The Art of Regret

Trevor McFarquhar lives a controlled, contrary existence. Traumatized by early childhood loss, the silence surrounding those losses, and then a sudden family relocation from the United States to France, he has no ambitions or dreams for his struggling Parisian bicycle shop or even for himself. Now in his late thirties, his romantic relationships are only casual―his friendships, few. He’s both aloof and exacting, holding everyone to his own high standards while being unforgiving of their faults.

But then, in the midst of the 1995 Paris Transit Strike, Trevor himself makes an unforgivable mistake. Humbled and ashamed, his veneer cracks and, much like Scrooge, he slowly emerges from his cocoon to reconnect, to rediscover possibility, and, ultimately, to redeem himself.

Author: Mary Fleming

Publication Date: October 22, 2019

Categories: Fall 2019, Fiction

Description
About the Author

Description

“Readers of The Art of Regret will have the double pleasures of walking through the ‘real’ Paris with an inside guide to its backstreets, little cafés, and domestic interiors; and of the dramatic story that plays out in the American-French family of Trevor McFarquhar, the photographer and bicycle shop man. Mary Fleming perfectly captures, with a discerning eye and an elegiac tone that somehow reminds of Galsworthy, the details, the slight disorientation, and the superior cultivation of Americans long-time resident in France.”
—Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce, Le Mariage, and L’Affaire

“Trevor . . . makes for an endearingly grumpy guide through a Paris that is by turns mundane and magical. An elegant, character-driven family tale set in mid-’90s.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Beautifully written, tender, evocative, and moving, The Art of Regret is a cogent reminder that risk-taking is essential to a well-lived life. . . . No one wants to die staring down a bushel of regrets or lamenting a roster of should-haves. Both Helen and Trevor provoke us to figure out ways to make sure that we confront our demons, push boundaries and live as fully as possible. I, for one, want to thank Mary Fleming for the reminder.”
—The Indypendent

About the Author

Mary Fleming, originally from Chicago, moved to Paris in 1981, where she worked as a freelance journalist and consultant. Before turning full time to writing fiction, she was the French representative for the American foundation The German Marshall Fund. A long-time board member of the French Fulbright Commission, Fleming continues to serve on the board of Bibliothèques sans Frontières. She and her husband have five grown children and split their time between Paris and Berlin. The Art of Regret is Fleming’s second novel. She writes a blog called A Paris-Berlin Diary at http://mf.ghost.io.