ALL SIGNS POINT TO PARIS

A Los Angeles real estate agent’s memoir about her journey to Paris to find her soul mate.

A divorced, single mother of two children, Sizlo worked for a high-end real estate company that caters to celebrities and business executives. In LA, she writes, “Appearances mattered.” To that end, despite admittedly living paycheck to paycheck, she felt compelled to purchase expensive, trendy accessories to appease her potential clients. For her 44th birthday, her best friend bought her a reading with a “sought-after” astrologer even though she admits that she did not believe in astrology. When the astrologer stated that her soul mate was born in Paris on Nov. 2, 1968, the same birth date and location as her ex-boyfriend, Sizlo became intrigued. Over the course of the book, we see her intrigue turn to obsession as she jets off to Paris with the goal of meeting all men (and perhaps women) born on that date. The author also shares the poignant story of her father’s recent death and her promise to meet him in Paris on her quest to find true love. “My father bravely faced his destiny on his own terms,” she writes, “the perfect balance of fate and free will.” At the beginning of each of the 12 chapters, Sizlo includes a passage related to the relevant house of the zodiac. While the storyline is captivating on a soap-operatic level, the author’s often self-centered behavior—especially multiple instances in which her relentless pursuit caused her to ignore the interests and feelings of her sister and friends who accompanied her—may strain readers’ ability to feel compassion. Furthermore, in the early stages of the narrative, Sizlo provides little meaningful information about herself, making it difficult to be engaged in the outcome of her quest. The author eventually arrives at some level of self-realization near the end of her trip, but the overall narrative lacks depth or memorable insight.

Largely superficial, perhaps a guilty pleasure for fans of stereotypical beach reads.