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A review by lizziepagereads
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
4.0
Charlotte Foret bears tremendous self hatred. She is a French woman who escaped the occupation of Paris with her toddler daughter, Vivi, and made it to New York City, emotionally traumatized but otherwise unscathed. The story shifts between her life in occupied Paris and 1950’s New York, flitting between narratives as seamlessly as our thoughts drift into daydreams. Throughout both timelines, Charlotte struggles with shame and self hatred for the actions she takes to get through the war alive.
Charlotte finds comfort in two men over the course of the story, first Julian in Paris, then Horace in New York. Like Charlotte, both Julian and Horace carry burdens of guilt and self hatred for their actions during the war. Each of the men ultimately take different paths to deal with their inner turmoil. One responds with self forgiveness and the other with utter despair. Their story arcs symbolize the two tracks for Charlotte’s fate - she either accepts what she did and moves forward, or she lives a life full of hate.
While the story itself centers around Charlotte, Horace, and Julian, the cities of Paris and New York are central characters as well. Paris is dark. It’s scary. We get a taste of what it’s really like to live in occupied Paris as an ordinary citizen - not one that’s organizing a rebellion or leading the charge. It’s frightening, and you can’t help but support Charlotte for doing whatever it takes to survive. In contrast, post-war New York is light and airy, people are happy and carefree, and the sound of sirens signals that help, not trouble, is on the way. It is the opposite of Paris in every way. Dichotomies like this always lead me to comparison with my own life, and from this one I find myself unfathomably lucky to live where I do, when I do, enjoying the freedoms I do.
Thank you to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.
Charlotte finds comfort in two men over the course of the story, first Julian in Paris, then Horace in New York. Like Charlotte, both Julian and Horace carry burdens of guilt and self hatred for their actions during the war. Each of the men ultimately take different paths to deal with their inner turmoil. One responds with self forgiveness and the other with utter despair. Their story arcs symbolize the two tracks for Charlotte’s fate - she either accepts what she did and moves forward, or she lives a life full of hate.
While the story itself centers around Charlotte, Horace, and Julian, the cities of Paris and New York are central characters as well. Paris is dark. It’s scary. We get a taste of what it’s really like to live in occupied Paris as an ordinary citizen - not one that’s organizing a rebellion or leading the charge. It’s frightening, and you can’t help but support Charlotte for doing whatever it takes to survive. In contrast, post-war New York is light and airy, people are happy and carefree, and the sound of sirens signals that help, not trouble, is on the way. It is the opposite of Paris in every way. Dichotomies like this always lead me to comparison with my own life, and from this one I find myself unfathomably lucky to live where I do, when I do, enjoying the freedoms I do.
Thank you to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.