Paris, Modigliani and Me — Jacqueline Kolosov

A summer in Paris as a nanny should be a dream job for eighteen-year-old Julie, but it feels more like a consolation prize after not getting into the Art Institute of Chicago, her dream school. Her mom wants her to come back to Texas and attend a state college in the fall, but Julie isn't sure what she wants anymore. One thing she does know is that she's going to find the French father she's never met while she's in Paris. Whether her mother likes it or not. Being a nanny to lively, fashion-minded Genevieve turns out to be fun and good for meeting a trio of intriguing guys. Jean Paul, Clay and Luc show Julie different parts of the city and help keep her mind off the problem of What To Do Next. And of course, Paris is, well, Paris, and that certainly helps. Also, Genevieve's mother, Claire manages an art gallery and Julie gets drawn into the Paris art scene. The situation heats up when a new, previously unknown work by Modigliani, one of Julie's favorite artists, is discovered and acquired by the gallery. Julie's affections are pulled in three different directions while she tries to discover if the new Modigliani is real or a forgery, or painted by Modigliani's mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne. Can the story of Modigliani and Jeanne provide any clues that will help guide her own path? Another croissant certainly wouldn't hurt, either.