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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
emileereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you for the Gifted Book Libro.fm, Simon Audio, and Atria Books.
I have had a hard time coming up with words for how to review this one. Overall I really enjoyed the book and think many historical fiction fans will as well. This book has many things going for it. It's a book that celebrates the power of libraries and books. It highlights some of the lesser known resisters of the Germans in occupied France and how even seemingly small actions can have big consequences.
What I didn't love about this book is that it alternates POVs and spends disproportionate amounts of time with each character making it a bit of a shock when the POV changes. Also I did not really see where this book was headed for 75% of it and although I did enjoy the ending, it took so long to get there. That being said, once I listened to the author's historical note, I did appreciate the whole scope of the book more. The amount of research that went into this title made me reflect on each element of the story and how it all ties together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity and Terminal illness
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
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