Waking Up in Paris

Overcoming Darkness in the City of Light

By: Sonia Choquette

Narrated by: Sonia Choquette

“As if waking up from a nightmare, I thought, If I am going to be traumatized, I might as well be traumatized in Paris, right?”

Devastated by the unexpected end of her decades-long marriage, renowned spiritual teacher and intuitive guide Sonia Choquette undertook an equally unexpected move and relocated to Paris, the scene of many happy memories from her life as a student and young mother. Arriving in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, she found a Paris as traumatized by this unforeseen event as she had been by her divorce. Together, over the following years, she and the city she loves began a journey of healing that involved deep soul searching and acceptance of new, sometimes uncomfortable reality.

In this follow-up to Walking Home, Sonia shares her intimate thoughts and fears as well as the unique challenges of setting up a new life in a foreign land. From moving into a freezing, malodorous apartment to a more pleasant - yet haunted - flat across the Seine to her current light-filled home, Sonia shares how these changes parallel her inner transformation. Along the way, Sonia regales listeners with vivid stories of her unfortunate encounters with French hairdressers and beauticians, her adventures in French fashion, and her search for the perfect neighborhood café. Her companion throughout is the city of Paris - a character unto itself - which never ceases to fill her with wonder, surprise, and delight and provides her with the spiritual strength to succeed in establishing her new life.

©2018 Hay House (P)2018 Hay House

refreshing

Didn't care for the readers voice but enjoyed the story. Simple but enjoyable, nice book to escape in.

A lovely memoir

Just love this book! Sonia is so easy to listen to I've listen to her story more than 4 times!.

Loved it!

This was just the book for me at just the right time in my life. Funny, adventurous, and at times, profound. I can see this story of transition from one life into the next as a wonderful, rich, meandering movie.

Choquette is a fine writer and an adorable goof. Bravo to her in her every step and slip in her new life. She has a captivating story here, and she is a gifted storyteller with a keen sense of moving the narrative from point to point while keeping the reader close at heart as she heals and emerges into the life she built for herself.

Inspiration for me after my husband died suddenly

Listened to this book traveling around the country. It was soothing to me as I had experienced my life falling apart after a life of spiritual passion and work. I had hiked across the alps by myself before my husband died I am now doing exactly what she did paring myself down to my true essence. It was inspiring to listen to. Thank you Sonia

Great author! I love all of her books! I highly recommend all of her books!

Can’t endure the narration

The author does herself no favors by narrating her own book. The subject is of great interest to me, but I couldn’t get beyond the third chapter because the narration was so annoying. Mike’s review describes it exactly. I felt I was being read to during children’s time at the library. It was too distracting to continue so I am returning my purchase.

A nice look at someone who's learning to live agai

I have enjoyed reading this book because I like to see how people bounce back from set backs on their lives. Here the author is someone who coaches others and is intuitive. She was blindsided by her suddenly divorce and all that comes with it. This reminds me of when this happened to Wayne Dyer and Colette Baron-Reid. Both made radical life changes. Colette like the author had to face those changes by changing inside. Here the author continued downhill until her daughter gave her a choice. She went to a whole new country to find herself. After listening to the whole story I see why she needed to go to Paris to begin anew.

Sonia (author) was so identified with being married and in control she had to go somewhere to learn a new identity! Sonia went into a lot of what happened in France and not so much of the back story as to why she was divorced. What I really missed was more of what she went through on the inside. Sonia talked about liking her neighbors because when she fought with her daughter it would be normal to them. I don't remember anywhere in the story of these fights or what they were about being mentioned except they happened. I know it may sound petty to some people. However, I'm working on giving up control to take back y life from the controls I put in place. I know the author has the same issue in her life as she stated it in the book. So, where the fights about control or something else? See this is mentioned at the end of the book instead of as it happened in the book. The end of the book felt rushed to me as if the author was filling in everything she left out previously or glossed through it earlier not wanting to go deeper in depth. Some of this information might help other people. The books title is 'Overcoming Darkness in the City of Light' which is what the author is on her way to doing based on what she wrote here. I would like to see a followup book which continues her adventures in Paris. Does she find another man? Does she buy a house? What happens next or is that still to be written?

From a person prospective it's good to see this author and so many others are human! People have a perception that just because you're intuitive or psychic you know and see all! In reality we're all human and we have lessons to learn! I'm grateful for Sonia writing this book as it affirms no one is perfect and no one see's all! Plus I'm reminded like the author I can't let people take control like her eyebrow lesson. I'm grateful to see I'm not the only one who allows this to happen to themselves! Thank you Sonia!

A book of revelation

A book of the wisest lesson
Learn how to heal your soul and embrace the now
I so needed this

Beautiful storytelling

Different from the other four books i have read by this author. Beautifully written, nonetheless. I enjoyed it a lot. Inspiring!

A Page Out of Sonia’s Life

I will miss this story and chronicle of Sonia’s life in Paris. Definitely feel like I have had the experiences with her.