A colleague who specializes in Chicago history and architecture discovered her account and suggested it as a translation project. From the early pages, I was charmed by her spontaneous reactions and sense of humor.

Also, as a young French woman, she picked up on specific aspects of late nineteenth-century America – fashion, food, home décor, marriage, child-rearing, education – that bring to life 1890’s Chicago and New York

Madame Grandin writes very much as though she is chatting with a friend. Her conversational tone was fun to translate although the occasional long, winding sentence gave me pause.

She was married, at the time, to Léon Grandin. He was part of a team of sculptors working on the Columbian Fountain for the World’s Columbian Exposition. She accompanied him on the transatlantic trip in July of 1892 and remained in Chicago with him until May 1893.

Madame Grandin spent two weeks in New York City upon her arrival in America in New York Harbor. She devotes an entire chapter to her impressions of the city and describes her adventures exploring different neighborhoods including Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Madame Grandin also enjoyed the cultural attractions of Manhattan, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending several theatrical performances on Broadway.

While living in Chicago, Madame Grandin and her husband traveled to Milwaukee to witness the Great Fire in October of 1892. Though the fire made it difficult to visit the city, she was impressed by the city’s architecture and parks.

Upon leaving Chicago to return home to France, the couple stopped in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia to do some sightseeing. During her stay in the Washington D.C. area, she visited Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon. In Philadelphia, she was impressed by the attractive houses and Fairmont Park.