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jennanickle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
3heartsandawish's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy.
It’s no secret that I love historical fiction, especially of the WW2 era. Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman is the story of Charlotte and her daughter Vivienne. The dual timelines take you from the years of the Occupation of Paris to the 1950s in NYC. It’s a different viewpoint of the Occupation and Charlotte’s memories of that time and her guilt and emotions years later.
This was a little bit of a slower read, but I enjoyed the story and the characters. And how gorgeous is this cover?
It’s no secret that I love historical fiction, especially of the WW2 era. Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman is the story of Charlotte and her daughter Vivienne. The dual timelines take you from the years of the Occupation of Paris to the 1950s in NYC. It’s a different viewpoint of the Occupation and Charlotte’s memories of that time and her guilt and emotions years later.
This was a little bit of a slower read, but I enjoyed the story and the characters. And how gorgeous is this cover?
wherethewildreadsare's review against another edition
4.0
“The world isn’t black and white. It’s a gray and shadowy landscape out there.”
Let me start by saying that this book is not about a Resistance Fighter, this is not about the camps. But this is about survival. This is about a woman in Occupied Paris, doing whatever she can to survive. And to keep her very young toddler alive. She accepted the food and the assistance of a German soldier/physician occupying Paris. Their relationship grew. And as it grew, so did her desperation to survive as the War came to an end with the impending liberation of Paris.
“Survival never comes with a clear conscience.”
Many women were shamed for what they did, even murdered in the end. Called a “Collabo Horizontale” But can we fault someone for doing what was needed to survive? All’s fair in love and war, right?
“Hitler made me a Jew”
While this book does an excellent job giving the background story/context of her time during the War, it is more heavily about Charlottes’s life afterwards, over a decade later in NYC. And the downstream effects her choices during the War made in her life. Her secrets that she so badly does not want to relive or remember, as her daughter, now a young teenager, tries to understand where she comes from and her identity. Charlotte grows to realize that the only way to truly move on is to face the decisions that were made during the worst parts of her life.
I’m a major WWII hist fic junkie & most stories I end up reading are about individuals either in the camp or Resistance. All doing what they can to survive. This one was still a story of survival. There were many women just like Charlotte in the war and I think it’s important that their stories are also told.
My only gripe with this book is that there was not any major indication for when the timelines changed from Past to Present. It made things a little confusing until I came to the realization of WHEN I was a few paragraphs in. Additionally, I would’ve liked to know roughly the year they were in as the story went on. It always seemed like an obscure passing of time.
Let me start by saying that this book is not about a Resistance Fighter, this is not about the camps. But this is about survival. This is about a woman in Occupied Paris, doing whatever she can to survive. And to keep her very young toddler alive. She accepted the food and the assistance of a German soldier/physician occupying Paris. Their relationship grew. And as it grew, so did her desperation to survive as the War came to an end with the impending liberation of Paris.
“Survival never comes with a clear conscience.”
Many women were shamed for what they did, even murdered in the end. Called a “Collabo Horizontale” But can we fault someone for doing what was needed to survive? All’s fair in love and war, right?
“Hitler made me a Jew”
While this book does an excellent job giving the background story/context of her time during the War, it is more heavily about Charlottes’s life afterwards, over a decade later in NYC. And the downstream effects her choices during the War made in her life. Her secrets that she so badly does not want to relive or remember, as her daughter, now a young teenager, tries to understand where she comes from and her identity. Charlotte grows to realize that the only way to truly move on is to face the decisions that were made during the worst parts of her life.
I’m a major WWII hist fic junkie & most stories I end up reading are about individuals either in the camp or Resistance. All doing what they can to survive. This one was still a story of survival. There were many women just like Charlotte in the war and I think it’s important that their stories are also told.
My only gripe with this book is that there was not any major indication for when the timelines changed from Past to Present. It made things a little confusing until I came to the realization of WHEN I was a few paragraphs in. Additionally, I would’ve liked to know roughly the year they were in as the story went on. It always seemed like an obscure passing of time.
anyakinsl's review against another edition
5.0
Such a wonderful and unprecedented book. It was a breath of fresh air among other World War II books because it had a much different approach than other books of the same genre while still being as touching and insightful about the things that occurred in Occupied France. The story of Charlotte and Vivi was heartbreaking but also such a wonderful look into the human condition.
It is a beautiful tale to read in a time when there is a lot going on outside of our world that we also cannot control. There were things in Charlotte's world she could not control and took the matters eventually into her own hands when she moved to New York and started over again.
It is a story of being strong, believing in yourself and realizing that you're part of a larger plan.
I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoyed The Nightingale or other World War II historical fiction literature.
This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is a beautiful tale to read in a time when there is a lot going on outside of our world that we also cannot control. There were things in Charlotte's world she could not control and took the matters eventually into her own hands when she moved to New York and started over again.
It is a story of being strong, believing in yourself and realizing that you're part of a larger plan.
I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoyed The Nightingale or other World War II historical fiction literature.
This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ajewel4books's review against another edition
3.0
2.7 rounded to 3
I want to thank NetGally for the advance copy of Paris Never leaves you.
I really did enjoy the fact that this is a different type of WW2 book. I loved that the Author touched on the aftermath of a war and the emotions and guilt that accompany many survivors. I felt that the two timelines were battling each other and it was quite confusing at times. I felt because of the way it was written it took awhile to figure out the plot and because of that the story dragged. The characters were not incredibly likeable but that is understandable due to the aftermath of war.
I want to thank NetGally for the advance copy of Paris Never leaves you.
I really did enjoy the fact that this is a different type of WW2 book. I loved that the Author touched on the aftermath of a war and the emotions and guilt that accompany many survivors. I felt that the two timelines were battling each other and it was quite confusing at times. I felt because of the way it was written it took awhile to figure out the plot and because of that the story dragged. The characters were not incredibly likeable but that is understandable due to the aftermath of war.
canadianbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2020/09/paris-never-leaves-you.html
theinstantreader's review against another edition
4.0
As a thank, you to Netgalley and the publisher ( St. Martin’s Press) for a copy of Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman. It is often said if you want to move forward, you need to let go of the past. As a bookstore owner in Paris, Charlotte has tried to live a simple yet normal life. Since the birth of her daughter Vivi, Charlotte’s choices in life have been to survive despite the horrors faced in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The novel alternates between Paris in the late 1940s and the publishing world in New York City during the mid-1950s. As Vivi grows into an adolescent does Charlotte’s lessons of survival become slowly taught to her daughter. It is in Vivi’s search for identity does she connect to her mother in ways not before as she teaches her daughter not only how to survive but to be resilient. This novel explored themes of family, loss, love, and identity. I highly recommend this novel for those interested in historical fiction. I give this novel a strong four out of five stars on Goodreads.
dmtcer's review against another edition
4.0
A few years back my book group got tired of reading books on World War 2 - it seems every time we turned around someone had a new book on the topic. I never really grew weary of them, and I found each one has a different point of view - Paris Never Leaves You is different from other World War 2 books I have read. Charlotte and her daughter have escaped Paris and resettled in New York City; the war has been over 10 years, and Charlotte's daughter Vivi is now a teenager. The story of what happened to Charlotte and Vivi during the years of Paris under the four years of Germany's occupation of the city is told in flashback segments from Charlotte's memories.
Charlotte is a very private reserved person, and her daughter is being brought up American and does not understand her mother's secretive nature. A series of events open Vivi's eyes, and Charlotte struggles with overcoming her past. We hear stories of Parisian citizens and their pride in resisting the Nazi influence, mixed in with the terror of being branded a Jew (Juif), a collaborator, or of even being too prominent in any walk of life. Charlotte shows that life did continue on, and sometimes help can come from unlikely sources. It was true for Charlotte and Vivi even during their escape to New York.
I really enjoyed this book - I hated for it to end,honestly. I would like to know more of the story and what happens to the characters in the next phase of life.
Charlotte is a very private reserved person, and her daughter is being brought up American and does not understand her mother's secretive nature. A series of events open Vivi's eyes, and Charlotte struggles with overcoming her past. We hear stories of Parisian citizens and their pride in resisting the Nazi influence, mixed in with the terror of being branded a Jew (Juif), a collaborator, or of even being too prominent in any walk of life. Charlotte shows that life did continue on, and sometimes help can come from unlikely sources. It was true for Charlotte and Vivi even during their escape to New York.
I really enjoyed this book - I hated for it to end,honestly. I would like to know more of the story and what happens to the characters in the next phase of life.
letstalkaboutbooksbaybee's review against another edition
2.0
2⭐️
Thanks to the publishers for a copy of this book to review.
This book is told in dual timelines between 1940s France and 1950s America, with Charlotte and her young daughter Vivienne trying to survive German occupier France during WWII, and after as she works for a publishing company and her and Vivi try to rebuild their lives.
I typically love WWII books, but this one was just very, very boring. I didn’t care about Charlotte at all, and I feel like she existed purely to sleep around?? Or at least that’s what I got from this. Which is fine, like live your best life girl, but maybe not with the enemy or with married men? Just my opinion though.
I did not feel invested in the “present day” timeline whatsoever, in fact I found myself mostly skimming it for any big scenes. I also found the way that she got her and her daughter to America to be really questionable and kind of cringey/possibly offensive?? I’m not Jewish though so I can’t really speak on that.
All in all, I DO think there are people out there who will really enjoy this book. But I also think there are sooooooo many better WWII books out there. If this sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah instead tbh.
Thanks to the publishers for a copy of this book to review.
This book is told in dual timelines between 1940s France and 1950s America, with Charlotte and her young daughter Vivienne trying to survive German occupier France during WWII, and after as she works for a publishing company and her and Vivi try to rebuild their lives.
I typically love WWII books, but this one was just very, very boring. I didn’t care about Charlotte at all, and I feel like she existed purely to sleep around?? Or at least that’s what I got from this. Which is fine, like live your best life girl, but maybe not with the enemy or with married men? Just my opinion though.
I did not feel invested in the “present day” timeline whatsoever, in fact I found myself mostly skimming it for any big scenes. I also found the way that she got her and her daughter to America to be really questionable and kind of cringey/possibly offensive?? I’m not Jewish though so I can’t really speak on that.
All in all, I DO think there are people out there who will really enjoy this book. But I also think there are sooooooo many better WWII books out there. If this sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah instead tbh.
mrsdmvh's review against another edition
4.0
This book is told in two parts, Wartime Paris and 1950s New York. The story is told by Charlotte and we learn what it was like to live in Paris during the Nazi regime. The detail that encompasses this book was unreal and I felt like I had stepped back in time when Charlotte flashes back to those times.
She currently lives in New York with her boss. He was a friend of her father and he took her and her daughter in when they fled from France. The relationship between the two of them is delicate and unique and has you questioning it throughout the whole book. The dynamics were definitely eyebrow raising.
Parts of this book were hard to read and even though this is a work of fiction, the things this book describes absolutely took place. Sometimes it is hard to wrap your head around everything, but that's the truth in wartime history. This will be a great story to read for those of you who enjoy World War II fiction.
I did find it hard to follow along in parts of the book as suddenly it would jump scenes without a break. Once I figured out what was happening I could get back into the reading, but it did make it a little more difficult for me. There is a romance story line, which is a little odd at first, but everything weaves together and makes much more sense in the end.
4 stars. The tale this tells of Charlotte and her adventure to safe herself and her daughter is one that I didn't quite see coming. As a mother, I don't blame her in the least for what she did and I wish she saw things the same way.
She currently lives in New York with her boss. He was a friend of her father and he took her and her daughter in when they fled from France. The relationship between the two of them is delicate and unique and has you questioning it throughout the whole book. The dynamics were definitely eyebrow raising.
Parts of this book were hard to read and even though this is a work of fiction, the things this book describes absolutely took place. Sometimes it is hard to wrap your head around everything, but that's the truth in wartime history. This will be a great story to read for those of you who enjoy World War II fiction.
I did find it hard to follow along in parts of the book as suddenly it would jump scenes without a break. Once I figured out what was happening I could get back into the reading, but it did make it a little more difficult for me. There is a romance story line, which is a little odd at first, but everything weaves together and makes much more sense in the end.
4 stars. The tale this tells of Charlotte and her adventure to safe herself and her daughter is one that I didn't quite see coming. As a mother, I don't blame her in the least for what she did and I wish she saw things the same way.