A FRENCH WEDDING

One of the best “Circle of Friends” stories since Maeve Binchy’s novel of the same name, this slowly simmering tale of college mates reunited for a 40th birthday long weekend is begging for movie treatment. Calm, capable woman of few words, our attractive protagonist, chef Juliette, is defiantly French born to English parents. Reluctantly walking out on her passion – her Paris restaurant Delphine – when her mother dies, she returns to care for her father in a small town in Brittany. Here she works as live-in cook at the swank property of famous old rocker Max, for whom she e ortlessly throws together fabulous feasts for his motley band of friends. Max “isn’t nice to the women he sleeps with” and apart from New York art gallery owner party guest Helen, is the only member of the old gang who is not settled. The overriding appetite for this book is that we all want to be noble Juliette, who appears to “have it all together” as she beetles bravely to the produce market in her dad’s old blue Renault.