Surviving Paris - by Robin Allison Davis (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A deeply personal account of a young Black woman who set out to shake up her life by moving abroad but got a lot more than she bargained for.

Surviving Paris is not Emily in Paris. It's not a story of moving to the City of Light, meeting a dashing Frenchman, and raising beret-wearing enfants. It is not a romantic fantasy. It is a true story about a young, Black single woman and what happens when your Paris dream turns into a Paris nightmare.

After more than a decade as a journalist and television producer, Robin Allison Davis decided to shake up her life and move to France. But it wasn't quite the life she expected. When she was just thirty-four, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surviving Paris recounts her journey from diagnosis through multiple surgeries to surviving the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns, only to be told her cancer had come back--and how she got to finding herself healthy again, including all the detours in between.

While this book is about cancer, it's not just about survival. It's a love story about cancer. It's a story about Robin's love of adventure, her love of love, and her love for herself. Grounded yet irreverent, informative and anecdotal, Surviving Paris has laughter, sorrow, and some unforgettable cringe-worthy moments. It also has courage, surprises, and remarkable depths of heart.

Robin writes about the struggles of finding her community and family away from home, dating on Tinder with one boob, and learning to be the best advocate for her medical care in a culture she doesn't completely understand, and that doesn't understand her. Surviving Paris details the good, the bad, and the ugly of expatriating to Paris and one American woman's unexpected and often hilarious journey--and her precious second chance at life.

Review Quotes

"Davis's detailed account of her challenges upon settling in Paris demonstrates how even the world's most romanticized and beloved cities can lay the backdrop to hardship. With refreshing honesty and grace, she weaves a moving story of perseverance, faith, and the power of community. All of it allowed her to reclaim the French capital as her own with great triumph." -- Lindsey Tramuta, journalist and author of The New Parisienne: the Women & Ideas Shaping Paris

"Robin is a one-of-a-kind storyteller -- vividly capturing every emotion and sentiment in this loving memoir... Prepare yourself for laughter, tears, and a whole lot of inspiration from this courageous story of triumph. It's honest. It's bold. It's intimate. It's real. It's survival. This is a must-read for anyone with a wanderlust spirit, anyone seeking a deeper relationship with themselves -- and especially for those wondering how to survive some of life's greatest challenges. Get ready for your heart to be cracked open -- in the most courageous, beautifully human way possible." -- Alencia Johnson, social impact leader and national bestselling author of Flip the Tables: The Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change

"Surprisingly funny, expectantly heartwarming, and refreshingly honest, Surviving Paris is the perfect dose of love we all need right now. Davis gives us a glimpse into her world of both dreams and nightmares, while weaving in an underlying theme of hope, resilience, pastries and wine. Can't forget the wine!" -- Deesha Dyer, Former Obama White House Social Secretary and Award-Winning Author of Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble

"Surviving Paris chronicles how truly unfair life can be as Robin Davis shares her story of reimagining her life with a move to a new country, only to be met with a cancer diagnosis at the age of 34. It is not light subject matter, but Robin's ability to write about such challenges with heart, humor, and a refreshing honesty is a testament to her talents and strengths as both a writer and a person. I devoured this book and hope others, like me, will be inspired by Robin choosing hope every day, no matter what is thrown at her." -- Michael Arceneaux, New York Times bestselling author of I Can't Date Jesus and I Finally Bought Some Jordans

"Surviving Paris is a poignant, unflinchingly honest memoir of resilience, identity, and finding peace in the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the life Robin had planned for herself. In a city known for its romance and beauty, Robin discovers strength, vulnerability, and what it truly means to find home." -- Crissle West, media personality and co-host of "The Read"