
2011: Maman’s Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan (Iran, California, Paris)
2011: The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher (Puyloubier)
2011: White Truffles in Winter by N.M. Kelby (Paris, also in Monte Carlo)
2011: How to Eat a Small Country: A Family’s Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time by Amy Finley
2012: Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris (Chocolat series)
2013: An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey (also England and Italy)
2013: The Last Banquet by Jonathan Grimwood
2013: Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris by Ann Mah
2015: Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard (Provence)
2016: The Winemakers: A Novel of Wine and Secrets by Jan Moran (Napa, Italy, Paris)
2019: The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (New York, Champagne)
What do you think of this French food fiction?
Do you know some great French food fiction that I’ve missed? Have you ever travelled around France just to eat? (Honestly, my dream!) What’s your favorite French food? I’d love to hear your thoughts on French food fiction in the comments below!
Looking for more?
If you’re curious about both France and food in literature, you might also like:
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2 comments
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George would be a great addition to this list. Thank you for the other recommendations!
Hi Randy, thanks so much for the recommendation! I happened to read this one during my last trip to Paris, and you can find it included in our Books Set In France article too!