A selection of these posts--organized, revised, a few expanded into short essays--has become this book. For the most part, I have retained the short form, the small explosion of experience, as it best gives the flavor of my days."
-- Eloisa James (author) (An Introduction to La Vie Parisienne paragraph 25)

Importance: This quote explains the significance of the "small bites" format of the memoir--the "short form" as she calls it. She compares the format of the memoir to food, calling each small portion of text a "small explosion of experience" that "best gives flavor" to the year long stay in Paris. This sets the tone for the entire experience of the memoir, making it clear that it was not something that was intended to be presented in a typical, multi-paragraph, personal essay fashion.

I decided there is nothing more melancholy than a French carousel on a rainy day, and wished we had paid for champagne and crepes."
-- Eloisa James (author) ("The Eiffel Tower" paragraph 8)

Importance: This decidedly melancholy tone permeates...