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j_hornick's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Antisemitism, Deportation, War, Death, and Genocide
rowiash's review
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Xenophobia, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Infidelity
elisabethshanahan's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, War, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
megelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
"She crossed the Seine. There was not another soul on the vast Place de la Concorde, not a single car motoring down the Champs-Élysées, France’s grandest traffic hazard. In the liveliest city in the world, she could hear a hairpin drop. The stillness was strange. She’d never felt so alone."
For most of the way through, I was, aside from a few niggles, really enjoying this book. I found both Odile's and Lily's characters interesting and well-fleshed-out, and loved that we get to follow several years in both timelines, so it really feels as if you get sucked right into their lives. There's a great cast of supporting characters too, and I enjoyed following the development of several of the relationships. I particularly loved the strong focus on friendship and community. The book is also rich with historical detail, and provides brilliant and insightful domestic perspectives to both the Second World War and the Cold War. In particular, of course, it shines a light on the American Library of Paris and what went on there during the former war, a chapter of history I previously knew nothing at all about.
However, I unfortunately came away feeling slightly disappointed. Firstly, the blurb misleads you to think there's going to be a prior connection linking Odile and Lily, whereas this link turns out to be so ridiculously tenuous that it's just infuriating. It would've been so much better not to pretend there's such a link in the first place, as the story would've worked fine without it and I wouldn't have gone in with the wrong expectations.
I also really didn't like the way the end of Odile's time in France and decision to move to the US was dealt with. I understand the historical social context and the expectations placed upon women at this time, and the added heightened emotions associated with wartime, but it still wasn't believable to me that Odile would've felt so strongly the way she apparently does, and made the decisions she does. At the very least, these elements could've been addressed in the chapters set in the later timeline, but they aren't and that really frustrated me, especially as the book otherwise contains a lot of great messages (though it does also briefly romanticise adult-minor relationships and is pretty uncritical of the police).
Finally - and this is more of a personal gripe - I didn't know until I read the author's note at the end that Odile's colleagues at the library are all fictionalised versions of real people, i.e. using their real names and known elements of their life stories, and that's something I really don't like in historical fiction and that makes me very uncomfortable. As well as the issues discussed above, this also made me look back on the storyline running through the earlier timeline in a very different way, and consequently I came away much preferring Lily's later coming-of-age story to the story of the wartime Paris Library, which is such a shame as, despite my feelings towards the way it ended, I did for the most part enjoy younger Odile's story, and it has a lot of great elements and is at times very cleverly-told. It's just a shame that things weren't wrapped up in a more fitting and less harmful way.
For most of the way through, I was, aside from a few niggles, really enjoying this book. I found both Odile's and Lily's characters interesting and well-fleshed-out, and loved that we get to follow several years in both timelines, so it really feels as if you get sucked right into their lives. There's a great cast of supporting characters too, and I enjoyed following the development of several of the relationships. I particularly loved the strong focus on friendship and community. The book is also rich with historical detail, and provides brilliant and insightful domestic perspectives to both the Second World War and the Cold War. In particular, of course, it shines a light on the American Library of Paris and what went on there during the former war, a chapter of history I previously knew nothing at all about.
However, I unfortunately came away feeling slightly disappointed. Firstly, the blurb misleads you to think there's going to be a prior connection linking Odile and Lily, whereas this link turns out to be so ridiculously tenuous that it's just infuriating. It would've been so much better not to pretend there's such a link in the first place, as the story would've worked fine without it and I wouldn't have gone in with the wrong expectations.
I also really didn't like the way the end of Odile's time in France and decision to move to the US was dealt with. I understand the historical social context and the expectations placed upon women at this time, and the added heightened emotions associated with wartime, but it still wasn't believable to me that Odile would've felt so strongly the way she apparently does, and made the decisions she does. At the very least, these elements could've been addressed in the chapters set in the later timeline, but they aren't and that really frustrated me, especially as the book otherwise contains a lot of great messages (though it does also briefly romanticise adult-minor relationships and is pretty uncritical of the police).
Finally - and this is more of a personal gripe - I didn't know until I read the author's note at the end that Odile's colleagues at the library are all fictionalised versions of real people, i.e. using their real names and known elements of their life stories, and that's something I really don't like in historical fiction and that makes me very uncomfortable. As well as the issues discussed above, this also made me look back on the storyline running through the earlier timeline in a very different way, and consequently I came away much preferring Lily's later coming-of-age story to the story of the wartime Paris Library, which is such a shame as, despite my feelings towards the way it ended, I did for the most part enjoy younger Odile's story, and it has a lot of great elements and is at times very cleverly-told. It's just a shame that things weren't wrapped up in a more fitting and less harmful way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, War, Racism, Antisemitism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child death
falltumn's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Misogyny and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
ginadapooh's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Cancer, Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, Bullying, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Antisemitism, Grief, War, and Toxic friendship
cranewife's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Rape and Bullying
jacq_d_'s review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Physical abuse
eesti23's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"A bookmark—a bright ribbon, really—beckoned from each, inviting the Directress to return."
“Life’s a brawl. You must fight for what you want.”
"I had learned that love was not patient, love was not kind. Love was conditional. The people closest to you could turn their backs on you, saying goodbye for something that seemed like nothing. You could only depend on yourself."
"Yet there was solace: in reading other people’s stories, I knew that I wasn’t alone."
"It was why I read—to glimpse other lives."
“Two feed your stomach, the rest your soul. We’ll find another way to soothe your heart.”
"GRIEF IS A sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn’t so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I’d be back to the beginning, fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow."
"The Library is a bridge of books between cultures.”
"She wished she could make them understand that Paris was home. She’d made her life’s work, her life here."
"You’re nothing without principles. Nowhere without ideals. No one without courage."
"Love is accepting someone, all parts of them, even the ones you don’t like or understand."
"‘Accept people for who they are, not for who you want them to be.’”
Judging by the number of highlighted quotes I had, The Paris Library provided plenty food for thought. This was a really interesting angle on WWII history in France. There were great characters, both in the past and present storylines. I gasped out loud at the
This was my pick for The StoryGraph's Onboarding Reading Challenge 2022, prompt three, ...head to your Up Next Suggestions (Home > To-Read Pile > Search and Filter > Suggestions) and read the book from your Random Pick prompt....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Antisemitism
Moderate: War and Physical abuse
Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: The Paris Library
Author: Janet Skeslien Charles
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: February 2, 2021
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Enchanting • Unforgettable • Literary
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Paris, 1939: Odile, seems to have it all; a handsome boyfriend, an English best friend, a beloved twin, and her dream job as a librarian at the American library in Paris. And when war is declared, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapon she has - books.
Montana 1983: Widowed and alone, Odile is suffering from loneliness. Lily, a lonely teenager, soon takes a keen interest of her recluse, French neighbour. What develops is a unlikely friendship.
A story of love and friendship, of family and sacrifice, of grief and betrayal, of self-discovery and the power of literature.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Based on the true WWII story of the heroic American librarian, Miss Reeder, who created the Soldiers' Service in order to deliver books to servicemen and to Jewish readers after they were banned from entering the library, The Paris Library is a reminder of why I love historical fiction so much. It brought to life a part of history I knew nothing about, and is an ode to the essential nature of books and libraries.
The library atmosphere, the description of books, and the cast of incredible characters really immersed me into the story. The sense of 'found family' among the secondary characters was an additional bonus. It demonstrated how the library staff risked their lives to provide a small piece of normalcy to patrons, all while exploring the consequences of their choices. This novel was well researched, and the dual timeline worked, but I continually was drawn back to Paris and Odile's trials. At times there were parts of Lily's story that felt unnecessary. I also found it odd how there were only a small numbers of chapters from the perspective of secondary characters, to me this detracted from the story and felt inconsistent. And yet it was the ending which felt rushed, that left me feeling disappointed, although I adored the story as a whole.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• book lovers
• readers of historical fiction (particularly WWII)
• fans of Lilac Girls and/or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Breathing in the best smell in the world - a mélange of the mossy scent of musty books and crisp newspaper pages - I felt as if I'd come home."
"I wished I could go back to that last moment. I would say, 'You were the best mom in the world. I need you. We need you. I loved the way we watched robins and hoped for hummingbirds. I wished we had one more morning. One more hug. One more change to say I love you."
"Grief is a sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn't so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I'd be back to the beginning fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow."
Author: Janet Skeslien Charles
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: February 2, 2021
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Enchanting • Unforgettable • Literary
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Paris, 1939: Odile, seems to have it all; a handsome boyfriend, an English best friend, a beloved twin, and her dream job as a librarian at the American library in Paris. And when war is declared, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapon she has - books.
Montana 1983: Widowed and alone, Odile is suffering from loneliness. Lily, a lonely teenager, soon takes a keen interest of her recluse, French neighbour. What develops is a unlikely friendship.
A story of love and friendship, of family and sacrifice, of grief and betrayal, of self-discovery and the power of literature.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Based on the true WWII story of the heroic American librarian, Miss Reeder, who created the Soldiers' Service in order to deliver books to servicemen and to Jewish readers after they were banned from entering the library, The Paris Library is a reminder of why I love historical fiction so much. It brought to life a part of history I knew nothing about, and is an ode to the essential nature of books and libraries.
The library atmosphere, the description of books, and the cast of incredible characters really immersed me into the story. The sense of 'found family' among the secondary characters was an additional bonus. It demonstrated how the library staff risked their lives to provide a small piece of normalcy to patrons, all while exploring the consequences of their choices. This novel was well researched, and the dual timeline worked, but I continually was drawn back to Paris and Odile's trials. At times there were parts of Lily's story that felt unnecessary. I also found it odd how there were only a small numbers of chapters from the perspective of secondary characters, to me this detracted from the story and felt inconsistent. And yet it was the ending which felt rushed, that left me feeling disappointed, although I adored the story as a whole.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• book lovers
• readers of historical fiction (particularly WWII)
• fans of Lilac Girls and/or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Breathing in the best smell in the world - a mélange of the mossy scent of musty books and crisp newspaper pages - I felt as if I'd come home."
"I wished I could go back to that last moment. I would say, 'You were the best mom in the world. I need you. We need you. I loved the way we watched robins and hoped for hummingbirds. I wished we had one more morning. One more hug. One more change to say I love you."
"Grief is a sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn't so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I'd be back to the beginning fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Bullying, and Hate crime
Moderate: War, Grief, and Death
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Child death, and Death of parent