Perestroika in Paris Author:Jane Smiley Paras, short for Perestroika, is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon, she finds the door of her stall open and wanders all the way to the City of Light. She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her. Soon she meets a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by ... more »without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians, while gaining more friends -- two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven.
But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion. As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships blooms. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself? « less
Such a sweet story of adventure in Paris. A naive racehorse wanders into the world and brings together a motley group of characters-both human and a variety of animals. I enjoyed it.