A beautifully written book made all the better because it was based on real people and events. I really felt I was back in Paris during the war and enjoyed reading what these heroic people did to protect their customers and their books. An excellent story for all book lovers.

THE PARIS LIBRARY is based on the true story of the courageous librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II.

“A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors..”

This statement encapsulates what this novel is all about, and is one that I’m totally at home in - a library. Janet Skeslien Charles, the author, brings her deep knowledge of books to the fore with Dewey call numbers and even attempts to define what’s happening around her book’s main characters by these numbers. It recalls my passion for classifying my books in the same way years ago.

It seems like light prose to me, playful and cheeky at times. Perhaps because of this style, I didn’t get the sense of sadness and grief that one ought to feel over the loss of loved ones (Remy, Odile’s brother and Lily’s mom) or deep regret over an act of betrayal.

Ms Charles does readers a great service in focusing on a great library and the heroic acts of its staff, some of whom had to endure much suffering at the hands of the Nazis. I wouldn’t have known about this library and the true story around it if I hadn’t read the book.

Overall, a delightful and compelling read! Lovers of books and libraries should get hold of it.

Note: This eARC was provided free to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It had an excellent balance of history and suspense with lots of interesting characters and relationships. The past and present narratives came together really well and I was equally happy reading both whereas sometimes with this narrative style you favour one element over the other. There wee very poignant moments when Odile realised that not everyone had her moral compass and that many people that she loved ended up letting her down in some way.

Odile is a genuine heroine with warmth, humour, moral integrity but also has flaws like all of us. All the characters were three dimension even those who had died before the narrative started.

The history of the library was extremely interesting with lots of intriguing insights. I would be keen to find out even more about it. The reference to books the library staff were reading or recommending helped add to the list of books I want to read!!

I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Netgalley and Simon And Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Paris Library is a historical fiction based on the true story of brave librarians during WW2. The book follows two main POVs, one of Odile, who used to be a librarian at the American Library in Paris, and Lily, who is a teenager in Froid, Montana. Odile was happy getting her dream job and spending her time in the library helping people with book recommendations. Her life was almost perfect with a handsome police officer beau, a best friend who shared her love for reading. Then war comes calling, and everything perfect falls into despair. Her stable life gets swiped from under her leaving her disconcerted. With Jews getting discriminated against and loved ones going to fight against Germans, Odile and her loved ones try to find stability in things they love. Odile spends most of her time at the library, helping out and sending books to soldiers and their Jewish readers, at times risking imprisonment. Now, as a widow and alone at Froid, she finds herself being a mentor to the teenager Lily. Odile can relate to Lily and see herself in the young girl. Odile helps Lily deal with difficulties that arise in her life and often guiding her by instilling a deep love for literature and French and all things Paris.

The story is slow-paced, with the dual narratives shifting between the past and the present. The book, for the most part, talks about the love for books, libraries, reading, and literature, and I loved it. The unforgotten history of heroic librarians helping out the Jewish readers rising their lives was also fascinating to learn. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between the library regulars, and their interactions were entertaining. The reality of war and how it affects humanity was astounding to see. We get to see the worst and the best of humanity in the novel.

Overall this was a good book that you will want to take your time while reading it. It's wonderfully written and is well-researched with little-known historical elements presented in a beautiful package. I loved this book and the overall emotion it gave me. I gave the book 4 stars, and I highly recommend checking this book out. If you love slow-paced, historical fiction with WW2 stories that will appeal to the book lover in you, make sure to check this book out.

“Libraries are lungs, [...] books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating, to keep the brain imagining, to keep hope alive.”

“The Paris Library” by Janet Skeslien Charles is a novel based on the true stories of Parisian librarians during WWII. The most important place here belongs to the books themselves, of course. You'll find here lots of beautiful quotes for different authors and suitable for every mood.
The author research the history of the American Library in Paris thoroughly, working on old letters memoirs and also talking to the family of those who worked there during WWII. All this effort shows in the book, as we are aware that the characters were real people living their lives in those difficult times. And that made the story even more captivating.
We learn the story from two different points of time, in 1939, where we met a young woman named Odile and in 1983, where the main character is a high school girl Lily, who is Odile's neighbour.
The protagonist, Odile, is a resolute young woman whose biggest dream was to work in The American Library in Paris. She is set on her goal even despite her father's contempt. When she is accepted for her role as a librarian, she is over the moon. Everything in the world seems to be perfect. Until the war breaks up and everything changes instantly. In 1983 Lily is intrigued by her mysterious French neighbour and with persistent and bluntness only kids can. The two of them slowly become friends discovering they have more in common they could ever imagine.
For me, the most exciting parts were those happening during the war, of course. I think the author very skilfully painted the picture of how life must have looked like during those tough times. The paralysing uncertainty, lack of news from loved ones fighting on the front, and degradation of all social structures during the occupation. The incredible role of the books and the bravery of librarians, who were determined to make sure they were delivered to everyone who needs them, no matter their nationality.
What I liked in the book is that the characters were not just black and white. They all have their high and low moments. All got emotional, angry, and sometimes even act douchey for their best friends. But it was all reasonable considering the circumstances and the stress they endured for years. There were a few surprises and twists along the way, and the author skilfully kept the suspense throughout the whole story. The only downside I might point is a bit slow start. It took me a while to actually get hooked on to the storyline.
This novel will be well-loved by all the book lovers, I think, as those play an enormous role in the whole story. If you also enjoy historical fiction set in WWII times, it will be a great read.

Set in two timeframes, 1980s America and 1940s France the Paris library is a homage to books and the power they have to transform our lives. Odile is a young Parisienne who works at the American library in Paris. When Palace is occupied by the Nazis she and the other workers are determined that their Jewish clients will still receive books.

I enjoyed this book especially the part set in Paris. I felt at times that the American part didn't relate sufficiently to the rest of the book. At times I felt there wasn't enough tension in the Parisian part and that there could have been more details about what it was like to live under Nazi occupation. I have read contemporaneous accounts of the Parisian occupation such as that of Simone de Beauvoir and those were truly horrendous times. The fear and deprivation does not come across here. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A captivating story about friendship, family, courage, love and loss. The Paris Library is based on the incredible true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during the Second World War and the lengths they went to protect the books, and their patrons, during Nazi occupation. I enjoyed the timeline set in the US in the mid-late 1980s just as much, as it had many parallels with the Parisian wartime story, showing the universal power of books, the timeless adage that first impressions are not always right, and the destructive power that jealousy has on friendships.

Very enjoyable! With thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC.

Odile wants to be a librarian in the American Library, she's bilingual, loves books and knows the Dewey Decimal Classification system off by heart. The Tory follows the young Odile through the terrifying times of the war and what dark things she must do to protect.

The story twists between the future, when an older Odile is befriended by a neighbourhood family.A beautiful, touching story of Odile Souchet. Touching friendship's, love and an unsung here.

A historical novel about The American Library in Paris, based on the true story of the people who worked at the place during the Second World war.

The main character is Olive, she's part of a twin. Her brother is going to fight in the war. Her father is police chef en very protective to Olive. He wants her to get married and settle. Olive wants more en is going to work at the American Library. During the war it's hard to stay open. People are disappearing. Olive and their colleagues are bringing novels to subscribers who aren't welcome anymore due to the rules of the Nazi's.

The second timeline is in America. Lily is young when her mother dies. She finds a friend in neighbor Olive, who is going to teach her French. Lily noticing that Olive don't want to talk about her pas in Paris. What happened in her past?

It's not a novel to read at high speed, it's really a slow read novel.
It's a nice historical novel about mourning and trust, but also about hope and friendship. It tells a lot about how life was during the war in Paris. The way the police received 'crow-letters' of anonymous traitors, and arrested people because of those letters. And also how young women were treated after the war, because of love affairs with German soldier. But main part is the love for the books and the way the library could stay open during the war.

A nice novel that let the reader be in Paris during the war. Roaming between bookshelfs and feel the love of the novels and the other readers. The novel learns about history and the way this people of the library had their way of resistance by delivering books to subscribers who weren't allowed to be human anymore.

A charming book, a nice winter read for sure. It can get really wrapped up with the characters in this one. It’s very vivid and easy to imagine the places described.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #JohnMurrayPress for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of the book #TheParisLibrary by #JanetSkeslianCharles. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I began reading this book just as I was entering a pretty major rheumatoid flare that reduced the range of motion in my dominant hand to pretty much zero and that necessitated splinting and a course of Prednisone with the brain fog that sometimes goes along with it. I am still on it as I write, though feeling significantly better
, but it’s possible that it affected how I viewed the first 25% of the book.

I have been a book lover my whole life so I could not fail to be drawn to the cover of a book about a library in Paris in the time just before and during World War Two. I am also pretty partial to librarians and can count quite a few in my extended family so I was excited about getting into the meat of the story.

The early part of the book sets the stage for what will follow. We are introduced to all of the main characters and other characters as well. In my brain fog I found I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who and although the writing was well expressed it moved a little slowly for me and I wanted to move from the lead up to War into the excitement of the wartime experience. There was lots of good information in this section, but I could have used a little less overall.

The American Library in Paris upon which this story is based is an actual Library that began well before the second world war and included donations from soldiers who had fought in the Great War and been given books to read in the trenches. The author had actually worked in this library and had the opportunity to speak to some who had been there in the time of the novel and to access primary documents. Throughout the book there are many fascinating details about the way these librarians did what they could to keep the library open in wartime and support their subscribers – even by delivering books to their homes at great personal risk. Many of the librarians mentioned in the book were the actual librarians of the times.

The book was also set in part in small town America in the 80’s. At first, I wasn’t sure how well the two sections would be married together but ultimately, I think the author did an extremely good job of pulling the details together. Odile is the main character who transcends time and appears in both sections of the book. Raised in Paris, all her family really wanted for her was marriage and a chance at happiness in a family. Odile loved books and had the Dewy Decimal system down pretty much pat in her head. On Sundays, her father (a police officer) would invite junior officers over in the hopes that she would find one to her liking. Eventually she did. She was independent though and dreamed of working as a librarian at the American Library in Paris where she had spent many happy hours. She is thrilled when she is actually hired and quickly fits in to the family atmosphere of the library. It is a place where friendships are made and family developed. She introduced her beloved twin brother to the woman he would fall in love with and deals with jealousy that some one else now comes first in his heart. She draws in Margaret, and English diplomat’s wife who never seemed to fit in anywhere and helped her to learn French and develop self-esteem. As war draws closer her brother joins the French army as does his girlfriend’s brother. Life gets harder and the author really made it clear how difficult life was for the average individual in Paris and what this could lead to even among those Odile loved.

When we meet Odile again in 1980’s America, she is a lonely woman whose husband and son are dead and who has never returned to her Paris home. Through the chance decision of a young teen to write a paper for school, she becomes a mentor to her and is there to support her as her mother is ill, dies and her father remarries. Odile has never spoken of her war experiences to others, but through flashbacks the reader can see the experiences laid out moving from one crisis to the next. I won’t detail them and spoil the story but I will say that I absolutely loved the last three quarters of the book and the life lessons from Odile are crucial to the girl she is mentoring and very applicable to anyone who struggles with growing up and learning who they really are and who they can become.

I would happily recommend this book to a friend. It definitely rates 4 star rating from me and perhaps more had I not been so foggy during the first part.

I chose to read this book as I enjoyed the Book Thief and thought it might be similar. The story follows teenage Lily in current day Montana and Odile, a young woman in 1930/40s Paris. The story goes back and forth as Lily gets to know the older Odile who is a neighbour who generally keeps to herself. The other parts of the story are about living in wartime Paris under German occupation.

I love the way the story unfolded. It was written well and you really got to know the characters. I've not read anything about France during their occupation and it was really interesting to see how it was.

The story had twists and turns that you don't really see coming. Definitely worth a read.

What a lovely story, based on true events. Odile, who worked in the American Library in Paris, during the period of occupation , and who worked alongside the rest of the staff, to ensure that people still had access to books, even though the occupying forces did their best to stop it. The jewish people weren’t allowed to visit the library, so Odile and others took huge risk, delivering books to them.

The story flips between WW2 and the 1980’s in America. I thoroughly recommend this book if you like to read about events during WW2 and the resilience of those that were determined to keep their lives , and the lives of others, as normal as they could.

This was a charming and at times disturbing novel based on true events during the Second World. Interesting story of the young French librarian, Odile Souchet, who worked in the American Library in Paris. The novel is in part taken from the perspective of Odile in later life living alone in the USA and her interaction with a young neighbour. The events in Paris after the German occupation following the fall of France to the Nazis are perhaps not a well-known part of history and the book brings the period to life. An enjoyable read.

Loved it. I am a big fan of libraries and books so this was really wonderful to read. I think it’s very hard to balance tone when writing about war times. Too much romanticism feels jarring and too much realism seems courting the shock factor. This book does neither. It is enjoyable yet doesn’t sugar coat reality. I felt reading this story as I was there, in the Library. Very enjoyable read.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of The Paris Library.
This book contains all my favourites: a book about books/library, Paris, Historical Fiction, strong female characters, dual perspective.
The Paris Library is a historical fiction book centred around Odile and the American Library in Paris. It takes place during the Second World War, mostly during the German occupation of Paris. The novel is based on real facts and some of the characters are based on real people. Odile is a librarian who does everything she can to get books to her subscribers, even when she risks her own life. Under the German occupation of Paris certain groups of people had their freedoms removed, including the ability to go to the library. Odile and her other colleagues will deliver books to these people, to soldiers on the front and in hospitals, defying the Germans, even the Gestapo.
The book is written from the perspective of Odile, during the Second World War, and from Lily’s perspective, in Montana around 1980s. Lily and Odile form an unexpected friendship who benefits both. Odile is like an older, experienced sister, who guides and supports Lily during some difficult moments on her life, while Lily rescues her new French friend from a life of solitude and more.
The book is very well written and researched. The story only fully unfolds in the last chapter and I shed tears.
I have very much enjoyed this book.

Once in a while a book is published that simply sweeps you off your feet. This is what happened here. The novel is divided into two narrative strands, one set in Paris during WW2 and one set in the US. What is palpable throughout is the author‘s love for books and for the American Library.

I found myself really caring about the characters and I adored the setting. There aren’t many books that actually make me want to go and visit a place but this is one of them. Even though I‘ve been to Paris several times, I wanted to go and explore the library immediately while reading this.

What a lovely read, I devoured it in one sitting. The characters were believable and came to life from the pages, I could imagine each setting as I read through. Highly recommend this book to friends! Well done!

What a great read.
I really enjoy reading books taking you back to WW2 and experiencing how people got through these awful years.
The way the story takes you from 1940’s to 1980’s to explain how everything happens is great.
Not once did I feel lost going back & forth through the years it connected the story really well.
To find out at the end in authors notes that these are real people is brilliant

The Paris Library is based on a true story, the author worked as the programs manager at the American Library in Paris in 2019, many of the characters in the story were real people and the events actually occurred.

It is a well written and well researched story about the American Library in Paris during the second world war. It is a story of family, love, kindness, survival and the love of books.

This book will appeal to lovers of historical fiction especially World War Two and Paris under German occupation.