They Eat Horses, Don't They?: The Truth About the French - Softcover

Piu Marie Eatwell went to France for a long weekend one August summer holiday many years ago. She never left. After graduating from Oxford University with a First Class degree in English language and literature, she trained first as a BBC television producer and then as a lawyer. Over the years she has worked in various positions as a documentary film maker, barrister, teacher, mother, and―most recently―full-time writer, both in London and Paris. They Eat Horses, Don't They? is her first book.

“A highly entertaining book... The France she depicts offers a welcome corrective to the charming postcard tableaux on display in the faux innocent-abroad works that have proliferated like multicolored macarons.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“[A] very funny take-down of French stereotypes... Eatwell's tome is not only humorous, but also painstakingly researched.” ―The Boston Globe

“Eatwell's smart book is an entertaining procession through French history and culture as well as a shrewd portrait of contemporary France, it's full of surprises and revelations” ―Chicago Tribune

“In They Eat Horses, Don't They? ex-pat English writer Piu Marie Eatwell (a great last name for a Francophile Brit), sets out to be expose popular myths and stereotypes about the French...with abundant wit and good humor along the way.” ―The Washington Times

“Eatwell's myth busting has broad appeal and will draw in readers, from Francophiles to history and culture buffs alike.” ―Library Journal

“Lovers of Paris will enjoy Eatwell's chronicles of her journeys...Entertaining mini-essays that debunk common idealized conceptions of the French.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“British-born francophile and France-resident Eatwell conducts a lighthearted journey through her adopted country by setting the record straight on commonly held stereotypes about the French... the combination of history, trivia, and firsthand observations offers insights into the cultures on both ends of the Channel.” ―Publishers Weekly

“With a lawyer's forensic approach, she examines the stereotypes of French life,so beloved of the British in particular, and discovers that many are completely false.” ―Daily Mail (UK)

“Eatwell's fun but informative cultural overview delights in exploding a few myths that the British in particular have about the French, but it's also a timely answer to the slew of studies promoting a French way of life” ―Independent on Sunday

“Eatwell...offers an entertaining and fluently written tour around the subject, touching on everything from adultery to the bad smell of the Paris Metro.” ―Charles Bremner, The Times (UK)

“An intriguing portrait of just how much France has changed over the past 50 years or so.” ―The Spectator

“A fine read.” ―The Sun

“Bracingly factual.” ―The Daily Mail