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A review by robinlovesreading
The Last Restaurant in Paris by Lily Graham
5.0
In the year 1987, Sabine Duchelle discovered that her mother was adopted. This was only the tip of the iceberg for Sabine. Armed with an old key and determination, she heads to Paris for answers.
Enemy occupied Paris, 1940s. Marianne Blanchet is determined to open a small restaurant, knowing full well that most, if not all of her customers will be enemy officers. Her customers will likely be the hated Germans who have infiltrated the country. However, Marianne is not about to be deterred and does what she can to obtain any permissions that she can and does indeed open her restaurant.
However, the restaurant was only open for so long. In fact, Marianne's story ended on a very dark note. After the restaurant was closed, words were scratched on the windows - traitor and murderer. Why did the restaurant close so suddenly, and what was the meaning behind those words?
These are questions that Sabine has decades later. She goes to Paris with her key and has many questions about her grandmother Marianne. There was a legacy left by Marianne and this is something the locals have not forgotten - or forgiven - all those years later. Sabine meets an old man named Gilbert. Gilbert was around during the time the restaurant was opened, and his story is chilling and sad.
What an incredibly tragic story! Marianne had a plan, that much is made clear. However, it took a turn that was not expected. Sabine wants answers. Whether or not she can handle the truth behind those answers remains to be seen. Something happened in 1943 and Sabine's determination for the truth will not be swayed. In this compelling read by Lily Graham, readers will slowly learn the motive behind Marianne's actions and why it was that Sabine's mother was adopted.
Both timelines were intriguing, especially considering the irreversible actions that Marianne took in 1943. She took great risks and those risks came with tragic results. A morally sensitive story to be sure, one that any lover of historical fiction should read. This was a book that was impossible to put down, especially when the mystery and motive behind Marianne's actions are explored and how Sabine and Gilbert slowly uncovered the secrets of the past in order to understand what happened back in 1943.
The story paints Marianne one way or another - evil or kind. Sabine wants to understand how to view her. Was Marianne a heroine or was she truly a traitor, a murderer, something believed for decades? This dark story answers those questions while smartly delivering a message of strength, hope and courage.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Enemy occupied Paris, 1940s. Marianne Blanchet is determined to open a small restaurant, knowing full well that most, if not all of her customers will be enemy officers. Her customers will likely be the hated Germans who have infiltrated the country. However, Marianne is not about to be deterred and does what she can to obtain any permissions that she can and does indeed open her restaurant.
However, the restaurant was only open for so long. In fact, Marianne's story ended on a very dark note. After the restaurant was closed, words were scratched on the windows - traitor and murderer. Why did the restaurant close so suddenly, and what was the meaning behind those words?
These are questions that Sabine has decades later. She goes to Paris with her key and has many questions about her grandmother Marianne. There was a legacy left by Marianne and this is something the locals have not forgotten - or forgiven - all those years later. Sabine meets an old man named Gilbert. Gilbert was around during the time the restaurant was opened, and his story is chilling and sad.
What an incredibly tragic story! Marianne had a plan, that much is made clear. However, it took a turn that was not expected. Sabine wants answers. Whether or not she can handle the truth behind those answers remains to be seen. Something happened in 1943 and Sabine's determination for the truth will not be swayed. In this compelling read by Lily Graham, readers will slowly learn the motive behind Marianne's actions and why it was that Sabine's mother was adopted.
Both timelines were intriguing, especially considering the irreversible actions that Marianne took in 1943. She took great risks and those risks came with tragic results. A morally sensitive story to be sure, one that any lover of historical fiction should read. This was a book that was impossible to put down, especially when the mystery and motive behind Marianne's actions are explored and how Sabine and Gilbert slowly uncovered the secrets of the past in order to understand what happened back in 1943.
The story paints Marianne one way or another - evil or kind. Sabine wants to understand how to view her. Was Marianne a heroine or was she truly a traitor, a murderer, something believed for decades? This dark story answers those questions while smartly delivering a message of strength, hope and courage.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.