Elaine Sciolino is a writer for the New York Times and a former New York Times Paris bureau chief, based in France since 2002. She is the author of La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life, Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran, and The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis. In 2010, she was decorated as a chevalier of the Legion of Honor for her special contribution to the friendship between France and the United States. She has worked for Newsweek in New York, Chicago, Paris, and Rome. She held a number of posts at the New York Times, including United Nations' bureau chief, Central Intelligence Agency correspondent, and chief diplomatic correspondent.
Anyone who loves Paris's remaining quirky 'villages' will revel in Sciolino's meticulously reported accounts...Sciolino doesn't lack for inspiration; she has Paris at her feet. -- New York Times The narrative takes the form of a ramble through shops, courtyards, cabarets, and time... Sciolino's sharply observed account serves as a testament to the persistence of old Paris-the city of light, of literature, of life itself. -- The New Yorker Sciolino is a keen and tireless observer of this ancient little market street... She has written her love letter with such ingenuous passion it's hard not to cheer up. -- Washington Post A sublime stroll... The magic of the street is not only its scope-it's about half a mile-but also its history. -- Wall Street Journal The former Paris bureau chief of the New York Times shares her love for her adopted working-class neighborhood in this delicious and detailed look at the rue des Martyrs. Her knack for making friends and her reporter's instincts keep this tour fascinating. -- BBC Countless authors have used a city as their muse... A blend of memoir and research, as Sciolino mixes her personal memories of expat life with the stories of artists and luminaries who walked rue des Martyrs before her. -- New Republic Something interesting for everyone: If you like food, architecture, history, art or simply human stories, you will not be disappointed. -- Christian Science Monitor Sciolino is a storyteller at heart. She loves to listen to and share other people's stories... This is a lovely and intimate look at a magical corner of Paris. -- Chicago Tribune