The Runaway Wife

No, the setting isn't France, but it's so close that you can see France just over the border. To add to the book's France factor, most of the characters are French right down to their occasional poutinesses and their love for art and beauty and minor surreptitious affairs. Giving the book a quite high Frenchiness overall.

SPOILER ALERT

The story is a bit of a stretch, but then again don't be looking for realistic fiction, folks. Three sisters, all of whom have lovely mythological names, (do you see where this little story is going?) meet up with a naive American, Jim, who spontaneously agrees to head off up the Alps in search of their missing mother, Calliope. Am I telling too much if I share that he finds her and she's French with a capital F, and just being around this amazingly alive woman revitalizes Jim and changes his life. Rescuing Calliope, who doesn't want to be rescued, from the Alps in a snowstorm is a wonderfully fun adventure.