Scan barcode
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
I've been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it, and I am ecstatic that I was able to get a signed copy ! I live in Paris, and I get all my library books from The American Library in Paris, so purchasing this book in a local shop and reading about such familiar places just comforted my soul.
I've known that the ALP has a deep WWII history since I first started going there, and it felt fantastic to learn more. I was pleasantly surprised to find out at the end of the book that most of the characters were real people. I expected the names to be made up, but this was not the case. It really helps to make this book feel even more real.
I have an...interesting relationship with the Historical Fiction genre, as I've disliked most of the books I've read. Going into this one I was a little scared of how I would feel about it, especially after reading the first few chapters, and just feeling "meh" about it. Luckily that quickly changed, and I really enjoyed the main story of Odile.
You can feel the tension and anxiety in the first half of the book as the war begins, and fear of the Germans closing in on the city heightens. The portrayal of people's changing lives, feelings, and thoughts was done quite well. I liked that it was reiterated multiple times that people act rashly, especially under such stressful circumstances, and that no one is perfect.
One thing I could have done without is the multiple timeline/perspectives. I really did not care about Lily in the 1980s timeline, and it didn't feel like it added too much to the story. I though there might be some reveals using her, but there really wasn't. There were also times where I could go 100 pages with only 1 Lily chapter, so it would feel like such an abrupt change, and take me out of the story. There were also several times were we got a chapter from another character's perspective, which most of the time didn't feel needed either. It seemed like the author was trying to give us all of the information, when hearing the story from Odile's perspective was perfectly fine.
I knew going into this that there would be French words peppered throughout, as that always seems to be the case with a book taking place in a non-english speaking country. However, it is done extremely often, and even after living in France for 3 years I had to ask my husband how to pronounce some words and what their definitions were. So if you're going into this with no knowledge of French, prepare to Google some words !
I loved reading all the street names and places that I am familiar with. I felt invested in the story and fell in love with the characters. The ending of Odile's story felt strange and sudden, so the last few chapters of the book were a bit odd for me. As someone who lives in the area and frequents the library this is written about, I definitely think I have a bit of a bias towards liking this book, so those who are not as familiar with the setting might not find as much enjoyment as I did.
I've known that the ALP has a deep WWII history since I first started going there, and it felt fantastic to learn more. I was pleasantly surprised to find out at the end of the book that most of the characters were real people. I expected the names to be made up, but this was not the case. It really helps to make this book feel even more real.
I have an...interesting relationship with the Historical Fiction genre, as I've disliked most of the books I've read. Going into this one I was a little scared of how I would feel about it, especially after reading the first few chapters, and just feeling "meh" about it. Luckily that quickly changed, and I really enjoyed the main story of Odile.
You can feel the tension and anxiety in the first half of the book as the war begins, and fear of the Germans closing in on the city heightens. The portrayal of people's changing lives, feelings, and thoughts was done quite well. I liked that it was reiterated multiple times that people act rashly, especially under such stressful circumstances, and that no one is perfect.
One thing I could have done without is the multiple timeline/perspectives. I really did not care about Lily in the 1980s timeline, and it didn't feel like it added too much to the story. I though there might be some reveals using her, but there really wasn't. There were also times where I could go 100 pages with only 1 Lily chapter, so it would feel like such an abrupt change, and take me out of the story. There were also several times were we got a chapter from another character's perspective, which most of the time didn't feel needed either. It seemed like the author was trying to give us all of the information, when hearing the story from Odile's perspective was perfectly fine.
I knew going into this that there would be French words peppered throughout, as that always seems to be the case with a book taking place in a non-english speaking country. However, it is done extremely often, and even after living in France for 3 years I had to ask my husband how to pronounce some words and what their definitions were. So if you're going into this with no knowledge of French, prepare to Google some words !
I loved reading all the street names and places that I am familiar with. I felt invested in the story and fell in love with the characters. The ending of Odile's story felt strange and sudden, so the last few chapters of the book were a bit odd for me. As someone who lives in the area and frequents the library this is written about, I definitely think I have a bit of a bias towards liking this book, so those who are not as familiar with the setting might not find as much enjoyment as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, Hate crime, Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
linesiunderline's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This novel offers us views of grief, loss, and self discovery from many perspectives. The two main narratives centre on Odile, a young French woman working during the German occupation at the American Library in Paris, and Lily, Odile’s neightbor, a teenager in the 1980s in small town Montana. Lily views Odile’s past as mysterious and readers discover more about her wartime experience as the novel unfolds and alternates perspectives.
What I loved:
- it’s an ode to libraries, how they are essential and can serve such a noble purpose, carrying people through dark times
- the relationships between the colleagues and patrons at the library were well captured and endearing
- reading a WWII novel that presents a different kind of story than is often portrayed
Howevers:
- as is often the way for me with books that have dual (or more) perspectives, I wasn’t as interested I. Lily‘a story compared to Odile’s
- I found it unusual that the author inserted a few sections from the perspectives of secondary characters, but only a few. For me, I’d have liked more, or for the structure to stick to just the POVs of the two central women
This is a wartime novel that focuses more on daily life in occupied territory and the relationships between those not on the front lines. There are times when it is lighter in tone, and for that reason I think it would be a good readalike for those who enjoyed Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Dear Mrs Bird, or The Chilbury Ladies Choir.
What I loved:
- it’s an ode to libraries, how they are essential and can serve such a noble purpose, carrying people through dark times
- the relationships between the colleagues and patrons at the library were well captured and endearing
- reading a WWII novel that presents a different kind of story than is often portrayed
Howevers:
- as is often the way for me with books that have dual (or more) perspectives, I wasn’t as interested I. Lily‘a story compared to Odile’s
- I found it unusual that the author inserted a few sections from the perspectives of secondary characters, but only a few. For me, I’d have liked more, or for the structure to stick to just the POVs of the two central women
This is a wartime novel that focuses more on daily life in occupied territory and the relationships between those not on the front lines. There are times when it is lighter in tone, and for that reason I think it would be a good readalike for those who enjoyed Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Dear Mrs Bird, or The Chilbury Ladies Choir.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Death, Grief, and Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent and Terminal illness
acitygirlsthoughts's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and Janet Skeslien Charles for choosing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I'm a huge fan of WWII historical fiction so I couldn't pass up this opportunity to review this! On top of that, I'm also an avid library user and supporter, so two of my favorite topics in one book? Yes! I enjoyed Janet's exploration of the different employees who worked at the American Library in Paris, their quirks, and Odile's (the protagonist's) all-conuming love for her work and friends at the American Library in Paris. Told in alternating point-of-views: Lily, an ambitious, lovable, and curious teen who's Odlie's neighbor in 1980's Montana, USA, and Odile herself.
Lily's growth from her middle school to high school years are influenced by Odile's wisdom as she helps Lily navigate adolesence through her mistakes she made as a teen herself. Although she didn't experience the brunt of WWII, her run-ins with the Nazis on-the-job shaped her morals and ethics as she dealt with secret spies for the Nazis, anti-semitism, and her friend's questionable loyalty to the Allies. Assumptions and hesitation led to some hiccups in her relationships but she used those lessons to teach Lily how to deal with situations similar to her's, such as jealousy. The writing isn't hard to follow; there's a few typos at the beginning but other than that it's fine.
Odile, Lily, Odile's family, Felix (Odile's boyfriend), Mary Louise, Odile's second husband, and the residents of Montana are the only fictional characters in this story, but just because they're fictional doesn't mean I agree with their justifications as a teachable moment. For example - this will be a spoiler but its worth mentioning - Odile tricks her husband into thinking she's single when she's currently married to Felix, all because Felix beat up her friend over her (friend's) affair with a Nazi. There's also an emotional disconnect between the reader and Odile's WWII story. Yes, she's probably blessed to have escaped a lot of violence and gore under the Nazis, but I didn't feel the thriller-esque feel promised, even when she physically ran into them twice. But other than that it's a great story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Bullying, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
internationalreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, and Murder
More...