The year is 1951. The setting is Paris. The civil rights, feminist and sexual revolutions of the 60s and 70s are yet to happen. Heat of Paris is about the confluence of these forces well before they become mainstream in America. They are played out through two young people, a 26-year-old white man from rural upstate New York and a 24-year-old Negro woman from Harlem. Franz, a young soldier fresh from the battlefield of World War II, travels to Paris as a stringer for a new start-up magazine. There he meets Christie, a master's student researching the French writer Georg Sand. This chance meeting leads to a uniquely American post-war love story full of adventure, tenderness, and hope for a better future. Their struggle foreshadows the struggle of America which is yet to come.
--
"Heat of Paris is much more than a historical love story set in the city of romance, Paris. It is a powerful social commentary on the wave of protest and reform that was soon to sweep the world, encompassing civil rights, race relations, women's liberation, the sexual revolution, socialism, and political change." - Readers' Favorite
"I'd recommend Heat of Paris to readers who love character-driven historical fiction, especially stories set in mid-century Europe. If you enjoy novels that explore race, culture, love, and ambition without heavy jargon or overly neat conclusions, this one will speak to you. It's a warm, grounded book that I heartily enjoyed." - Literary Titan
"Peter Breyer's HEAT OF PARIS will stroke a lasting fire of empathetic curiosity through its thought-provoking human experiences in this pivotal time (1951)." - Chanticleer Book Reviews