Artsy Traveler

When I travel in France, I enjoy reading novels that are set in France and that relate in some way to the arts. Do you enjoy reading novels set in the places you travel to?

In this post, I feature a selection of novels that are not only set in France, but also relate in some way to the arts.

I also share some of my favorite France guidebooks.

Villa America by Liza Klaussmann

In the 1920s, a dazzling cast of characters including Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos and F. Scott Fitzgerald gather at a villa in Cap d’Antibe.

Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

The mysteries surrounded the death of Vincent van Gogh in the summer of 1890 and an indelible portrait of his final day are meticulously explored in this riveting novel.

The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin

An American woman living in Paris as WWII looms becomes entangled in the intense rivalry between iconic fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Monsieur Perdu runs a bookshop on a barge in the Seine in Paris. He can prescribe the perfect book for a broken heart. But can he fix his own?

Paris 7 a.m. by Liza Wieland

The story of what happened to poet Elizabeth Bishop during three life-changing weeks spent in Paris amidst the imminent threat of World War II

Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands

The author of the Love in Provence series returns with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself.

Subscribe Now to Receive Valuable Travel Tips and Receive Your FREE Guide: 25 Must-Do Artsy Traveler Experiences in Europe for 2025

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Becoming George Sand by Rosalind Brackenbury

This richly detailed dural-time novel explores past and present, the personal and the historic, and sensuality, responsibility and the mystery of love through the lens of the life story of George Sand, the maverick French novelist whose many lovers included the composer Frederic Chopin.

Love Among the Recipes by Carol M. Cram

Discover love in all its flavors in this fun, food-infused romp through Paris that is as crisp, sweet, and smooth as the perfect macaron. To follow the main character’s journey through Paris, check out this post.

The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton

Listed in the Photography category on Art In Fiction, The Postmistress of Paris revisits the dark early days of the German occupation in France and is inspired by the real-life Chicago heiress Mary Jayne Gold.

Love Letters from Montmartre by Nicolas Barreau

For fans of Nina George, Elena Ferrante, and Valentina Cebeni, a charming, uplifting novel about a man who sets out to fulfil his dead wife’s last wish.

The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan

A charming epistolary novel about the love of books and magical ability they have to bring people together. When Anne-Lise Briard reserves a room at the Beau Rivage Hotel for her vacation on the Brittany coast, she has no idea this trip will start her on the path to unearthing a mystery.

The Paris Hours by Alex George

Paris of the 1920s and 30s teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a shining crucible of creative genius. But amidst the sparkling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four ordinary people each search for something they’ve lost.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

An historical novel based on the true story of the American Library in Paris. In Paris in 1939, Odile Souchet stands to lose everything she holds dear—including her beloved library. After the Nazis march into the City of Light and declare a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books.

The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen

2017, London: When Aurelia Leclaire inherits a lavish Paris apartment, she is shocked to discover her grandmother’s treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns. One obscure painting leads her to Gabriel Seymour, a highly respected art restorer with his own mysterious past. Together they attempt to uncover the truths concealed within the apartment’s walls.