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A review by lailasemeda
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“A friend said she believes that in reading stories set in the Second World War, people like to ask themselves what they would have done. I think a better question to ask is what can we do now to ensure that libraries and learning are accessible to all and that we treat people with dignity and compassion.”
“We could never know our loved ones, and they would never know us. It was heartbreaking, it was true.”
A novel based on true events and actual people from World War Two in Paris but with some alterations.
It tells the story of the true humans “The Librarians” who kept the American Library in Paris open to serve all readers to pass the hardships of war, to give them hope for a better future and to not let anyone feel alone or isolated to the extent of smuggling books to Jews at a time they were arrested and sent to extermination camps.
The novel takes place between two timelines where the main character Odile was once a young librarian in Paris and the other after 44 years when she is a widow living alone in Montana in USA. Through her friendship with Lilly she reconciles with her past and becomes surrounded with her neighbors who filled her life once again.
“We could never know our loved ones, and they would never know us. It was heartbreaking, it was true.”
A novel based on true events and actual people from World War Two in Paris but with some alterations.
It tells the story of the true humans “The Librarians” who kept the American Library in Paris open to serve all readers to pass the hardships of war, to give them hope for a better future and to not let anyone feel alone or isolated to the extent of smuggling books to Jews at a time they were arrested and sent to extermination camps.
The novel takes place between two timelines where the main character Odile was once a young librarian in Paris and the other after 44 years when she is a widow living alone in Montana in USA. Through her friendship with Lilly she reconciles with her past and becomes surrounded with her neighbors who filled her life once again.