The Paris Library

The Paris Library

  • Downloads：5618
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-02-13 04:15:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Janet Skeslien Charles
  • ISBN：9781982134198
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Library Journal and Goodreads

​Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris， this is an unforgettable story of romance， friendship， family， and the power of literature to bring us together， perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife。

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。

Editor Reviews

04/20/2020

Charles （Moonlight in Odessa） delivers a delightful chronicle of a woman’s life in WWII-era Paris and rural 1980s Montana。 Shortly before the Germans invade France， Odile Souchet， a young Parisian who has adored the American Library in Paris since childhood lands a job there as a librarian。 During the occupation， the library remains open and delivers books to soldiers。 After Odile learns that her friend Margaret has become enamored with Felix， a Nazi soldier， she tells her fiancé， Paul， a policeman， of Margaret’s folly， and is shocked when Paul beats Margaret， leading Odile to leave and volunteer at the American Hospital。 Charles then skips forward to 1983 Froid， Mont。， where seventh-grader Lily befriends her widowed neighbor Odile Gustafson， who teaches her French and reveals secrets about her life in Paris。 Their bond strengthens throughout Lily’s teenage years。 Charles’s richly detailed plot incorporates historical figures from the American Library and highlights the perils of occupied Paris。 Historical fiction fans will be drawn to the realistic narrative and the bond of friendship forged between a widow and a lonely young girl。 Agent: Heather Jackson， Heather Jackson Literary。 （Feb。）

Publishers Weekly

Download

Reviews

McCutch12 ，

"。。。what can we do now to ensure that libraries and learning are accessible to all and that we treat people with dignity and compassion。" This is the first time I have used a quote from the Author's Note portion of a novel but it expresses perfectly the love of libraries in The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles。 This book wrecked me in the best way possible。 I cried a lot but I smiled so much too。 Our main protagonist Odile is a beautifully flawed character。 She is a young Parisian woman who lives to read and sees the world through the Dewey Decimal System。 I loved when someone would say a subject she visualized where the books could be found in the library。 Just as war breaks out in Europe Odile gets a job at the prestigious American Library in Paris。 Through the German occupation in France Odile and her coworkers not only send care packages of books to soldiers in hospitals， war prisons， and at the front lines but smuggle them to those no longer allowed in the library like Jews and residents from Allied countries。 Odile naivete is shocked by the horrors people commit in name of patriotism and the choices made by so many she loves。 Odile herself suffers from a lack of forgiveness when she perceives a wrong done to her。 I didn't always agree with her harsh decisions but in her place at that time who knows how our hearts might break。 We also meet a young Lily in the 1980s who befriends the elderly Odile now living in the U。S。 Through her eyes we round out Odile's journey which is refreshingly original， sympathetic and honest。 The author has written a beautiful story about people who through the love of books found solace during the worse period of their lives。 I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。

EMPL Online ，

So far this has been my favorite read for 2021！ I loved both the story and the characters， so much so that I didn’t want it to end。 It’s an excellent historical novel where the author has based her story on actual events that occurred during the Nazi occupation of Paris。 The author also uses the real names of several people who were involved in these events。 The story focuses on Odile， a young librarian who works at the American Library in Paris。 This library had been established in 1920 under t So far this has been my favorite read for 2021！ I loved both the story and the characters， so much so that I didn’t want it to end。 It’s an excellent historical novel where the author has based her story on actual events that occurred during the Nazi occupation of Paris。 The author also uses the real names of several people who were involved in these events。 The story focuses on Odile， a young librarian who works at the American Library in Paris。 This library had been established in 1920 under the auspices of the American Library Association to serve the United States armed forces during World War I。 After the Nazis take control of Paris， the library has to deal with various difficult and dangerous issues， including the constant threat of being shut down， censorship， and being forced to bar certain patrons from using their services。 The heroic librarians defied the Nazis and delivered books to Jewish patrons and others who had been barred from using the library。There’s another story line that takes place in Montana during the 1980s。 Odile has become a surrogate mother to a troubled teenage girl， Lily， who has been struggling to adjust to life with her new stepmother。 I found this story line especially interesting as I was about the same age of Lily during the 1980s。 The relationship that develops between Odile and Lily is quite heartwarming。 We see how Odile has learned from her mistakes and how she tries to help make Lily a better person。 We also learn how Odile needed Lily as much as Lily needed her， maybe ever more so。I found the characters interesting because they were far from perfect。 In fact， I was actually shocked by the actions of some of my favorite characters。 I strongly disagreed with a decision that Odile makes towards the end of the novel。 Some of the other likable characters end up performing ignoble deeds。 There’s plenty of Sturm und Drang in this novel！I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good historical novel with complicated but likable characters。 This novel would also be good for book clubs as there is much to discuss in terms of the less than noble actions the characters are guilty of。 。。。more

Kerry （lines i underline） ，

4。25 ⭐️This novel offers us views of grief， loss， and self discovery from many perspectives。 The two main narratives centre on Odile， a young French woman working during the German occupation at the American Library in Paris， and Lily， Odile’s neightbor， a teenager in the 1980s in small town Montana。 Lily views Odile’s past as mysterious and readers discover more about her wartime experience as the novel unfolds and alternates perspectives。What I loved:- it’s an ode to libraries， how they are es 4。25 ⭐️This novel offers us views of grief， loss， and self discovery from many perspectives。 The two main narratives centre on Odile， a young French woman working during the German occupation at the American Library in Paris， and Lily， Odile’s neightbor， a teenager in the 1980s in small town Montana。 Lily views Odile’s past as mysterious and readers discover more about her wartime experience as the novel unfolds and alternates perspectives。What I loved:- it’s an ode to libraries， how they are essential and can serve such a noble purpose， carrying people through dark times- the relationships between the colleagues and patrons at the library were well captured and endearing- reading a WWII novel that presents a different kind of story than is often portrayedHowevers:- as is often the way for me with books that have dual （or more） perspectives， I wasn’t as interested I。 Lily‘a story compared to Odile’s- I found it unusual that the author inserted a few sections from the perspectives of secondary characters， but only a few。 For me， I’d have liked more， or for the structure to stick to just the POVs of the two central women This is a wartime novel that focuses more on daily life in occupied territory and the relationships between those not on the front lines。 There are times when it is lighter in tone， and for that reason I think it would be a good readalike for those who enjoyed Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society， Dear Mrs Bird， or The Chilbury Ladies Choir。CW: antisemitism， death， grief， police brutality， terminal illness， war 。。。more

Keisha Frantom ，

This is based on the true story of The American Library in Paris that served as an underground library for Jews and others banned from the library during WWII。 It is told from the viewpoint of Odile， a young woman who just began working for the library。 The book tells about her family， her friendships and her love Paul。 In other chapters， the story is told from a young teen named Lily who lives next to Odile in the 1980s in Montana。 How did Odile end up in Montana married to a man named Buck？ Wh This is based on the true story of The American Library in Paris that served as an underground library for Jews and others banned from the library during WWII。 It is told from the viewpoint of Odile， a young woman who just began working for the library。 The book tells about her family， her friendships and her love Paul。 In other chapters， the story is told from a young teen named Lily who lives next to Odile in the 1980s in Montana。 How did Odile end up in Montana married to a man named Buck？ Why doesn't she speak to anyone in Paris anymore？ Learning how newspapers were censored and letters from outside weren't delivered to Parisians help explain how they didn't know what was really happening outside their city during the war。 I liked the friendship of Odile and Lily， decades apart in age but helping each other out。 "The foolish reference librarian。 My job was to find facts; instead， I’d turned away from the truth。" 。。。more

Sami Sunshine ，

If you like WWII YA fiction， this book needs to be added to your TBR。 The plot follows Odile， a young Parisian working at the American Library in Paris during the war。 We see how Odile adapts to life under German occupation and a life where her friends and family are taken from her without reason。 We also travel ahead a few decades to a small town in Montana， where we live the life of Odile's young neighbor， Lily。 Lily is fascinated by Odile and the two form a strong friendship。 Odile's loneline If you like WWII YA fiction， this book needs to be added to your TBR。 The plot follows Odile， a young Parisian working at the American Library in Paris during the war。 We see how Odile adapts to life under German occupation and a life where her friends and family are taken from her without reason。 We also travel ahead a few decades to a small town in Montana， where we live the life of Odile's young neighbor， Lily。 Lily is fascinated by Odile and the two form a strong friendship。 Odile's loneliness and longing for her home in France seems to fade with Lily's presence。 I truly loved watching the two become friends and learning about how the young and brave librarian Odile turned into a reclusive widow in a small town in America。 The ending of Odile's story was shocking and explained things perfectly。 I appreciated Lily's different perspective into Odile's past and wish we could have seen Odile reach out to her past friends in France。 。。。more

Sladjana Kovacevic ，

Džεƞετ ⟆Κεៜℓιƞ-Čαʀℓៜ—♇αʀιៜΚα βιβℓισтɛκα"𝙱𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚔𝚊 𝚓𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚍 𝚔𝚗𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚊 𝚔𝚘𝚓𝚒 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚓𝚊 𝚔𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎。"𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑘𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖𝑘 𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖č𝑘𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑢 𝑚𝑖 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖 𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑙𝑗𝑖𝑣𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑘𝑖 𝑗𝑒 𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑘 𝑝𝑟𝑣𝑖 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖𝑘 𝑘𝑜𝑗𝑖 𝑠𝑎𝑚 𝑢č𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑣𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑟。 𝐾𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑔𝑎 𝑜 𝑏𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑖 𝑖 𝑘𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑎（𝑖𝑚𝑎 𝑚𝑖 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑 84 𝑣𝑎𝑗𝑏，𝑘𝑜 𝑛𝑖𝑗𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚，𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑢č𝑢𝑗𝑒𝑚）𝑀𝑛𝑜š𝑡𝑣𝑜 𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑖𝑧 𝑛𝑒𝑘𝑖ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑛𝑖ℎ 𝑘𝑛𝑗𝑖ž𝑒𝑣𝑛𝑖ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎。𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑗𝑎 𝑖𝑧 𝑣𝑖š𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑘𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎 𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑠𝑘𝑜𝑟𝑜 50 𝑔𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑗𝑎，𝑣𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑣𝑒š𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑘𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑗𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑢ž𝑎 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑢 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑜𝑣𝑎 𝑖 𝑜𝑏𝑖č𝑎𝑗𝑎，𝑖 𝑠𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛 Džεƞετ ⟆Κεៜℓιƞ-Čαʀℓៜ—♇αʀιៜΚα βιβℓισтɛκα"𝙱𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚔𝚊 𝚓𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚍 𝚔𝚗𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚊 𝚔𝚘𝚓𝚒 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚓𝚊 𝚔𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎。"𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑘𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖𝑘 𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖č𝑘𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑢 𝑚𝑖 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖 𝑗𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑙𝑗𝑖𝑣𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑘𝑖 𝑗𝑒 𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑘 𝑝𝑟𝑣𝑖 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑖𝑘 𝑘𝑜𝑗𝑖 𝑠𝑎𝑚 𝑢č𝑖𝑙𝑎 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑣𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑟。 𝐾𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑔𝑎 𝑜 𝑏𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑖 𝑖 𝑘𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑎（𝑖𝑚𝑎 𝑚𝑖 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑 84 𝑣𝑎𝑗𝑏，𝑘𝑜 𝑛𝑖𝑗𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚，𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑢č𝑢𝑗𝑒𝑚）𝑀𝑛𝑜š𝑡𝑣𝑜 𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑖𝑧 𝑛𝑒𝑘𝑖ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑛𝑖ℎ 𝑘𝑛𝑗𝑖ž𝑒𝑣𝑛𝑖ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎。𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑗𝑎 𝑖𝑧 𝑣𝑖š𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑘𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎 𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑠𝑘𝑜𝑟𝑜 50 𝑔𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑗𝑎𝑛𝑗𝑎，𝑣𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑣𝑒š𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑘𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑗𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑢ž𝑎 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑢 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑜𝑣𝑎 𝑖 𝑜𝑏𝑖č𝑎𝑗𝑎，𝑖 𝑠𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎。𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑧-𝑢 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑒đ𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑢 𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑘𝑜𝑚 𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖č𝑘𝑜𝑚 𝑧𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑖，𝑖 š𝑡𝑎 𝑗𝑒 𝑡𝑜 š𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑣𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑢𝑑𝑖。𝐿𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑖 𝑖 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑎đ𝑎𝑗𝑖 𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑢 𝑜𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑐𝑟𝑛𝑜-𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜，𝑜𝑡𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑧𝑚𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑖 𝑖 "č𝑜𝑣𝑒č𝑛𝑖 𝑜𝑘𝑢𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖" 𝑘𝑎𝑜 𝑖 𝑛𝑒č𝑜𝑣𝑒č𝑛𝑖 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖ž𝑎𝑛𝑖。 𝐷𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑗𝑒𝑣 𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑘𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑗𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑖 𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑢š𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑑𝑎 𝑠ℎ𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑚。𝐽𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑖 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑢 𝑙𝑗𝑢𝑏𝑎𝑣𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑘𝑜𝑗𝑒 𝑠𝑢 𝑛𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖š𝑒 š𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑘𝑖 𝑧𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑗 𝑢𝑘𝑢𝑠，𝑙𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑖ć𝑖 𝑖 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑡𝑜。✒𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎9️⃣🇺🇸𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓱 𝓶𝔂 "𝓶𝓸𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓻"，𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓮𝓷𝓳𝓸𝔂𝓮𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼。𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼（𝓘𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓪𝔁 84 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓮，𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓮 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓽）𝓜𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓴𝓼。𝓝𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓪 50 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓷，𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼。𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼-𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓼𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸𝔀𝓷，𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮。𝓘𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓷𝓾𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼，𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 "𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓸𝓬𝓾𝓹𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓼' 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓼。𝓓𝓮𝔀𝓲'𝓼 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓼𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓽。𝓑𝓲𝓰 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓼-𝓫𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓼𝓱。✒𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓭𝓮9️⃣ 。。。more

Saskia ，

“Ik ademde de heerlijkste geur ter wereld in – een melange van mosachtige geur van stoffige boeken en knisperend krantenpapier – en had het gevoel alsof ik was thuisgekomen。”1939， Odile vindt haar droomjob in de Amerikaanse bibliotheek in Parijs。 De sfeer tussen de abonnees en het personeel is zeer hartelijk。 De bibliotheek is niet enkel een plaats voor boeken， maar ook voor vriendschap。 Odile， haar familie en de medewerkers van de bibliotheek worden zwaar op de proef gesteld tijdens de Tweede W “Ik ademde de heerlijkste geur ter wereld in – een melange van mosachtige geur van stoffige boeken en knisperend krantenpapier – en had het gevoel alsof ik was thuisgekomen。”1939， Odile vindt haar droomjob in de Amerikaanse bibliotheek in Parijs。 De sfeer tussen de abonnees en het personeel is zeer hartelijk。 De bibliotheek is niet enkel een plaats voor boeken， maar ook voor vriendschap。 Odile， haar familie en de medewerkers van de bibliotheek worden zwaar op de proef gesteld tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog als Parijs wordt overspoeld door de nazi’s。 Joden zijn niet meer toegelaten in de bibliotheek， dus probeert het personeel de boeken tot bij hen thuis te brengen。 Ook worden er boekenpakketten verstuurd naar Franse en Britse troepen。 Het bibliotheekpersoneel neemt hiermee grote risico’s。 De lezer maakt ook kennis met de familie van Odile。 Haar vader en haar broer spelen een belangrijke rol in het verhaal。 Maar ook het liefdesleven van Odile komt mooi aan bod。 De hoofdstukken wisselen af tussen verleden， het leven van Odile in Parijs tijdens de oorlog， en heden。 Lily is een jong meisje uit Montana。 Haar verhaal begint in 1983。 Als Lily bij haar buurvrouw Odile Gustafson langsgaat om informatie voor haar spreekbeurt over Frankrijk， ontstaat er al snel een bijzonder band tussen beiden。 Lily kan altijd bij Odile terecht voor Franse les， een babbeltje， lekkere koekjes en wijze raad。 Het verleden van Odile wordt langzaam onthuld。 Waarom is ze naar Montana verhuisd？ Waarom heeft ze haar familie en vrienden in Parijs achtergelaten？In ‘De bibliotheek van Parijs’ is de liefde voor boeken direct voelbaar。 Het verhaal bevat vele mooie verwijzingen naar boekfragmenten。 Ook wordt het Dewey Decimale Classificatiesysteem， waar de bibliotheken gebruik van maken voor de indeling van hun boeken， onder de aandacht gebracht。 Best interessant。In het eerste deel maakt de lezer vooral kennis met de personages en hun levensomstandigheden。 Het tweede deel bevat meer spanning en leest vlotter。 Hoewel het verhaal van Lily voor een mooie verbinding tussen verleden en heden zorgt， mochten haar gezinsleven en perikelen voor mij minder prominent aanwezig zijn。Achteraan in het boek is er nog een boeiend apart hoofdstuk， ‘Woord van de schrijfster’。 Hierin wordt verteld over de totstandkoming van het verhaal en krijgt de lezer nog wat extra achtergrondinformatie。“Mijn doel bij het schrijven van dit boek was dit vrij onbekende hoofdstuk in de geschiedenis van de Tweede Wereldoorlog te delen en de stemmen te laten horen van de moedige bibliotheekmedewerkers die zich tegen de nazi’s verzetten door hun leden te helpen en hun liefde voor literatuur met elkaar te delen。”‘De bibliotheek van Parijs’ is een meeslepend verhaal over vriendschap en verraad， over jaloezie en keuzes maken。 Het boek bevat alvast een mooie levensles… “Accepteer mensen om wie ze zijn， niet om wie je wilt dat ze zijn。”Graag gelezen， ik beoordeel het boek met vier welverdiende sterren。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Fans of historical fiction and libraries， this is a must read。 What I most loved about this one is its depiction of what librarianship can be at its very best- the relentless provision of information and books to all people。 Don't skip the author's note where she tells of the real librarians （some of whom are depicted in the book） who did this work at the American Library in Paris during World War II。 THe devastati Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Fans of historical fiction and libraries， this is a must read。 What I most loved about this one is its depiction of what librarianship can be at its very best- the relentless provision of information and books to all people。 Don't skip the author's note where she tells of the real librarians （some of whom are depicted in the book） who did this work at the American Library in Paris during World War II。 THe devastation and horrors of the war are always close at hand。 Really， really loved this one。 。。。more

Lisa Workman ，

4。25 stars

Booksandcoffeepleasemx ，

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this story was a reminder of why。 I loved learning about the American Library in Paris。 This story was captivating， moving， powerful and breathtaking。 I loved the dual timelines and following Odile and Lily’s journeys。A story about bravery， loss， love and the power of books that you need to read。This amazing story is based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris。Thank you LibroFm and Simon & Schu Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this story was a reminder of why。 I loved learning about the American Library in Paris。 This story was captivating， moving， powerful and breathtaking。 I loved the dual timelines and following Odile and Lily’s journeys。A story about bravery， loss， love and the power of books that you need to read。This amazing story is based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris。Thank you LibroFm and Simon & Schuster Audio for this ALC。http://www。instagram。com/booksandcoff。。。 。。。more

Vickie ，

Based on the real American Library in Paris （ALP）， this story alternates between German occupied Paris and 1980s Montana。 Odile， a true bibliophile， is thrilled to be offered a job at the ALP and we meet many colorful characters who both keep the library functioning and those who patronize it during World War II。 Fast forward to the 1980s， and we are introduced to Lily， a young girl who strikes up a friendship with the mysterious Frenchwoman， Odile， who lives next door。 The story then unfolds， a Based on the real American Library in Paris （ALP）， this story alternates between German occupied Paris and 1980s Montana。 Odile， a true bibliophile， is thrilled to be offered a job at the ALP and we meet many colorful characters who both keep the library functioning and those who patronize it during World War II。 Fast forward to the 1980s， and we are introduced to Lily， a young girl who strikes up a friendship with the mysterious Frenchwoman， Odile， who lives next door。 The story then unfolds， alternating between the two timeframes。 It seems I’ve been reading a lot of books about the women who lived through World War II in Europe and they start to be redundant。 This was a refreshingly different take on that time period with the added benefit of seeing into the future。 Yes， this is a story about the power of books to unite people， to heal， and to inspire， but it is also a tale of relationships， morality， human nature， triumph over adversity。 Well written， engrossing…。， I loved this book。 。。。more

Elyse Walters ，

Audiobook。。。library overdrive。。alternated with the physical book。。。 （I own it）I’ve been sitting here debating whether or not to write a review at all。 I suppose I’ll start with a personal share。I’m getting pretty close to retiring from writing reviews。 I’ll write a review when I accept a book from Netgalley 。。。（it’s kinda our deal arrangement）。。。。but a decade of writing reviews is about enough for me。 My brain is tired。 I don’t want to write reviews as often as I did last year。 The pattern will Audiobook。。。library overdrive。。alternated with the physical book。。。 （I own it）I’ve been sitting here debating whether or not to write a review at all。 I suppose I’ll start with a personal share。I’m getting pretty close to retiring from writing reviews。 I’ll write a review when I accept a book from Netgalley 。。。（it’s kinda our deal arrangement）。。。。but a decade of writing reviews is about enough for me。 My brain is tired。 I don’t want to write reviews as often as I did last year。 The pattern will continue unless I consciously stop it。 I’m a natural chatterbox and love connecting with others authentically in this community。 But。。。。 cutting back on writing reviews is simply something I would like to unhook from。 As soon as I complete my 2nd vaccine， coming， soon。。。。with enough allotment safe time having gone by -I want enjoy the company of our close friends， family， and do more traveling。 I don’t want to have any read/review agreements hanging over my head for anyone。 This past year， the majority of books that excited me ‘most’ often were nonfiction: （ an unforeseen change -surprisingly-even memoirs）。 I’m a fiction reader at heart。。。But with the world changing， I’ve become more aware of my responsibility to be pro active in all areas of justice。 I naturally have gravitated more to non-fiction。 So。。。。about ‘THIS’ book - the beginning of my ‘no reviewing’ review。 As a Jewish woman - a fairly committed dedicated Holocaust reader。。。。I’m tired of World War II books that dramatize romance， family strife— mixed with coming of age characters。 I’m tired of moving through the years。I don’t want to be a mean reviewer。 It’s not an author’s fault when I’m burned out on Historical fiction that feels like every other book I’ve read。 Yes - I learned new history in this book - but nothing was totally unfamiliar。 I’m also ‘over’ it with duel timelines。 “The Paris Library” 。。。 is many things I’m tired of。。。。Starting with:“Based on the true WWII story of the heroic librarians of the American library in Paris”。。。。Most great WWII stories are inspired by truth！！！ So in the spirit ofNOT REVIEWING reviews。。。I’ll say a few more things。。。。。 Years ago I would’ve absolutely love this book in the same way I did “Sarah’s Key”， by Tatiana de Rodney。。。I am a book lover and I appreciate rich historical elements。。。。but maybe not all the time。 In the Paris library， [a refugee sanctuary for many]- books， and Jewish people belonged to each other！！ So— what’s not to like？Nothing really。。。 but。。。 this was just a ‘so-so’ overall read for me。 The impeachment trial keeps pulling my focus。That said。。。。Our two Librarians - Odile and Lily were a perfect match for each other 。。。They each fit a need to one another。 Both courageous women。 We get family background during the war in 1939。。。（Paris）。。。and we get a modern story in 1983。。。（Montana）“The Paris Library” was carefully and respectively research —written well。。。。There were charming moments。 There were unspeakable betrayals。 The authors notes were moving。Many readers will love this book。 Read other lovely reviews。Today。。。 given my own Meshuggah ways。。。Its only a 3-star truthful rating。 。。。more

Hulkbrarian Mel ，

This was wonderful。 I liked the story， how it went from past to "present" （1980s）。 I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction， but this was a great blend of history， friendship， and libraries。 This was wonderful。 I liked the story， how it went from past to "present" （1980s）。 I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction， but this was a great blend of history， friendship， and libraries。 。。。more

Dana ，

I thoroughly recommend this book！ Not only is it about the American Library in Paris leading up to the World War II and during the war， it is about love， loyalty， jealousy， betrayal。 Odile， a young Frenchwoman who loves books manages to get employment at the Library and we follow the story through her eyes。Then there is the story of Lily in 1989， who eventually befriends Odile， a neighbour。 What Odile has learnt in France still has so much relevance and Odile shares her knowledge with her young I thoroughly recommend this book！ Not only is it about the American Library in Paris leading up to the World War II and during the war， it is about love， loyalty， jealousy， betrayal。 Odile， a young Frenchwoman who loves books manages to get employment at the Library and we follow the story through her eyes。Then there is the story of Lily in 1989， who eventually befriends Odile， a neighbour。 What Odile has learnt in France still has so much relevance and Odile shares her knowledge with her young friend。Add to that the numbers from the Dewey Decimal System and quotes from classics and what more could you want。Many thanks to Netgalley/Janet Skeslien Charles/John Murray Press for a digital copy of this title。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more

Tammy ，

Review TK

Richard Becker ，

This is a remarkable novel about Paris during the German occupation during World War II。 The characters are well-written， the story is intense and heartbreaking， but also hopeful on some levels。 This not a normal novel about the war， but one that stands out。Odile is a young French woman who gets a job at the American Library in Paris， manned by a diverse crew of people who feel like a family， even more so after suffering together in a locked-down city。 There are petty jealousies， paranoia and mo This is a remarkable novel about Paris during the German occupation during World War II。 The characters are well-written， the story is intense and heartbreaking， but also hopeful on some levels。 This not a normal novel about the war， but one that stands out。Odile is a young French woman who gets a job at the American Library in Paris， manned by a diverse crew of people who feel like a family， even more so after suffering together in a locked-down city。 There are petty jealousies， paranoia and more， but the library and its workers and patrons make the situation bearable for each other。Odile provides the commentary in the book， first as the young woman and later as an older lady in Montana， as she mentors a young girl， Lily， a neighbor who has lost a mother。The other characters play important roles in bringing the 2 women's stories together， despite losses。 There is betrayal， sometimes unintentional， and there is friendship and redemption。 Above all， there is hope， for everyone involved。Lily is the narrator in most other chapters， as she tells the story of her feelings growing up losing her mother， dealing with a step-mother who she initially dislikes， but grows fond of， and the day-to-day life of a teen in rural America。 Odile becomes a grandmother figure for her， telling her to lose her resentments and watch her language。 Lily finds some letters etc。 from Odile's past and draws the wrong conclusions， so Odile has to tell her about her past for herself to heal and for Lily to learn to be compassionate and strong。I read the ARC for this book during my library's closure。 I'm glad that it has finally been released to the public。 。。。more

lola。and。puki ，

*review to come

Alex’Books and Socks ，

De bibliotheek van Parijs - Janet Skeslien Charles （Luitingh-Sijthoff）De bibliotheek van Parijs van Janet Skeslien Charles is een onvergetelijk verhaal over familie， vriendschap， liefde en de verbindende kracht van literatuur。Parijs 1939: De ambitieuze Odile Souchet is net begonnen aan haar droombaan bij de Amerikaanse bibliotheek in Parijs。 Wanneer de nazi’s de lichtstad bezetten verandert alles van de ene op de andere dag。 De bibliotheek blijft open， maar de Joodse bezoekers zijn niet meer wel De bibliotheek van Parijs - Janet Skeslien Charles （Luitingh-Sijthoff）De bibliotheek van Parijs van Janet Skeslien Charles is een onvergetelijk verhaal over familie， vriendschap， liefde en de verbindende kracht van literatuur。Parijs 1939: De ambitieuze Odile Souchet is net begonnen aan haar droombaan bij de Amerikaanse bibliotheek in Parijs。 Wanneer de nazi’s de lichtstad bezetten verandert alles van de ene op de andere dag。 De bibliotheek blijft open， maar de Joodse bezoekers zijn niet meer welkom。 Odile en haar collega’s riskeren hun leven door hun Joodse abonnees zelf de boeken te brengen。 Maar wanneer Odile ontdekt dat haar vader， een politieman， nauw betrokken is bij het handhaven van het naziregime， raakt zij in een groot persoonlijk conflict。 Heeft zij de moed om de juiste keuzes maken？Dankzij de uitgeverij kon ik het boek vooruitlezen en de recensie plaatsen bij de release van dit boek。 Mijn enorme dank hiervoor。 De cover is enorm mooi， die kleuren， de sfeer die het uitstraalt， ik neem dit boek gegarandeerd vast als ik in de boekenhandel ben。 Als de cover je niet meteen grijpt dan doen de titel en de flaptekst dat wel。 Dit verhaal heeft voor mij echt alle onderwerpen die ik zoek in een boek。 Een verhaal over een enorme liefde voor boeken en over de oorlog dat is echt ‘right up my alley’。 Het boek is dan wel verzonnen， er is wel gebruik gemaakt van echt gebeurtenissen。 Personen die volgens het nawoord effectief in de Amerikaanse bibliotheek in Parijs， waar het boek zich afspeelt， gewerkt hebben。 Het is toch wel een extra。‘Mijn favoriete onderdeel van de bibliotheekopleiding was het Dewey Decimale Classificatiesysteem。 Het werd in 1873 bedacht door de Amerikaanse bibliothecaris Melvil Dewey en maakte gebruik van tien categorieën om bibliotheekboeken op onderwerp in te delen。 Alles had een nummer， zodat iedere lezer elk boek in elke bibliotheek kon vinden。’Odile， een karaktervol meisje waarvan de vader haar liever ziet trouwen dan werken， gaat toch voor haar droom en dat is werken in de Amerikaanse bibliotheek van Parijs。 Dit is ook echt waar haar passie ligt。 Wanneer de oorlog uitbreekt lees je hoe niets of iemand nog veilig is。 Hoe joden en anderen niet meer naar de bibliotheek mogen komen en hoe ‘creatief’ en met gevaar op eigen leven ze ermee omgaan。Ook lees je de verhaallijn van Lily， het buurmeisje van Odile。 Zij leert Odile beetje bij beetje kennen wanneer ze besluit haar te interviewen voor een schoolopdracht en zo leer je als lezer ook het ware verhaal kennen van Odile。 Wanneer ook voor Lily een moeilijke tijd aanbreekt groeien de twee enorm naar elkaar。 Dit stukje van het verhaal gaat traag maar is op het einde van het boek toch echt wel een meerwaarde。 Odile， een vrouw die liefde， verdriet， vriendschap， verraad， de gevolgen ervan en een onvoorwaardelijke liefde voor boeken heeft。 Maar ook angst， hoop en doorzettingsvermogen zijn gevoelens die bij Odile passen。 Vooral haar liefde voor boeken blijft mij bij。 ‘De bibliotheek is mijn toevluchtsoord。 Ik vind er altijd wel een hoekje voor mij alleen tussen de boeken， om te lezen en te dromen。 Ik wil ervoor zorgen dat iedereen die kans krijgt， vooral de mensen die zich anders voelen dan anderen en een plekje nodig hebben waar ze zich thuis voelen。’De schrijfstijl is enorm vlot maar het boek leest over het algemeen vrij traag。 Er zit geen al te hoog tempo in maar het verhaal kan het echt hebben。 De auteur zorgt met haar manier van schrijven en met dit verhaal wel voor een enorm warm gevoel。 Vanaf de eerste pagina’s voel je die liefde van Odile voor boeken。Parijs tijdens de tweede wereldoorlog， wat leven in deze tijd toen voor de stad en de mensen betekende。 Het personages Odile， angst， liefde， hoop， verraad， rouw。 En de immense liefde voor boeken。 Een historische roman die zeker en vast de moeite waard is。 。。。more

Jen LaRowe ，

I could not stop thinking about The Paris Library when I wasn't reading it。 The characters were so well written that they became real。 The story itself was facinating and heart wrenching。 The connection between WWII Paris and 1980s Montana was one I would have never thought worked but both storylines were engaging and thought provoking。 I highly recommend The Paris Library to any historical fiction fans。 5 stars I could not stop thinking about The Paris Library when I wasn't reading it。 The characters were so well written that they became real。 The story itself was facinating and heart wrenching。 The connection between WWII Paris and 1980s Montana was one I would have never thought worked but both storylines were engaging and thought provoking。 I highly recommend The Paris Library to any historical fiction fans。 5 stars 。。。more

Michelle ，

I really enjoyed this dual timeline story about Odile's life at the American Library of Paris during the war。 Lily's story in the 1980s and her friendship with Odile provides a good tool to tell the story of both lives （Lily's and Odile's）。 As with most war novels， we see a lot of tragedy and hardship， however there is also friendship， love， forgiveness and so much more。 The reader is faced with moral questions - what would one do if faced with that reality and those choices at that time？ I love I really enjoyed this dual timeline story about Odile's life at the American Library of Paris during the war。 Lily's story in the 1980s and her friendship with Odile provides a good tool to tell the story of both lives （Lily's and Odile's）。 As with most war novels， we see a lot of tragedy and hardship， however there is also friendship， love， forgiveness and so much more。 The reader is faced with moral questions - what would one do if faced with that reality and those choices at that time？ I loved all the book references and quotes as well as the countless French phrases。 Highly recommend。 。。。more

Lovely Loveday ，

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a historical fiction that is sure to take you away to another place in time。 A story set during World War II tells the story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris。 The author pulls you in from the beginning and holds your attention with this unforgettable story of romance， friendship， family， and the power of literature。 The Paris Library is a captivating story that is sure to stay with you long after reading。 

wellreadtraveler ，

Books about books are my favorite type of reading so this book had me at the title！ I also read a lot of WWII books so I knew I would really enjoy this story。 Set in two timelines I enjoyed both stories equally but I adored the character Oldie and her most perfect job as a librarian and getting to spend everyday amongst stacks of books。 What a dream！ Oldie works at the American Library in Paris and can't imagine her life without books。 When the Nazis invade Paris they quickly lay down the law th Books about books are my favorite type of reading so this book had me at the title！ I also read a lot of WWII books so I knew I would really enjoy this story。 Set in two timelines I enjoyed both stories equally but I adored the character Oldie and her most perfect job as a librarian and getting to spend everyday amongst stacks of books。 What a dream！ Oldie works at the American Library in Paris and can't imagine her life without books。 When the Nazis invade Paris they quickly lay down the law that no Jews are allowed books。 Along with her fellow librarians they will find a way to get the books to those who treasure them the most even if it means they are putting themselves and their friends at risk。 If you can't beat them， join them， Oldie joins the resistance and her weapon of choice is books， and the freedom to read to those who treasure it the most。Lily lives in Montana and is an awkward teenager looking for something to do。 When her elderly neighbor takes interest in her she has no idea just whats in store for her。 Generations between them Lily quickly realizes the two have much in common and become fast friends。 Secrets can't be hidden forever and Lily will learn a lot about her neighbor that will surprise her。 。。。more

Amanda Moore ♡ ，

""Libraries are lungs，" she scrawled， her pen barely able to keep up with her ideas。 "Books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating， to keep the brain imagining， to keep hope alive。"This is a story about heroic librarians who risked their lives delivering books to Jewish subscribers who were not allowed into the Library during WWII， as well as allied soldiers。 I did not know about this story and it was very interesting learning about books that were banned， and how even libraries wer ""Libraries are lungs，" she scrawled， her pen barely able to keep up with her ideas。 "Books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating， to keep the brain imagining， to keep hope alive。"This is a story about heroic librarians who risked their lives delivering books to Jewish subscribers who were not allowed into the Library during WWII， as well as allied soldiers。 I did not know about this story and it was very interesting learning about books that were banned， and how even libraries were being impacted during this time。 This combined my love for books and WWII， creating such a great work of historical fiction！ Loved the many classic literature references throughout the book。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more

Karen Clements ，

Odile is a young French woman who loves books and organizing them using the Dewey Decimal system。 When she was a child， her favorite aunt took her to the American Library in Paris and fostered Odile's love for reading and desire to be a librarian。 She accepts her dream job at the library in 1939 as the world is inching toward the outbreak of war。 We meet the library's regular patrons （or "subscribers"） through Odile's optimistic eyes and then see how the staff pulls together to keep their materi Odile is a young French woman who loves books and organizing them using the Dewey Decimal system。 When she was a child， her favorite aunt took her to the American Library in Paris and fostered Odile's love for reading and desire to be a librarian。 She accepts her dream job at the library in 1939 as the world is inching toward the outbreak of war。 We meet the library's regular patrons （or "subscribers"） through Odile's optimistic eyes and then see how the staff pulls together to keep their material available to as many people as possible through the hardships of the Nazi occupation。 Lily is an American tween in 1980s Montana who takes an interest in her elderly neighbor， Mrs。 Gustafson， who is still seen as an outsider after nearly 40 years in the small community。 She peppers her with questions about life in exotic-sounding Paris and soon comes to depend on this connection through her mother's illness and death and her father's remarriage。 The characters are a key component of this book。 Odile's colleagues at the library are inspiring， her protective parents and fun-loving brother are sweet， and her quirky patrons offer comic relief。 Lily's very different coming of age experience in rural Americana is full of emotions as she learns from the older Odile。 Lessons of love and loss， loyalty and betrayal abound。 My thanks to NetGalley for the arc！Recommended 。。。more

Lyndi ，

This is a beautiful story based on true events and people at the American Library in Paris during WWII。 The story starts in 1939 when a young woman， Odile Souchet， applies for her dream job at the Library。 When war starts to affect the library， banning certain books and denying Jewish patrons access to the library， Odile and her fellow librarians do their best to serve their community amid the growing restrictions。 In the 1980s in Montana， young teenager Lily is struggling to fit in， dealing wit This is a beautiful story based on true events and people at the American Library in Paris during WWII。 The story starts in 1939 when a young woman， Odile Souchet， applies for her dream job at the Library。 When war starts to affect the library， banning certain books and denying Jewish patrons access to the library， Odile and her fellow librarians do their best to serve their community amid the growing restrictions。 In the 1980s in Montana， young teenager Lily is struggling to fit in， dealing with her mother's illness and later her father's new relationship。 She is curious about her reclusive neighbor， knowing only that she lived in Paris during the war。 She uses a class project as an excuse to talk to Odile。 At first reluctant， Odile and Lily grow closer over time with their shared love for books。 Odile knows their are many life lessons she can teach Lily， but to do so she had to finally tell her secrets。This book seems very well researched。 I've read many books set in this time period， but none centered in the library， which made the story unique for me。 I love how the friend relationship develops between Odile and Lily despite their age difference。 I have fond memories of an elderly neighbor lady I befriended as a child and this story reminded me off that time in my life。 Thank you to Janet Skeslien Charles and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book。 I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more

Lani ，

Well written and good character development， but not as suspenseful as I had anticipated。

Sara Mahsa ，

Unfortunately the dual perspective took me out of the story。 Since I did not care about Montana or the young girl who befriended our heroine many years later， the book just didn’t land with me。 Maybe if the book was written only through the perspective of Odile it would have held my attention。

Louise Marley ，

I'm not a huge fan of books set during wartime （they are a little bit too real-life for me） but two words on the cover of this book caught my eye: Paris and library。 How could I resist？Odile is obsessed by books， so working at the American Library in Paris is a dream come true。 Her family are against the idea but she's seen first-hand how important it is for a woman to have her own money and be independent。 The library and its thriving community of students， writers， and fellow book-lovers is th I'm not a huge fan of books set during wartime （they are a little bit too real-life for me） but two words on the cover of this book caught my eye: Paris and library。 How could I resist？Odile is obsessed by books， so working at the American Library in Paris is a dream come true。 Her family are against the idea but she's seen first-hand how important it is for a woman to have her own money and be independent。 The library and its thriving community of students， writers， and fellow book-lovers is the perfect haven - until war looms， pitting friends and colleagues against each other。 Suddenly the punishment for being caught with the 'wrong' book is severe。The main part of the story is told from Odile's viewpoint: from 1939， when she applies for a job at the library， to the end of the war in 1945。 The second timeline is a coming-of-age story about American teenager Lily， who is struggling following the death of her mother and the arrival of a young step-mother。 The only person who seems to truly understand is the reclusive Frenchwoman who lives next door。This story completely swept me away。 The American Library is a fascinating setting。 It is a real place and many of the characters mentioned are real people， who acted heroically keeping the library open and delivering books to their Jewish subscribers。 Odile is an engaging character who wants to do the right thing but has led a sheltered life。 She is unprepared for the way living in Occupied Paris will change the lives of her family and friends， causing some to crack under the pressure。 Will she also betray those she loves？ In 1980s America， Odile tries to pass on all she has learnt about family and friendships to teenage Lily， so she won't make the same mistakes。The best part of this story is the library and the characters who work there。 It would make a terrific film。 I loved the way Odile references titles and quotes from her favourite books to help her cope， and the way she automatically categorises each book or subject according to the Dewey Decimal System。 The point of the dual timeline is to help explain Odile's character and the choices she made forty years previously。 It does mean the book seems overlong at times and I wasn't entirely convinced by the ending。However， the historical detail is amazing and I found myself thinking a lot about the story after I had finished it。 Recommended for anyone who loves historical fiction， this was a five-star read for me。Thank you to Janet Skeslien Charles and Two Roads （John Murray Press） for my copy of this book， which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily。 。。。more

Lou Barber ，

Some books I like。 Some books I admire。 But occasionally a book comes along that I fall deeply in love with， a book that sings to my soul。 The Paris Library is one of those rare stories that captured my heart and soul。 A book for those for whom reading is as necessary as breathing。Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris during WWII， with its cast of hero's and heroines who put their own lives at risk to ensure that everyone had access to this sacred place。 When Jews were banned Some books I like。 Some books I admire。 But occasionally a book comes along that I fall deeply in love with， a book that sings to my soul。 The Paris Library is one of those rare stories that captured my heart and soul。 A book for those for whom reading is as necessary as breathing。Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris during WWII， with its cast of hero's and heroines who put their own lives at risk to ensure that everyone had access to this sacred place。 When Jews were banned from entering， staff hand delivered books to them。 They began a Soldier's Service that sent thousands of books to servicemen to raise morale。Odile tells the story of The Paris Library， and a young girl Lily， who befriends her in her later years， fills in the unanswered questions。 Their relationship is truly beautiful。 There is such depth， and such heart in it that nobody could fail to be moved。 Odile's story is one of joy， of sadness， of regret。 But throughout every moment， one thing has provided her escape and her comfort - reading。 Words can change lives， and they show us that we are not alone。Truly one of my all time favourite books and one that I will return to over and over again。 。。。more

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） 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 growth from her middle school 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 for the Nazis， 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。 。。。more

Jenn（Storyas_blog） ，

This story was like anything I was expecting。 From the very beginning to the end。 Wow！ Just wow。 I might have a bit of issues in some parts where I felt like it slowed down a bit but then things starts being revealed and honestly it was a very good historical fiction。 Odile and Lily， two different stories bounded together by destiny。 I was a bit more invested in Lily’s story but don’t get me wrong， both were equally good。 ****Thank you Atria books for my copy in exchange of this review****

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Paris Library

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Paris Library&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Paris Library&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0