Scan barcode
kande0321's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
Paris Never Leaves You is as much historical romance as historical fiction or women's fiction, which works for this story. The storyline is emotional, and it's impossible to read about Charlotte's determination to survive and protect her daughter without feeling the emotion of the story. Ellen Feldman did a great job of showing Charlotte's survivor's guilt as well as her relationship with her daughter. The story moves between two timelines, and while the switch was sometimes a bit abrupt, both timelines were interesting. The story is easy to follow, and the characters are well-drawn and made me want to see how things would come out for them. All in all, Paris Never Leaves You is an engaging historical romance from Ellen Feldman. It's well written, and I would check out other books by this author.
thelexingtonbookie's review against another edition
3.0
I really tried getting into this book, as it had promised a lot of what I love to read about: historical fiction, romance, books... However, it just ended up not being a book for me. The pacing was slow, somber and thoughtful, but a tad redundant, and I struggled to keep myself focused on the novel. I pushed through to finish it because I didn't want to give it a DNF, but ultimately I didn't connect with the story-lines and therefore the entirety of the novel.
kaylasbookishlife's review against another edition
2.0
Paris Never Leaves you is a historical fiction set in WWII France and just after the war in America. Charlotte is a refugee who survived the war with her daughter and is trying to start over in America.
I was really interested in Charlotte’s story, however I soon found myself confused and lost within the plot. While I love a dual timeline, I would find myself reading a chapter and then all of a sudden we were back in the past. It was a bit too chaotic for me.
Her character was also very, not sure the word for it, but she didn’t have feelings. Like at all. Not even towards her daughter. It was awkward to read.
Anyway, I’m happy to have finished this one as it’s been on my TBR for a while.
I was really interested in Charlotte’s story, however I soon found myself confused and lost within the plot. While I love a dual timeline, I would find myself reading a chapter and then all of a sudden we were back in the past. It was a bit too chaotic for me.
Her character was also very, not sure the word for it, but she didn’t have feelings. Like at all. Not even towards her daughter. It was awkward to read.
Anyway, I’m happy to have finished this one as it’s been on my TBR for a while.
cynsfictionaddiction's review against another edition
4.0
I read a lot of historical fiction, particularly based in France during WWII and there is a definite trend about Paris staying with you despite the years and attempts to move on. Following the story of Charlotte Foret, the book switches between 1940s Paris and 1950s Manhattan. Charlotte struggled to take care of her infant daughter Vivi when the war arrived, leaving them both malnourished and living in constant fear. When a Wehrmacht physician walks into Charlotte’s bookstore and begins leaving small tokens of food and milk for Vivi, she grapples with remaining loyal to her country or feeding her daughter.
The decisions Charlotte faced while hiding out in the bookstore were so relatable. How can you not feed your child, given the opportunity, regardless of where the resources may be coming from? There is no justice in an innocent child dying because they are sick and malnourished in a war they had nothing to do with.
The scariest aspect of this story is how people’s ideas of you could affect your life in a time of war. It shouldn’t matter, but at a time when one little rumor can be used against you and everyone wants to assign blame, that tiny rumor is the very difference between life and death. Charlotte’s neighbors knew that she had grown sympathetic to a Nazi soldier who had begun visiting the bookstore. Seeing little Vivi begin to thrive, they knew Charlotte must be accepting favors of food and they hated her for it. When the war ended and Charlotte began seeing “collaborators” or women who had been rumored to have slept with a Nazi being violated and murdered. She knew she had to flee for her life.
Through her father’s past connections, Charlotte secures a sponsor and a job at a publishing house in NYC, where Vivi is able to grow up among Manhattan’s elite. The novel opens with Charlotte receiving a letter from a Rabbi in South America, bringing her memories of the war flooding back. When Vivi begins to question her upbringing, Charlotte can no longer hide from the past if she wants to keep her daughter.
Teenagers are tough and I loved fifteen-year-old Vivi. She had spunk and determination, especially when she wanted to know something, but Feldman also depicted the ups-and-downs that teenagers go through when someone at school is undoubtedly mean. Vivi was uninvited from a peer’s major party because she was Jewish. That, for me, was one of the more interesting storylines because I wouldn’t have expected such blatant discrimination once the war ended and the world saw how horrific the anti-semitic mentality was.
Charlotte’s self-deprecation began to wear on me as the novel went on, but then Vivi stepped in vibrantly to pull me back into the story and eventually help Charlotte face herself. In dealing with her past, Charlotte needed to revisit that time of her life in Paris to discover Paris Never Leaves You.
The decisions Charlotte faced while hiding out in the bookstore were so relatable. How can you not feed your child, given the opportunity, regardless of where the resources may be coming from? There is no justice in an innocent child dying because they are sick and malnourished in a war they had nothing to do with.
The scariest aspect of this story is how people’s ideas of you could affect your life in a time of war. It shouldn’t matter, but at a time when one little rumor can be used against you and everyone wants to assign blame, that tiny rumor is the very difference between life and death. Charlotte’s neighbors knew that she had grown sympathetic to a Nazi soldier who had begun visiting the bookstore. Seeing little Vivi begin to thrive, they knew Charlotte must be accepting favors of food and they hated her for it. When the war ended and Charlotte began seeing “collaborators” or women who had been rumored to have slept with a Nazi being violated and murdered. She knew she had to flee for her life.
Through her father’s past connections, Charlotte secures a sponsor and a job at a publishing house in NYC, where Vivi is able to grow up among Manhattan’s elite. The novel opens with Charlotte receiving a letter from a Rabbi in South America, bringing her memories of the war flooding back. When Vivi begins to question her upbringing, Charlotte can no longer hide from the past if she wants to keep her daughter.
Teenagers are tough and I loved fifteen-year-old Vivi. She had spunk and determination, especially when she wanted to know something, but Feldman also depicted the ups-and-downs that teenagers go through when someone at school is undoubtedly mean. Vivi was uninvited from a peer’s major party because she was Jewish. That, for me, was one of the more interesting storylines because I wouldn’t have expected such blatant discrimination once the war ended and the world saw how horrific the anti-semitic mentality was.
Charlotte’s self-deprecation began to wear on me as the novel went on, but then Vivi stepped in vibrantly to pull me back into the story and eventually help Charlotte face herself. In dealing with her past, Charlotte needed to revisit that time of her life in Paris to discover Paris Never Leaves You.
swirlofspice's review against another edition
2.0
First off, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press for reaching out to me and providing a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.
The story has a dual timeline - one in New York, the other in Paris. There is no clear delineation of the time jumps, and the two timelines read as if they are in constant conflict with each other.
The main character, Charlotte, once thinks that she hadn’t known her late husband very well. But, as a reader, I could say the same about her. You know of her survivor’s guilt, but because the story gives you only bits and pieces of her life in Paris, there is so little of Charlotte herself left for the reader cling to. The lack of characterization didn’t give me much to connect with, frankly. The other characters also lacked dimension, and because there wasn’t much of a plot, I felt like I was missing details critical to the story.
Because of this, I was confused for much of the story. Some of the plot didn’t sit well with me, but I can’t elaborate, since I’m not entirely sure what happened in the book. However, I do want to point out that I was not in the a mindset conducive to reading a story like this, which could be why I felt so disconnected to the story.
The story has a dual timeline - one in New York, the other in Paris. There is no clear delineation of the time jumps, and the two timelines read as if they are in constant conflict with each other.
The main character, Charlotte, once thinks that she hadn’t known her late husband very well. But, as a reader, I could say the same about her. You know of her survivor’s guilt, but because the story gives you only bits and pieces of her life in Paris, there is so little of Charlotte herself left for the reader cling to. The lack of characterization didn’t give me much to connect with, frankly. The other characters also lacked dimension, and because there wasn’t much of a plot, I felt like I was missing details critical to the story.
Because of this, I was confused for much of the story. Some of the plot didn’t sit well with me, but I can’t elaborate, since I’m not entirely sure what happened in the book. However, I do want to point out that I was not in the a mindset conducive to reading a story like this, which could be why I felt so disconnected to the story.
caroline_cm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
viktoriya's review against another edition
4.0
This book was almost perfect. Almost...
The story is told in dual timeline: Paris, during the Nazi occupation and ten years later, in New York.
Our main character, Charlotte (Charlie) is a young widow and in labor as the Nazis are marching into Paris. She is trying her best to survive during the occupation and to provide food for her small daughter. One day a German officer walked into her bookshop and Charlotte's life changed...
Ten years later, Charlotte is living in New York City, working in a publishing house and is raising her teenage daughter. One day Charlie receives a letter she never expected to see and her daughter starts asking questions Charlotte is not yet ready to answer...
I loved this book,up until the end...Actually, it felt like there was no end. I wish there was an epilogue because I needed some closure.
The story is told in dual timeline: Paris, during the Nazi occupation and ten years later, in New York.
Our main character, Charlotte (Charlie) is a young widow and in labor as the Nazis are marching into Paris. She is trying her best to survive during the occupation and to provide food for her small daughter. One day a German officer walked into her bookshop and Charlotte's life changed...
Ten years later, Charlotte is living in New York City, working in a publishing house and is raising her teenage daughter. One day Charlie receives a letter she never expected to see and her daughter starts asking questions Charlotte is not yet ready to answer...
I loved this book,up until the end...Actually, it felt like there was no end. I wish there was an epilogue because I needed some closure.
energyrae's review against another edition
4.0
Told in alternating timelines of Paris during the ‘40s, and New York in the ‘50s, we follow Charlotte's unwavering protection of her daughter, Vivi, during the war and her desire to protect her from the past a decade later. Those who worked with the Germans faced harsh repercussions from their fellow man. Charlotte is doing what she thinks is best to feed her daughter, who is withering away by the time that part of the story starts. But it’s a dangerous business working with a German officer, no matter how good that man’s intentions may seem.
In the book’s present-day, Charlotte doesn’t want to face the past and what she did. She hides in shame for her actions. Actions we might not see as shameful but weren't in her position to judge. Vivi is a good daughter, and she’s incredibly smart. She desires to know more about her father who lost his life to the war. She wants to know more about her heritage, which her mother would rather keep buried.
I enjoyed this one more than others, and perhaps it’s because I read a lot of WW2 historical fiction that I’m able to enjoy Charlotte’s unique voice. Feldman gave us Charlotte’s life during the war, which didn’t wholly reflect that of others. It doesn’t show fully what is happening to the Jews, and that’s okay. The big story here is a mother’s fierce protection of their child and living with the guilt that comes with Charlotte’s situation. I find her guilt raw and honest. Part historical, part romance, this is a well-written, enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin's, for sending this along!
In the book’s present-day, Charlotte doesn’t want to face the past and what she did. She hides in shame for her actions. Actions we might not see as shameful but weren't in her position to judge. Vivi is a good daughter, and she’s incredibly smart. She desires to know more about her father who lost his life to the war. She wants to know more about her heritage, which her mother would rather keep buried.
I enjoyed this one more than others, and perhaps it’s because I read a lot of WW2 historical fiction that I’m able to enjoy Charlotte’s unique voice. Feldman gave us Charlotte’s life during the war, which didn’t wholly reflect that of others. It doesn’t show fully what is happening to the Jews, and that’s okay. The big story here is a mother’s fierce protection of their child and living with the guilt that comes with Charlotte’s situation. I find her guilt raw and honest. Part historical, part romance, this is a well-written, enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin's, for sending this along!