Kathy Comstock. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Kathy Comstock’s favorite book is Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes. This story recounts the young Stevenson’s journey through a remote area of France, in search of adventure and himself. People are intrigued by the young man and his quest. Comstock believes that this tale speaks to the wanderer within all of us. Vieilles Filles and Other Stories from France is her collection of vignettes from her own years of wandering, reflecting, and enjoying life in France.

Comstock, a resident of Mill Road, said she has long been fascinated by France, and after repeated encouragement from friends, realized “it was time to put something together.” She has been collecting little stories for years, as a hobby. Her amazing book—a collage of experiences that follow Comstock from her days as an exchange student in Grenoble to her professional work for a high-tech company in Paris, to her return with her husband and son years later—is chock-full of tales, observations, and imagery that make the reader want to pack his bags instantly.

Comstock clearly appreciates the great regional diversity of France. In her writing, she shows us Paris in its multifaceted glory, transports us to the bustling marketplaces of Nice, and images dedicated American soldiers landing on the remote, beautiful beaches of Normandy. This is no monolithic portrait, but rather an exploration into cultural nooks and crannies.

Included among these stories are odes to the gastronomical delights of the French lifestyle. In “Almonds and Other Magic,” she describes, in loving detail, the phenomenon of the almond croissant. This heavy, butter-laden treat, while not accorded the central placement of other pastries in the patisserie display case, has a curious hold over her.

The author has a quick eye for cultural gems, quirks, and oddities. The short story “Where Have the ‘Vieilles Filles’ Gone?” pays homage to that special category of old women who populate the fringes of French society, forbidding at first, but sweet once you penetrate their crusty exterior. “A Parrot Named Socrates” is the story of the author returning to a hotel in Brittany, hoping to reunite with a foul-mouthed parrot that graced the establishment years before.

Comstock’s book gives an exemplary description of sowing enthusiasm for travel and foreign culture in that most challenging field: the family. Her son, habituated to travel from a very young age, viewed the frequent trips to France with a kid’s sense of payoff—he got to enjoy delicious bread and hot chocolate for his troubles. Her husband, Scott, a novice to travel and France, gradually came to love the culture and the cuisine, and in fact demanded that they buy an apartment there. Comstock says she plans to write another book about her adventures in the world of apartment-hunting, Parisian style—adventures that led her and her husband to the purchase of an apartment in the Montmartre area.

The author also offers stories every frustrated American traveler can relate to, but her accounts are often graced by some silver lining. “Take Care with the Knives” is a tale of a visit to a restaurant with delectable food and a singularly indifferent hostess. Comstock vividly portrays her comic frustration and her contrasting joy at the culinary offerings of this restaurant. Despite the annoyance, Comstock was able to enjoy herself, and as she said, “It’s all about that ability to zero in on the moment—via food.” In “Late Food” she tells of being seated late and neglected by a waiter. She rationalizes this as part of the magic of the French meal, wherein patience is key, and the process of drinking wine and taking in the evening are all part of a sublime dining experience.

Comstock has many interesting comparisons between French and American culture. As she points out, at a French soirée, people want to know what you yourself are all about, not what you do for work. Here in the United States, she notes, we place a much bigger emphasis on career, and we all prepare little speeches for cocktail parties.

During her years of working for a high-tech company in France, Comstock took sales trips to different areas, and on one such trip she ran into an aggressively anti-American client. She said she smiled while he criticized and attacked Americans and the United States, and smiled inwardly when he finally revealed the reason for his distress: “What I really don’t understand is why my 15-year-old wants to spend the summer over there.” Comstock concludes that each society has much to offer the other and that the hybridization of cultures inherent in globalization is not necessarily a bad thing.