Certainly not fun read, however Davis does a wonderful job putting the readers into the mind of a war correspondent suffering from PTSD. We also meet other interesting characters who are old and new friends and read about their personal pain. All of this amidst the underbelly of Paris - the parts that tourists hope they do not stumble upon inadvertently! Excellent writing and very thought provoking. ( )

Okay, this review is very long, so I'll leave a link. This link is also connected to a very insightful and inspiring interview with this author. I'm very impressed and I can't wait to get my hands on The Stubborn Season, also by Davis.

So here's the link to the full review http://www.examiner.com/x-48436-Toronto-Publishing-Examiner~y2010m6d2-Spotlight-...

I'll add here, for those who don't have the time to read it; READ THIS! It's worth it. I was blown away. There. ( )

The Radiant City is a very timely and well written book. The author did a great job of capturing the life of a war correspondent, not only their penchant to be in war zones, but the pyschology that goes along with it. Also, the perspectives on Paris kept me glued to the page. Loved the characters and their development. One of my all time favorite reads! ( )

Wow, what a great book! Paris, a war correspondent, all the big questions -- beautifully written. I only wish it was longer! ( )

well, since I wrote the book, I am obliged to say nice things about it, or else it shows up in my nightmares. However, it's probably better I leave the reviews to others, so here's a review from Maureen Garvie at the Quill & Quire, who gave it a 'starred' review:

"Lauren B. Davis's much-praised first novel, A Stubborn Season, took place in Depression-era Toronto, in hard times made harder by alcoholism and mental illness. Her superb new novel is set in present -day Paris, where the Montreal-born writer lived for years. An intimate knowledge of the City of Light shows in the novel's rich texture, packed with smells and sounds and street argot, the minutiae and contradictions of Paris Life.

At this novel's heart, as in Davis's first, is an exceptional individual with the resilience to overcome a sad start in life and much subsequent grimness. Matthew Bowles has reported on most of the late 20th century's killing grounds, among them Beirut, Kosovo, Peshawar and Rwanda. His last assignment in Israel ended in an incident that took him across the line from journalist to combatant. He now lives in the shadowy world of his nightmares, too shocked to write the memoir for which he has received a sizable advance.

When he connects with Jack Saddler, a hard-drinking combat photographer, he begins to take halting steps back from the brink. But Saddler is himself so damaged that his larger-than-life psyche is full of holes. Despite his compassion, Saddler is a lethally dangerous man. All of Davis's cast of character are brittle survivors: Anthony, the black ex-cop with a metal plate in his head and interrupted synapses; Suzi, the prostitute, strung out over a lost child; the haunted Lebanese family who run chez Elias, the cafe across the square from Matthew's apartment.

The story is engrossing and convincing. Davis's question here is the same one negotiated by Alam Cumyn in Burridge Unbound: how can human beings look into a heart of darkness blacker than Mister Kurtz ever imagined and crawl back to the light again? The Radiant City's answer seems to be that learning to love and writing the truth may be the closest we can get to redemption."
- Maureen Garvie ( )