Reader Q&A, I know historical fiction genre loves the dual timeline style but it really isn't always necessary. What was the rippling impact of Remy joining the French Army? Historical fiction concerning the intricate battles over succession within the family that controls a poor rural county in postWorld War I Virginia. I think you see a gradual change in Paul as the war dragged on. And when Margaret begins a relationship with a Nazi solider, shes horrified. Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, Q&A with Kaira Rouda, Author of The Next Wife. 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. A charming, ruthless autocrat, feared yet beloved, he has three acknowledged children by three different wives (not to mention unacknowledged offspring). Or someone from Lilys timelineEleanor, Lilys mother, Mary Louise? For Lilys high school graduation, Odile gives her a plane ticket to Paris. Few in Paris recognize the looming threat of war. Looming war with Germany? I feel like there were so many other ways the author could have taken the story for why Odile ran away from Paris. More importantly, Odile prevents Lily from ruining a good friendship with Mary Louise, a schoolmate, in a fit of jealousy. The totality of the ALPs anti-Nazi efforts seems to involve delivering books. GENERAL FICTION, by PARIS, 1939 Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris - with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers - is a dream come true. Well-researched, stirring, and rich with detail, THE PARIS LIBRARY is an ode to the importance of libraries, books, and the human connections we find within both. Charming and Unforgettable: Read an Extract of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, 5 Quick Questions with Janet Skeslien Charles, Author of The Paris Library, Podcast: Janet Skeslien Charles on the Unusual Woman Who Sparked Her Love of France, Your email address will not be published. Check out my book club questions here. Both are too quick to blurt out criticisms, jeopardizing their closest friendships out of hurt and jealousy. Charles emphasizes the significance of this resistance by highlighting the role that books play in transporting people from their own situations and engaging their empathy and minds. But then the Nazis invade Paris and everything changes. There she meets a young woman who is the same age she was during the war and who badly needs a life coach. Intellectually curious and socially awkward at times, Lily reminds Odile of her younger self. RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2021. Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers is a dream come true. 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. She loves everything about books and libraries. With his help, Margaret procures food and other items, which she shares with Odile. In 1939, Odile Souchet, the daughter of the captain of a police precinct, has just finished library school. Based on a true World War II story about the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris (ALP), this book tells an unforgettable tale of romance, friendship and family in the most unusual of situations. Try not to hold that against them; you never know whats in their heart. Lily often thinks about this quote. He was doing the Nazi's dirty work. Im always curious about what makes the New York Times bestsellers list. Hard Times. The Paris Library is yet another one. Let me know what you thought about it! There is a love story, a mystery, the pattern of history repeating. Still, though, I did enjoy learning about the real-life American Library in Paris and the push to keep reading alive during the horrors of war. But the twist, agh, the twist was just so bizarre. A common theme, in both Paris and Montana, is jealousy and the horrible toll it can take. Book Summary. One night in search of lost time. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer. Courtesy of Elizabeth Yoon. The story is told via two parallel narratives. In a Disney-ian twist, things work out in the end, but not before they change the course of the plot and the readers affinity for the characters. What are some similar books youve read? After roaming the streets of Paris, Odile gravitates to the American Hospital, where she once volunteered and does so again. Fellow employees and clients of the private lending library are her closest confidants. In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. When she decides to write a report on France, she visits the only French person she knowsher lonely neighbor, Odile. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Together, in ways they least expect it, Odile and Lily will help each other conquer old fears, forgive past sins, and embrace the future. How might Lilys life have been different without Odile? A story of courage, defiance and betrayal in Occupied Paris, perfect for fans ofAll the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief andThe Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society. Angry, Odile briefly cuts Lily out of her life but eventually forgives her. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. 199301012242 (266980-X). What is real, and what is mystery? When Odile goes to his office to appeal for help finding Professor Cohen, she sees these crow letters, named for the black-hearted people who inform on their neighbors. His discontent was seen as he was required to direct traffic and when he was forced to clean up slurs painted on Nazi posters. Apartment building concierge. The readers added a drama that was, I thought, wrong. One character is a link in both, a French woman who emigrates at the wars end and spends the rest of her life in Montana. Janet Skeslien Charles has penned an unforgettable novel that spans 60 years and several generations in the midst of historic turning points as dramatic as those we are living through now. Many historical fiction stories adopt the dual timeline formatwhy do you think thats a popular choice for the genre? By some bizarre twist of fate, a much older Odile winds up living next door to Lily, and the two form an unlikely but mutually beneficial friendship Lily gains much from Odiles well-stocked bookshelves while Odile finds renewed purpose in guiding the young girl. While additional detail would have made the horrors wreaked by the Nazis and Odiles dilemmas during this time more vivid, this is a novel after all, and more than earns its place in the pantheon of WWII fiction. Her debut novel. WWII. She learned about the history of the American Library in Paris while working there as the programs manager. Related Topics . Courtesy of Janet Skeslien Charles And his French friend a walrus with a bushy moustache. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles . Did it feel like you were reading a YA novel and a historical novel? And the sound of masticating between sentences? So does defining family. What other books about libraries have you read and loved? Honestly, at times I wondered if Id stumbled onto a YA novel. So how does Odile end up in the tiny town of Froid, Montana, some four decades later, a widow and near-recluse? Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who risked their lives during the Nazis war on words, The Paris Library by award-winning novelist Janet Skeslien Charles is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places. After a scold at the Library informs on Professor Cohen, its Paul who arrests her. Television buffs will smile at the Kincaids resemblance to the Roys of Succession. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. 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. Loyalty and betrayal? Almost 40 years later, Lily befriends Odile, who lives alone and is isolated. The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War IIan experience Eva remembers welland the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. "well plotted and richly populated" For the young Parisian Odile Souchet in the winter of 1939, working in the American Library in Paris sounds like her ideal job. The author has actually worked there in recent years and learned first-hand about the efforts of librarians and volunteers not only to keep it open during the German occupation of Paris, but to smuggle books to Jews and to allied forces on the front. She loves to read, has memorised the Dewey Decimal system for cataloguing library books, and has developed a clever way of coping with strong emotions, which is to immediately relate her feelings to a book and its number. While that might not be historically accurate, this is a novel, after all. Her friendship with Lily does open the door to her past and causes her to reflect and maybe see past events in a different light. Carrying the guilt of betraying Margaret, Odile wears Margarets parting gift, the belt, until Lilys high school graduation. Despite knowing about Lilys faults, Odile loves her unconditionally and accepts her. After living in Paris, how could she settle for this dull dot on the plains? wonders Lily Jacobsen, the seventh grader who lives next door. In many ways, this story really is a love letter to bookworms. How do you think Odile helps her cope with that? When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendshipand business partnershipis born. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their storesa gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstorebecome fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love. The 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. The novel is a dual timeline story and the second timeline follows Lily, a young girl in 1980s Montana who is now the neighbor of Odile Souchet. The Paris Library. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. or ask your favorite author a question with The authors affection for both Paris and the ALP, where she worked as a programme manager in 2010, comes through beautifully as she integrates the stories of many of the real-life employees and patrons of the library into the story with finesse. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Review: The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, Q&A with Peng Shepherd, Author of The Cartographers, Review: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Book Club Questions for The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin, Review: You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, 10 Book Club Books to Read in Summer 2023, Book Club Questions for Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Review: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Book Club Questions for The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Book Club Questions for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, (Updated April 2023) Reeses Book Club Picks: Entire List, Book Club Questions for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Book Club Questions for Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Duke Kincaid owns most of Claiborne County, both financially and politically. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is an interesting work of historical fiction. Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?, A post shared by Atria Books (@atriabooks). Still, Odile harbors jealousy toward Margaret for her wealthand resents her criticisms of the French army. Do you think that Odile knew that there would be consequences to telling Paul or not? Inevitably, Odiles story is more engrossing. Located just two blocks from the Eiffel Tower, the private American Library in Paris has welcomed bibliophiles since 1920. Did it satisfy you or were you left wishing for more? But then the Nazis invade Paris, and everything changes. I was born at the very end of WW II and grew up reading Exodus and The Diary of Anne Frank. And Ashley is a young, very-much-in-love bakery owner specializing in muffins who devotes herself to giving back to the community through a nonprofit that helps community members develop skills and find jobs. Meanwhile, in 1980s Montana, Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape the small town she lives in, as she balances mourning for her late mother, her relationship with her fathers new wife and her misunderstood passion for the written word. Instead, Odile consents to an interview for Lilys project about France. One night in search of lost time. Lets talk about the friendship between Odile and Lilywhat did they both learn from each other? by Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. Halfway through the book, I would have rated it barely 3 stars. In defiance of this edict, the Library workers deliver books to the homes of Jewish subscribers. Were you surprised to learn what Odile was doing the day that Lily barged in to ask about her report on France? Susan Mallery Jealousy? And, of course, there was All the Light We Cannot See as well. The girls sounded bratty, the prose almost juvenile. As Odiles family, home, and eventually coworkers are all affected by the Nazi occupation of France, she fights the war with the best weapons she hasbooks. Once We Were Home Book Club Questions and Recipe, It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us Book Club Questions and Recipe, Chapter 2 Lily invites Odile over to learn more about France chocolate chip cookies and later, when Lily visits Odile serves her Russian cigarette cookies, Chapter 3 Paul comes to lunch aperitif of sherry and vermouth, potato-leek soup, pork roast and rosemary mashed potatoes, and, Chapter 4 Odile makes Lilys family leek and potato soup when Lilys mother grows weaker (made with leeks sauted in butter and boiled potatoes that are pureed with a dollop of cream), Chapter 9 Odile, Paul, and Margaret go to lunch steak frites and tarte tatin with caramelized apples, Chapter 12 After the funeral Sliced roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and Odiles croque monsieur, Chapter 12 Lily and Robbys cupcake fiasco in home economics (mixed the salt and the sugar measurements), Chapter 21 Odile comes over for Eleanors bad Thanksgiving dinner turkey and pumpkin pie and later Odile comes for Christmas, too gingerbread cookies and hot cider, Chapter 27 The librarys Christmas party hot spiced wine, creamy Camembert, oranges, foie gras, Chapter 39 Eleanor takes Lily shopping for makeup in the city a lunch of a club sandwich and a French dip, Chapter 43 After the wedding Aunt Pierrette makes roasted pheasant, mashed potatoes and flan and then the library holds a surprise reception with wedding cake, chocolates, champagne and tea. For the young Parisian Odile Souchet in the winter of 1939, working in the American Library in Paris sounds like her ideal job. Odile is initially angry but understands Margarets predicament. World War II Paris during the German occupation forms the setting for an intelligent and sensuously rich novel of a young woman's coming-of-age. Hard Times. When Charles worked there in 2010, she was captivated by the story of. While the characters deal with their fair share of conflict, the violence and mentions of hunger are kept to a minimum given the subject. Charles herself actually lived in Paris for over a decade and even worked at The American Library in Paris, which is certainly evident when you follow her detailed descriptions of this building and the different kinds of people who occupied it. Her World War I veteran husband and her daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. The WWII parts are very strong and I was engaged with learning more about the American Library in Parissomething I didnt know anything about going into this story. If you'd like me to review your book, contact me! Margaret, an English woman in a loveless marriage, finds a home at the Library and begins a friendship with Odile. His character traits changed so drastically from his introduction. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. How Odile ends up in the US unfolds over the course of the book. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is another engaging WWII historical fiction novel. As a Parisian, an ardent bookworm, and a longtime fan of the American Library in Paris, I devouredThe Paris Libraryin one hungry gulp. Profoundly influenced by her mothers disowning of beloved Aunt Carowho divorced for good reasonOdile is determined to not depend on men for financial security. Categories: Additionally, Odile motivates Lily to stand up for herself and insist on achieving her goal to attend college. The records they keep inThe Book of Lost Nameswill become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rmy disappears. She's memorized the Dewey Decimal system. The Paris Library is a historical fiction novel based on the true WWII story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris. Rmy is wounded in the early fighting and then in a prisoner-of-war camp, where he later perishes. What did you think? Meticulously researched,The Paris Libraryis an irresistible, compelling read., Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls, The Paris Libraryis a refreshing novel that celebrates libraries as cradles of community, especially when we need them the most. Based on a true World War II story about the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris (ALP), this book tells an unforgettable tale of romance, friendship and family in the most unusual of situations. In any event, there is plenty to discuss about The Paris Library and who doesnt love a WWII novel? Yup another historical fiction novel that I could not put down. 2021. In fact, her way of coping with strong emotions is to immediately relate her feelings to a book and its Dewey Decimal number. Just as Odile told Margarets secret so many years ago, Lily almost told Mary Louises boyfriend about an affair that Mary Louise had. A Season in Hell by Rimbaud. Shortly after his fourth marriage, the Duke dies unexpectedly. For those of you who arent aware, Im an avid reader of historical fiction, and as such, Ive read plenty of WWII historical novels, particularly those set in Occupied Paris. Hearing her detail what she loved most made me realize that I loved those things, too. Margaret is arrested as an enemy alien, but a sympathetic German releases herand then becomes her lover. Surprisingly, its not little Froid, Montana, that ends up being a letdown, but rather the Nazi Occupation and the ALPs Resistance work. I think Paul attacked Margaret to distance himself from his own guilt, directing his self-hatred at her and pretending he wasn't the collaborator, she was. Although pragmatic, street-smart middle child Sallie is his intellectual and emotional heir, the Duke leaves his estate to her emotionally oversensitive half brother, Eddie, because hes the only boy. Categories: Her father refuses to help the Professor. Her story is juxtaposed with that of a teenager named Lily who, in 1983, lives in a small rural town in Montana. Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arms length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. On that note, Ive provided book club questions and a delicious food ideas for The Paris Library, so if you are looking for book club ideas and more, keep reading! As Lily uncovers more about her neighbors 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. Janet Skeslien Charles's latest novel, The Paris Library, introduces us to Frenchwoman Odile Souchet. Do you think it was harder for Odile to forgive herself than it was for Margaret to forgive her? Now housed in Berlins Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers dont know where it came fromor what the code means. I found the Montana parts just unnecessary! FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | I think the Montana one could have been fleshed out a bit better. Bottom line? Even though this was clearly historical fiction based on real events, were you surprised to learn in the afterward that many of the characters were based on real people? Its free and takes less than 10 seconds!
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