Jane Smiley

"Paras (short for Perestroika) is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. At dusk, one afternoon she pushes open the door of her stall - she's a curious filly - and, after traveling through the night, arrives by chance in the City of Light. She's dazzled, and often mystified, by the sights, sounds and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthair pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without...

A group of friends and family gathers in the Hollywood hills for ten days of memories and gossip, including Max, a writer/director whose career is waning; his lover Elena; his ex-wife, film star Zoe Cunningham; and their daughter Isabel.