529. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris

Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris
Paul Gallico
1958
Around 160 pages

First Mrs. Pettigrew lives for a day, now we have Mrs. 'Arris getting a trip to Paris. There's something very pleasing about older women grabbing life by the balls. I am choosing to interpret this as empowering rather than condescending.

Ada Harris's accent makes her pronounce her name as Mrs. 'Arris. She is a cheerful charwoman and widow who becomes so fascinated by her employer's haute couture wardrobe that she resolves to go to the House of Dior in Paris to buy a dress of her own. 

Like Mrs. Pettigrew, this is an uplifting story about good people. I think it had a little less charm than Winifred Watson's novel had, but I still was very invested Mrs. Harris's happiness. It's nice to get a lighter entry to balance out the darker volumes on this List.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Adapted to film in 1992 and 2022.

Followed by three sequels.

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