I loved reading The Paris Library and it is one which I'll remember. I had previously been unaware of the existence of the American Library in Paris but once I'd started the book, I wanted to satisfy my curiousity and googled it! It was then that I realised some of the characters were actually real people.The author actually elaborates on some of them at the end of the novel and tells us what became of them after World War II.

The story itself is very poignant at times and becomes more so towards the end. Don't let that deter you, however, as the experience of immersing yourself in occupied Paris and observing the day-to-day lives of the library and its staff, is worth it.

Set in Paris and Montana, the book has a dual time line, both of which involve the character of Odile, who is the protagonist. As a reader, I was able to relate to her because she was portrayed so vividly. She is likeable, yet, like all humans, she is far from perfect and makes numerous mistakes and errors of judgement along the way. She tries to atone but, as in real life, this is not always possible.

The Paris Library is a very moving book, without being sentimental and Janet Skeslien Charles has successfully combined history with fiction in what is a unique tale.I highly recommend this book and thank you for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Really interesting book switching between 1940's Paris and 1980's rural America. The Paris Library is where Odile works all during WW2 - its based on a true story of the library in the face of the war staying open to help people to still have access to books whilst all around them a war was happening. Odile is a lovely character and so is Lily whose story is set in the 1980's alongside Odiles - they are neighbours and you eventually find out how Odile got there.
There are some lovely references to other books that made me stop and think - the one I was really touched by was the Laura Ingalls Wilder book - reminded me of when I read it as a child.
If you are a lover of books then I think you will really enjoy this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

What a wonderful book. I dreaded the end coming and tried to slow down my reading. At around two a.m. I put my light out and before three I put the light back on. I couldn't bear to be parted from the powerful story. I finished it two days ago and can't stop thinking about it.
It is a book for all bibliophiles. It is based on an incredible true story of the librarians in the American Library in Paris during World War II who stood up to the Nazi 'Library Protector'. Anyone who loves books will see libraries in a new light as they read the awe-inspiring commitment of these librarians. The power of friendships made within the library walls, their passion for the library, their courage in taking books to Jewish subscribers who were banned from using the library. Above all, the healing power of books.
The strength of character and of friendship shines out in the portrayal of Odile, Margaret and Bitsi in Paris in the 1940s and of Odile and Lily in Montana in the 1980s.
Janet Skeslien Charles shows how the war brought out the best and worst of humankind in this cameo of Paris life. In an unforgettable period of recent history, The Paris Library highlighted how easy it was to become judgemental and then the lifetime of regret suffered because these judgements could not be taken back. How collaboration was not just an open and shut case of evil, lust and greed but one that could encompass love and need.
To this day the books in the current American Library in Paris carries an ex libris plate "After the darkness of war, the light of books."
Oh how I loved this book. A must for the top of 2020 Book Club recommendations. A natural story for a television series or film.

This book appealed to me as the story is centred around the American Library in Paris, during WW2, and it's a new take on WW2 fiction. It has a dual timeline, not something I usually like, but I think it works in this novel. I still would have preferred to have stayed with Odile, the main protagonist in the war years, but still, that's just a personal preference.
The book is beautifully written, well plotted and paced, although pacing a little slow in places and there is a lot of information. Vivid scenes, evocative throughout. There is a lot of talk about books - the library is at the heart of this story, this world, and it's so fascinating.
The characters are well developed, intriguing, and realistic. As a reader, I cared about them and couldn't wait to see how life for them was too unfold.
The reader steps between the dual timelines of Odile in 1939 Paris, and follows her through the war years, and Odile and her neighbour, Lily, in 1984 Montana. Lily's mother grows sick and eventually passes away and it is Odile that she turns too. Odile is an enigma in 1980s Montana, where she lives alone since the passing of her husband. Her neighbours know very little about her and Lily is intrigued. Odile helps to shape Lily's life, and in turn, Lily does something similar for Odile.
It is a novel with many themes and makes you think. Would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for this review copy.

Gentle novel switching from wartime Paris to rural Montana 40 years later. Many of incidents in the library, and Paris are based on fact, which adds to the novel's realism.

Would recommend to anyone who loves books, libraries, history and pondering 'what would I have done faced with the same circumstances?'.

With thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for an advance copy.

I have really enjoyed this book. As someone the author acknowledged, I was lost when I first read the Dewey classification numbers being used to locate books. I also liked the way quotes from books were used throughout. I have always liked the idea of there being a book for everyone given their current mood. It is an idea echoed in "The Little Paris Bookshop" written by Nina George.

The characters in the book are well drawn and the life of the library and the Parisians seemed authentic. There is an element of a quiet sleepy library balanced by a few elements of suspense, mystery and moral questions. How can anyone judge the rights and wrongs of collaboration? There are so many comments I should like to make about the plot but feel that to make them would mean I would be guilty of spoiling the book for others. It would be an excellent book for a Book Club read and discussion.

The character of Odile in war torn Paris is balanced by Lily in America in the 1970s and 80s. By this time Odile is in small town America living next door to Lily. She becomes a mentor for Lily, who has to cope with an ill Mother and later a Step-Mother and brothers. Odile seems so worldly wise in these later years that along with Lily the reader wonders how Odile ended up in America? Where does her wisdom come from? What did she experience in Paris? This is slowly explained.

A rewarding read based on a large amount of fact which I did not realise until the end.

Yet another WWII book? This one is a little different in that it’s about books!

Two timelines shift between 1939 Paris and 1984 Montana. In 1939 Odile works in the American Library in Paris during the German invasion of France. In 1984 she’s a friend to a young girl, Lily, who is struggling after the death of her mother.

I very much enjoyed the older timeline, reading how the librarians formed a community to aid both Parisians and visitors alike. It felt very real and researched (and it was!), which helped build the world and the characters.

My biggest problem was that I didn’t care as much about the Montana timeline with Lily. I’d have preferred the time given to learning more about Odile in wartime.

Overall this was a gentle, heart-warming novel.

Wonderfully escapist and full of joy. It made me want to immediately move to Paris. This is the kind of book to enjoy with tea, heavy blankets and a crackling fire. Long may the winter last.

I couldn't put it down, I so wanted to know what was happening. When I was with Lily I yearned to know how things were with Odile and vice versa. .This is the story of two girls growing up in completely different circumstances. Lily in Montana in the 1980s, a small town, dying of boredom and coping with her mother's death and father's remarriage. Odile was her saviour, her next door neighbour and practically a recluse. But Odile story was years before in Paris during the years of the occupation in World War Two. In so many ways their lives were different but in the end maybe not so much.

I really cared for the two main characters and I enjoy the pace of the story and the historical information as the end brought the whole thing together and I was not expecting it - fascinating. I can't see anyone not enjoying this read - I will be passing it on to all my firends.

I devoured this book over the course of one day. Anything that is set in Paris always draws me in. The book is set within the American Library in Paris in war times. The incredible characters and their love for their friends primarily being books is incredible. The journey taken to keep literature alive during such difficult times is astounding. Each character had their own story to tell which made you want to turn the pages even quicker. I loved this book and I am thoroughly disappointed I have completed it. So well told with a focus on the actual history of Paris and German occupation, this is a book everybody should read as soon as possible. Thank you for this opportunity!

I simply loved this book, The Paris Library. I am a complete bibliophile and the settings and descriptions of the library itself, the homes of book-lovers, the meanings they derived and shared from their reading were nectar for my heart and soul. I could really sum this book up with 'WOW' as that was my reaction when I finished it, but it deserves much more than one short exclamation.
The relationships and characters - Lily and Odile, Odile and her family, Lily and her family, the diverse library community and all the complexities of war, adolescence, loss and grief, love and envy, cruelty and kindness, make this an epic work which manages to cross time, at once detailed and expansive.
War, peace, continents, societal cultures, languages, trends and class - all skillfully depicted, taking the reader on a powerful journey which paradoxically, one never wants to end, yet urgently needs to know what happens next.
So, WOW, again., from me.

Wow, I loved this and read it in a day! If that's not a good recommendation I don't know what is!
When I was 15 I did work experience in a library and one afternoon me and one of the older librarians were mending damaged books. She told me to always respect books and look after them, which is pretty much what this book is all about and probably why I liked it so much!
I loved that even in wartime people felt the need to save books and risked their lives to take books to the Jewish population who were no longer allowed to use the library. The camaraderie amongst the staff at the library was great. What a shame that war came just as Odile's life was beginning with such promise. I enjoyed Lily's story too as I grew up reading American books so it reminded me of my youth too with books such as Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, Forever and the trauma of girls having better clothes, lack of boyfriends, feeling left out etc etc.
If you are a lover of books and WW2 (without too much gore) and to an extent the 1980s then this is the book for you. I wish there was a list of the books mentioned as I kept heading over to Goodreads to look them up!

It's 1939 in Paris, Odile gets her dream job in the American Library Paris. We follow her journey through first love and friendship; loosing loved ones, betrayal, and the struggle to keep the ALP open through the German Occupation.

In 1980's America, high school student Lily looses her mother and watches her father find his second wife less than a year later. Lily struggles at school when she prioritises looking after her baby brothers when her step-mother is crippled by post-natal depression, and learning French from the mysterious Parisian next door.

One of the things I loved about this book was the way it started. Odile muffs up her interview when her nerves get the better of her. She tells her father she does not need to marry and he brings a different man home from work every Sunday for dinner. We are told of these events with light humour. Of course, given the location and period of the novel we can easily predict that things wont stay that way. I also fell in love with the characters love of books and the way they can transport us to any where and any when.

The book deals with a lot of different themes in a really engaging way. To steal from the book a little - I was sad when it ended because although I can read the book again, I will never discover it again.

Normally asleep by 9pm I was awake until gone midnight on two consecutive nights because as soon as I picked the book up again on the second evening there was just no putting it down until I finished. I found it absolutely wonderful. If I had started reading this on a Saturday morning I would have just consumed it without stopping.

Cons: I would have liked more from Odile after Lily finishes school. Perhaps there is room for a sequel where Odile goes to Paris In 1990, reconnects with her history and heals old wounds.
There are a lot of errors in the format. Paragraphs start in the middle of sentences and sometimes in the middle of words. I understand that I am getting this as a pre-release which is why it was more of an irritation than something that has really affected my rating. But, I can not review a book without mentioning the glaring mistakes in the format which will hopefully be corrected for the release version.

Really good wartime novel set in a Paris Library, the cover is lovely as was the characters in the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and John Murray press for this ARC in return for an honest review. Beautifully written and heartfelt book. Unforgettable story of friendship, love and the power of a good book. Odile's story will stay with me for a very long time.

I have read a number of books of female roles in world war 2, but this was the first linked to books. As we all know know, books were very controversial in that war and mass burnings were common. As an avid reader, one who learns lots from what she reads, I find this side of war very troubling. I loved the female spirit in this book, fighting for their rights and turning to the resistance to help the war effort. I just love to read about savvy girls. Thank you for writing about the amazing people who won the war and our freedom. So enjoyable.

As I love to read so much, this book really resonated with me. A different book to the usual WW11 books but just as fab