A New Book Pushes Back Against the Stereotypical French Woman

When Tramuta checked in on Ajiri Aki, a Texan via Nigeria who sells beautiful houseware through her shop, Madame de la Maison, she learned that the Black Lives Matter movement had been a boon to her sales and her social media. “Suddenly people were talking about supporting black business in France and all over the world,” was how Tramuta relayed Aki’s impressions. “She said, her followers on Instagram increased by 6,000 in one week and that everything nearly everything in her shop is sold out.”

As it’s likely that most readers will be non-Parisians, Tramuta added user-friendly elements, asking her subjects for their favorite women-run businesses, go-to neighborhoods, and other recommendations. She has also included her own guide at the end, which spans food, wellness, bookstores, markets, and more. Although Americans might not be visiting for some time yet, the book is an excellent reference that spans hotspots, institutions and hidden gems alike. (Full disclosure: I am thanked in the credits, likely for offering some intel here).

“I hope that the French themselves think it’s a job well done and that it’s the start of something that they’d like to see more of,” she says. This much is certain: the city abounds with a diversity of accomplished and dynamic women to keep the conversations flowing.