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A review by nattyc96
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for "Paris Never Leaves You" by Ellen Feldman in exchange for my honest review!
Charlotte is living in Paris with her daughter Vivi when the occupation begins. As she continues to work in a bookstore and tries to keep her daughter alive, she is faced with a moral crossroad. What would you do to survive? As the story flashes between the past and Charlotte's future life in New York, Charlotte is struggling. Can she forgive herself for what she's done? Or will her past always haunt her?
Feldman's take on another perspective of WW2 was interesting, for certain. I love Charlotte and her life. Books and editing are honestly a dream, so she was an easy character to attach myself to. That being said, Charlotte is not without flaws. I think it's interesting to see her flaws in light of her relationship with her daughter and to see her flaws play out in a similar fashion in the past and the future.
I also find it interesting when the book delves into the issue of what is acceptable during war times. Do the standards change or are they the same? Often, we see this issue in books set in any war period. How bad is it to sleep with the enemy if it means food? How bad is it to accept food from the enemy? How bad is faking an identity? So many things that would ordinarily be unacceptable become questionable.
This book also touches on forgiveness. Who do we offer our forgiveness to? And even more, can we forgive ourselves? Charlotte struggles with this. She can't forgive herself and because she never received what she thought she deserved, she can't move on. It's sad, but relatable to see.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. It kept my interest throughout and, while telling a similar story, gave me a new perspective to consider. Feldman is an excellent writer, so the prose flowed easy. If you like historical fiction, add this one to your list!
Charlotte is living in Paris with her daughter Vivi when the occupation begins. As she continues to work in a bookstore and tries to keep her daughter alive, she is faced with a moral crossroad. What would you do to survive? As the story flashes between the past and Charlotte's future life in New York, Charlotte is struggling. Can she forgive herself for what she's done? Or will her past always haunt her?
Feldman's take on another perspective of WW2 was interesting, for certain. I love Charlotte and her life. Books and editing are honestly a dream, so she was an easy character to attach myself to. That being said, Charlotte is not without flaws. I think it's interesting to see her flaws in light of her relationship with her daughter and to see her flaws play out in a similar fashion in the past and the future.
I also find it interesting when the book delves into the issue of what is acceptable during war times. Do the standards change or are they the same? Often, we see this issue in books set in any war period. How bad is it to sleep with the enemy if it means food? How bad is it to accept food from the enemy? How bad is faking an identity? So many things that would ordinarily be unacceptable become questionable.
This book also touches on forgiveness. Who do we offer our forgiveness to? And even more, can we forgive ourselves? Charlotte struggles with this. She can't forgive herself and because she never received what she thought she deserved, she can't move on. It's sad, but relatable to see.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. It kept my interest throughout and, while telling a similar story, gave me a new perspective to consider. Feldman is an excellent writer, so the prose flowed easy. If you like historical fiction, add this one to your list!