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Sunday Walk: Paris cafe sidewalks, mid-March



















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MARTINA NICOLLS


MARTINA NICOLLS is an Australian author and international human rights-based consultant in foreign aid evaluations and audits, education, psychosocial support, resilience, peace and stabilization, and communication, including script writing. She lives in Paris. Her latest books are: If Paris Were My Lover (2025), Tranquility Mapping (2025), Moon, Mood, and Mind Mapping Tracker (2025), and Innovations within Constraints Handbook (2025). She is the author  of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce  (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009). 


 




Review, Amazon, 17 April 2025, Mindy, USA - 5 stars

Martina Nicolls’ novel is more than just a story—it’s a love letter to Paris, to longing, and to the quiet, aching corners of the human heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book. The writing is rich with metaphor, lush with emotion, and the city itself becomes a living, breathing character—mysterious, romantic, and unforgettable. The narrative flows like a piece of music—gentle in some places, intense in others, always carrying you forward. Whether it’s a chance encounter in a tucked-away café or a heartbreak under a rain-drenched bridge, Nicolls captures the weight of those small, intimate moments that define us. I especially appreciated how the novel explored self-discovery. The protagonist’s journey felt deeply relatable—sometimes painful, sometimes euphoric, always honest. It reminded me how often we try to find ourselves in other people, in unfamiliar places, and in the memories we can’t quite let go of. If you enjoy lyrical writing, emotional depth, and a story that lingers in your soul long after the final page, this is for you. It's a slow, reflective read—meant to be savored like a glass of red wine by the Seine.




















Review, Amazon, 30 October 2025, Jim, USA - 5 stars

As a leadership coach, I love how this book reframes constraint as a spark, not a setback. It’s packed with global examples and practical frameworks that show how real innovation happens when resources are tight and stakes are high. The five-step model for constraint-based creativity is simple, actionable, and grounded in reality — exactly what most teams need. It’s a thoughtful reminder that great leadership and great innovation both start with the same mindset: do more with what you have, and keep moving forward.



 

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