A review by missyjohnson
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

3.0

3.5 stars. This story takes place in Paris beginning in 1939 with a young woman named Odile as she gets a job with the American Library Paris. The other focus is Lily in Froid Montana 1984. In 1984 Odile lives next door to Lily having moved to Montana in 1944. Odile helps Lily get through the illness and death of her mother. She and Lily become friends and she teaches Lily French. Odile loves her job at the ALP and the “subscribers” who are there daily. She meets Paul, a young police officer who somehow does not get conscripted into the French army. Odile’s twin brother, Remy, volunteers and is taken prisoner at Dunkirk. The library patrons are an interesting lot and I enjoyed the happenings with them. The book did drag a bit in the latter middle but did pick back up in the end. Learning how it was that Odile came to be married to Buck Gustafson and living in Montana was good. I liked how Odile was able to teach Lily about the dangers of snooping and telling things they knew about others. I was not aware of the library aspect and the folks who worked there during WWII.