Two American sisters are dragged into a whirlwind of intrigues set in Paris where cultural shock is mirrored by the clash of passions. This results in a brilliant comedy of manners about money, marriage, morality, sex and social relationships that casts a new light on American travelers abroad.
Isabel Walker, a typical young Californian, arrives in the City of Light to visit her pregnant sister, Roxeanne. A poetess in the dark romantic vein, Roxy has just been dumped by her wretch of a husband, Charles-Henri de Persand, and it would appear that the couple are heading for divorce.
Meanwhile, Isabel discovers love in the arms of a married French diplomat – who just happens to be the uncle of Roxy’s future ex. What follows is a social scandal where American idealism and the Walker sisters’ fiery spirit clash with the sophistication and stubborn rationalism of the Persands. Things get more complicated when Roxy discovers that her favorite painting, which she had taken to the United States at the time of her marriage, is worth millions of dollars. It’s then that a crime of passion unravels the web of intrigue and cultural clashes, leading to the possibility of dialog.
Inspired by a bestseller by Diane Johnson, “Le Divorce” is a new approach to the classical theme of an “American in Paris.” At a point in time when French and American attitudes have never seemed so opposed, “Le Divorce” reveals the rich complexity of these two cultures and their fascinating differences with regard to morality, sex, cuisine, fashion, and to a greater extent, life. But, above all, “Le Divorce” is the story of an irrepressible heroine, Isabel Walker, who arrives in Paris to help her sister, thereby discovering her own desires and attitude to the world.
