French Heritage Society Hosts Book Launch

 

Ann Van Ness and Elaine Sciolino

French Heritage Society board member Ann Van Ness and her husband William opened their Upper East Side townhouse to launch Elaine Sciolino's new book, The Seine: The River that Made Paris. A contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, she opined, "The Seine is the most romantic river in the world. She encourages us to dream, to linger, to fall in love, or to at least fantasize that falling in love is possible." Audience members who won impromptu quizzes on French topics received an illustrated map of the Seine. In closing, French Heritage Society's Chairman, Elizabeth Stribling, a longtime friend of Elaine’s, shared, “I see young lovers from my Paris apartment window overlooking the Seine. I see old lovers, too. In Paris, there are a lot of old people just as amorous as the young ones. It's one of the things I love most about the river.  Elaine, I love you, too!"

Guy Robinson, co-chairman of the New York Chapter, made elegant introductions and pointed out the upcoming FHS events- The Black & White Ball, and a Thanksgiving dinner in Paris, “where the turkey, or dinde, is twice as small as the American counterpart - and twice as delicious." 

 

Elizabeth Stribling and CeCe Black

Guests included CeCe Black, Special Events Chair, Jennifer Herlein, Executive Director, Judy McLaren, board member, George Sape, board member, and Jeri Sape, as well as Susan and Gerald Baker, Caroline Bassett, Rick Boldini, Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt, Luis Garcia, Mai Hallingby, Kathy Irwin, Helen King, Caroline Lareuse, Catharine Macdonald, Nadia Martincic, Friederike Moltmann, Paul Rankin, Carole Bellidora Westfall, and Lisa Witomski.

FHS's upcoming Black & White Ball will be held on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at a private club in Manhattan. The honorees are interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and philanthropists Margaret and Gregory Hedberg.

 

To purchase tickets click here

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of John Sanderson/AnnieWatt.com