Failing Paris is the story of a week in the life of Sabine Wilcox, the 19-year-old student who has left the stifling rural existence of the American Southwest in exchange for a year in Paris. But the City of Light offers her no refuge. With only one week to address a dire problem, Sabine’s past and present painfully collide. Her life intertwines with two men who prove to be both more, and less, than they first appeared. This is a first novel by a young writer whose work must not be overlooked. Nominated for the PEN USA/West FICTION PRIZE 2000"