DANIELLE POSTEL-VINAY
I’d like to introduce you to my French alter-ego: Danielle Postel-Vinay.
I’ve always been a Francophile, but after I met my (now) husband, Hadrien Postel-Vinay, my relationship to France changed dramatically. Suddenly, a place I’d always admired as an outsider became part of my daily life.
A few times a year, I would travel to France and spend time with Hadrien’s family in the Seventh Arrondissement.
I fell in love with this neighborhood—the small cafes and bistros, the quiet walks on empty streets, the flower shops, and the way it feels like a small village rather than a big city.
Because I’m a writer, I found myself writing about France. My first book under Danielle Postel-Vinay HOME SWEET MAISON (see below) is my attempt to celebrate the beauty of how the French live in their homes.
My second book, which is forthcoming from Harper, is a novel set in the Seventh Arrondissement called MURDER MOST DELICIOUS (see below).
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Murder Most Delicious
Murder Most Delicious is out now!
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WONDERING WHAT MY NEW BOOK IS ABOUT?
Starting over in Paris was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime for American sommelier Olivia Beech—until her dream job ends in murder.
Once a rising star in the wine world, Olivia was one of a handful of women in the world to hold the distinction of being a Master Sommelier before COVID stole her sense of taste—and her career. Adrift and depressed, she gets a second chance when beloved celebrity chef Jacques de Bizet invites her to Paris for a job interview. But as the interview begins, he collapses, poisoned, making Olivia the prime suspect.
Olivia is in trouble, but she has an advantage: her extraordinary nose is still sharp enough to detect the subtlest of scents, including the poison that killed Jacques. Olivia knows she’s innocent, but how can she prove it?
Enter the Paris Neighborhood Watch, an eccentric circle of locals determined to protect their quartier. At the helm is the mysterious Augusta Dupin, a brilliant but agoraphobic detective, aided by her intuitive British shorthair cat, Chateaubriand. Olivia and Augusta join forces with a group of neighborhood amateur sleuths—a pâtissier, a café owner, a part-time librarian, a florist and a kind-hearted cop who may be falling for Olivia—to solve the crime, a search that helps them find not only the killer but fresh purpose in their lives.
Warm, witty, and brimming with food, friendship, and intrigue, Murder Most Delicious transports you to a cozy Parisian neighborhood where the comforts of French daily life soothe the soul even in the darkest times.
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HOME SWEET MAISON: THE FRENCH ART OF MAKING A HOME
French Women Don’t Get Fat meets The Little Book of Hygge in this lively, sophisticated, and practical illustrated lifestyle guide that shows how to enjoy la belle vie — to live like the French every day — transforming your house into a home defined by beauty, family, and accessible elegance.
“Written with charm and precision, Home Sweet Maison is both a guide to creating unique and beautiful spaces, as well as an insightful and fascinating exploration of French culture…[it] shows us how to bring French warmth and elegance to our own homes and, in turn, lead richer, more connected lives.”
— Ann Mah, author of Mastering the Art of French Eating
and The Lost Vintage
How do the French create the elusive and alluring sanctuaries they call home? This question long intrigued Danielle Postel-Vinay. Thanks to a chance encounter with a French expat in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and years of immersive research, she embarked on a quest to discover the secrets of the French home aesthetic.
Experiencing first-hand la belle vie — the beautiful life — Postel-Vinay now shows everyone how to create their own French sanctuary, a home sweet maison, no matter where they live. Providing more than just interior decorating and design tips, Postel-Vinay teaches you how to foster the warmth, beauty, and rituals inherent in the French home and create an environment better suited to living a rich, full, connected life. At the center of the book is the idea that your house should be a reflection of you, your hobbies, your family history, your rituals, all the things that make your life unique. A happy home is a home that expresses your rituals and your taste, not one that relies on prefab décor from a mass retailer.
Home Sweet Maison takes a room-by-room approach to show how the French view:
- The Aesthetic: why the objects in your home matter, why minimalism is overrated, and why the French always choose the perfect décor for their salons
- The Practical: how to use mise-en-place, or the French art of organization, in your kitchen, and how to find the right stain-removing potions to create your own French laundry
- The Sensual: the way the French employ scent in their home as a personal signature
- The Philosophical: the idea that every room in a French house has a specific purpose, and that the activity in one room should never bleed into the others
Home Sweet Maison encapsulates the very heart of the French way of seeing the world: set the table formally, adhere to all the conventions of ritual and tradition, then take pleasure in indulgence. It’s about using French concepts and routines to change our homes, our relationships, and our lives for the better.
