Name: The Paris Library
Rating: 3.934065934065934 (91 reviews)
ISBN: 9781432879686

Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on a true story, describes how a lonely teenager in 1983 Montana befriends an elderly neighbor and uncovers her past as a librarian at the American Library in Paris who joined the Resistance when the Nazis arrived.

The Paris Library

Cassandra Tang

Language is a gate that we can open and close on people. The words we use shape perception as do the books we read, the stories we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves.

An instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller—based on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II—The Paris Library is a moving and unforgettable “ode to the importance of libraries, books, and the human connections we find within both” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author). Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them. “A love letter to Paris, the power of books, and the beauty of intergenerational friendship” (Booklist), The Paris Libraryshows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest places.

A Novel

Enjoyable read inspired by real events, ending felt rushed. 

a serviceable ww2 historical fiction that still manages to be rather light-hearted and pleasant; quick read, not the most impressionable, in one word: “fine!”

rin 🐇

Based on the true World War II story of the American Library in Paris, an unforgettable novel about the power of books and the bonds of friendship—and the ordinary heroes who can be found in the most perilous times and the quietest places. Paris, 1939. Young, ambitious, and tempestuous, Odile Souchet has it all: Paul, her handsome police officer beau; Margaret, her best friend from England; Remy, her twin brother who she adores; and a dream job at the American Library in Paris, working alongside the library’s legendary director, Dorothy Reeder. When World War II breaks out, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear—including her beloved library. After the Nazi army marches into the City of Light and declares a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books. Again and again, they risk their lives to help their fellow Jewish readers, but by war’s end, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983. Odile’s solitary existence in gossipy small-town Montana is unexpectedly interrupted by her neighbor Lily, a lonely teenager craving adventure. As Lily uncovers more about Odile’s mysterious past, they find they share not only a love of language but also the same lethal jealousy. Odile helps Lily navigate the troubled waters of adolescence by always recommending the right book at the right time, never suspecting that Lily will be the one to help her reckon with her own terrible secret. Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris, The Paris Library is a mesmerizing and captivating novel about the people and the books that make us who we are, for good and for bad, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Very well written historical fiction. I enjoyed reading it.

Yega

Melissa Palmer

Excellent historical fiction novel. Set during World War II as well as 1980s Montana, this book tells the story of Odiele, a young librarian. Well written, I highly recommend it.

i am very on the fence about this book. it deals with a quite sensitive subject, and yet i just don't care? i believe this is meant for an adult audience and yet the writing is so utterly juvenile. maybe this is a bit hypocritical of me since i read mostly young adult, but that's not what i expected from this book, nor the adult main character who is living in the middle of a WAR. in the 1940s. i really do think she'd be at least somewhat more mature than the modern day coed. 

and this is a very petty complaint, but i just don't think someone who lived their entire life in paris would romanticize it like a foreigner? yet odile speaks about paris the same way middle school farm girls from wisconsin would. exactly like the small town tween girl from the secondary timeline, in fact—they have very similar voices, if not the same exact voice. the only difference is that one just happens to be a few years older.

the secondary timeline seemed unnecessary to the main plot line and added random points i really didn't care for, but i will say that it nicely wraps up odile's storyline, which is good for me because i usually don't like ambiguous endings.

overall, very underwhelming, but maybe that's because i had very high expectations.

2.75/5

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and Janet Skeslien Charles for choosing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I'm a huge fan of WWII historical fiction so I couldn't pass up this opportunity to review this! On top of that, I'm also an avid library user and supporter, so two of my favorite topics in one book? Yes! I enjoyed Janet's exploration of the different employees who worked at the American Library in Paris, their quirks, and Odile's (the protagonist's) all-conuming love for her work and friends at the American Library in Paris. Told in alternating point-of-views: Lily, an ambitious, lovable, and curious teen who's Odlie's neighbor in 1980's Montana, USA, and Odile herself. 

Lily's growth from her middle to high school years are influenced by Odile's wisdom as she helps Lily navigate adolesence through her mistakes she made as a teen herself. Although she didn't experience the brunt of WWII, her run-ins with the Nazis on-the-job shaped her morals and ethics as she dealt with secret spies, anti-semitism, and her friend's questionable loyalty to the Allies. Assumptions and hesitation led to some hiccups in her relationships but she used those lessons to teach Lily how to deal with situations similar to her's, such as jealousy. The writing isn't hard to follow; there's a few typos at the beginning but other than that it's fine. 

Odile, Lily, Odile's family, Felix (Odile's boyfriend), Mary Louise, Odile's second husband, and the residents of Montana are the only fictional characters in this story, but just because they're fictional doesn't mean I agree with their justifications as a teachable moment. For example - this will be a spoiler but its worth mentioning - Odile tricks her to-be husband into thinking she's single when she's currently married to Felix, all because he beat up her friend for having an affair with a Nazi. There's also an emotional disconnect between the reader and Odile's WWII story. Yes, she's probably blessed to have escaped a lot of violence and gore under the Nazis, but I didn't feel the thriller-esque feel promised, even when she physically ran into them twice. But other than that it's a great story.

Vilandra

I really loved this book. Well-written, great characters, and an interesting historical subject.

Nadine 

Interesting look at the continuing services of the library during WW2 & a very human story of loyalties and betrayal

Judy McClure

Jordan Heustis

This book was very enjoyable. I have 2 things I didn’t like about it. I’m picky about books that chance POV and I didn’t love it in this book. I also felt like the ending dragged on. Other than that, the book was fantastic! It was so interesting to read about WW2 from characters that weren’t people who are Jewish nor were they prisoners. They were just a regular group of people living in France while it was occupied by Germany. I also loved that it centered around a library!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Paris Library

Author: James Skeslien Charles

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, library lovers

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (Language, Antisemitism, Hitler mentions, War, Grief, Sexual content)

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 368

Synopsis: Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

Review: Oh my goodness this book completely swept me away. I am a huge lover of anything that takes place during world war II. The story was very well plotted out and the characters are very well developed. I also felt that the world building was very well done. I was instantly hooked upon starting the book and I wasn't able to put it down until I finished it.

However, there were some moments in the book that I felt like the author could have went more into the whores of world war II and what was happening with the Jewish people, but they didn't. The book is very sweet, but it doesn't have that emphasis on not repeating the same mistakes that were made to start that war. So if you're looking for a book with heavy emphasis on the horrors of world war II, then this isn't your book. But if you're looking for a book that set during that time period and that can show you what it was like for people that were non-jewish, non Romanian, non-LGBT+, etc then this would probably be a good book for you.

Verdict: It was good, but I wished it showed more of what happened in the war.

Heather Harrington

*I received a copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Odile Souchet lives a charmed life. She landed her dream job at the American Library in Paris, she’s courting a handsome police officer, and she has a loving family even if her father drives her crazy most of the time. Odile believes she’s on track for living the life that she’s always wanted, but everything changes once war breaks out and the Nazi’s take over Paris. With her twin brother off fighting, Odile takes it upon herself to help out at home wherever possible. She and the rest of the staff at the Library join forces to help smuggle books to those deemed “unfit” to enter the premises and to soldiers all over to keep up morale. When the war comes to an end, Odile is hopeful that the horrors and heartbreaks she’s endured are finally over, but unfortunately, instead of her happily ever after she’s left with only more betrayal from those closest to her.

Lily is a lonely teenager in a small town in Montana. She longs for adventure and the world outside the wide stretches of farmland that surround her. Nothing piques Lily’s curiosity more than her elderly neighbor, Odile. Lily is fascinated by this strange, solitary, elegant woman. The pair strike up an unusual friendship based on their mutual love of stories, languages, and the same longing to live their lives to the fullest. The more time they spend together, the more they start to view one another as family, but will their newfound foundation start to crumble after a dark secret from the past comes to light?

I’m a sucker for books about libraries, and couple that with the fact that this is based around the true history of the librarians at the American Library in Paris, and you’ve got me hook, line and sinker. I enjoyed how this was set in two different timelines and places, both Paris during WWII and Montana in the 1980s, and also from the POVs of a young, ambitious Odile and Lily, an awkward teen. From a historical point, I did enjoy Odile’s chapters more because it was fascinating reading about Paris during the war and the library itself. These chapters especially came across as very atmospheric and heartbreaking, but also hopeful. Lily was a fine enough character and I liked seeing her grow and develop as the book went on, but she just didn’t interest me as much as Odile did. If you enjoy well-written stories about friendship, family, and the power of books, I’d definitely recommend it.

Missy Gaile Geronimo

** spoiler alert **
           One of the best historical fiction book I have read! It showed us how people struggle during the war, how people were discriminated and banned based on their race or religion. Nicely written book with a wonderful closure, but I think Odile’s ending with Buck was a little bit rushed!

Sharon Steinman

This was such a great read, I would highly recommend reading this book. I loved the way the story unfolded in the telling of Odile's life while she was a woman in her 20s. 

We also get to meet Odile through the eyes of Lily her young neighbour who has a strong curiousity about Odile. in her senior years in the United States. I truly enjoy reading historical fiction books where I have an opportunity to learn new things about about our history.

Dakota Gigout

It has been a long time since I stayed up all night to finish a book! 

Based on real events and people, this story genuinely captures what it is to live. I personally love when the protagonist has flaws. Odile is very much human and makes mistakes. We watch her succeed, we watch her fail those around her. Then, we watch as she mentors Lily and gives her the key to succeed in life as Odile did not. 

This story encapsulates so many emotions! There was not a single page in which I was bored. 


Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC

The Paris Library

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