# Summary
This historical novel is structured around a dual time fictional account.
On the one hand, young Odile’s story starts in Paris in 1939. Shortly after getting her dream job at the American Library in Paris, the Nazis storm into the city and Odile’s privileged life quickly fades into just a memory. Her job at the library and her love for books become her only weapons when she joins the Resistance. However, her heroic story is finally sealed by unconceivable betrayal.

The second story follows Lily, and is set in Montana in 1983. Lily is lonely and struggles to fit in her small town. Her boredom is only relieved by the chance to get to know her mysterious neighbour. Slowly, her friendship with this otherwise solitary older lady, teaches her invaluable life lessons. This atypical couple is united by shared passions and a shared complicated emotional baggage.

# My take on this book
This novel is based on a true World War 2 story of the heroic efforts of the librarians from the American Library in Paris. I have been passionate of historical fiction set in WW2 since elementary school, when I discovered Ana Frank’s diaries, and have read dozens of historical novels retelling Resistance stories. In fact, I have read so many that I stopped at some point, because it became difficult to find novelty in them.

This story seemed to had it all to make a thrilling one and reignite my interest in WW2 historical fiction: real life librarians who become heroes, romance, friendship, family, and the power of books to helps us overcome and unite over the most difficult times.
It was indeed the library setting that made the book special to me, and what motivated me to start reading.

The best part of this book is that it retells real facts and in fact the authors’ note at the end was the most interesting bit to read. I really enjoyed understanding her inspirations for each character and learning about what the librarians from the American Library in Paris accomplished during WW2. It was really inspirational reading about how we can all become heroes in difficult times. This book was also a very timely reminder of the power of books to provide a place of solace when everything around seems daunting and out of control.

I also appreciated the constant references to the Dewey decimal system that we actually used in my school library. It was a great strategy to understand Odile’s personality; she used this system to classify not only bools but also people, feelings and memories. It helps her understand the world around her, and feel confident about her interpretations of events quickly unfurling.

Similarly, I enjoyed passages, conversation and episodes that were replaced by book excerpts that conveyed exactly what was in the characters’ hearts and minds. This worked as a relief to lighten the story, for example when lovers wanted to have intimacy when being overheard by family members.

Also, it was nice to delve into some aspects of French culture from the eyes of a young American girl. Descriptions of mouthwatering biscuits, curious facts about the language… they would make anyone dream of Paris!

At times, this novel felt powerful, and the exploration of the consequences of our choices, whether in a mundane or in an extremely difficult and rare setting, was interesting. This novel shows that it is our relationships and our choices, including picking favourite books and authors!, that define our lives. Seemingly about heroism, the value of this novel lies for me in the exploration of topics like jealousy, redemption, and second chances. Reading I realised how universal these are, and how past experiences can teach us lessons that translate into very different settings.

However, very often the whole felt unsatisfying to me.
This is a heavily character driven novel. Sadly, I couldn’t get invested in most of the characters, and I only felt curious about the older Odile. The rest lacked of complexity or novelty, and this made the book overall incomplete for me.

Other things I didn’t like so much in this novel were the romance stories and Lily’s teenager struggles. I was particularly disengaged from the love story between Odile and Paul and would have rather discover her relationship with her colleagues in the library who were also performing incredibly brave acts of resistance. On the other hand, I rushed through the chapters involving Lily and her family/ school issues to return to Paris and the library.

Maybe my biggest criticism to this book is about what it doesn’t have, and is paradoxically linked to the things to praise about it.
I think that to understand and fully acknowledge how brave and the difference Odile and her fellow librarians made, more time should have been spent describing how tough life in Paris under Nazi occupation was. We do get some glimpses of it: Odile and her family experience hunger, there is mention of people fleeing and hiding and terrifying experiences are shared. I feel though that individual stories of hardship beyond Odile’s should have been further explored so that we could appreciate the relief provided by the acts of the librarians from the American Library in Paris.
It would have also been helpful to follow for a little some of those who were helped in their hiding by the books brought by the librarians. Only then can the reader understand the impact of the librarians’ heroism and the true power of literature and stories. Without them, we can only believe those, because we have experiences of finding comfort in books ourselves or thanks to the final authors’ note.

# My verdict
I wanted to love this book but it wasn’t more than an entertaining read at the end, and so was a bit disappointed overall.
Fans of historical fiction, passionates of French culture and book lovers will find some pleasure in reading The Paris Library.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, John Murray Press, for an advance copy.

This was a nice and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the historic settings of the story and the storyline maintained my interest throughout. I did prefer the second half to the first.

Well this book was about two of my favourite things- Libraries and Languages! Throw in a 2nd World War Paris setting and it contained a lot of themes that really interested me.
To all you Librarians out there I just loved the way the author used numbers from the Dewey Decimal System to convey Odile’s feelings “Numbers floated round my head like stars. 823. The numbers were a key to a new life. 822, Constellations of hope”
Set in two time frames, the 1980s when Odile is old and widowed, living in a small American town and 1940s Paris when young Odile starts work at the American Library in Paris.
In the more recent time, Odile is befriended by her young neighbour Lily and over the years as Lily grows they form a strong bond as Odile teaches her French.
In the war years Odile works at the Library, delivers books to those who have been banned like her Jewish customers and falls in love with Paul, a young policeman working for her father. The reader immediately wonders why she and Paul did not stay together and how did Odile end up in America?
This is an interesting story which looked at the human heart, how words both in books and those that come from our mouths can have a massive impact on those around us.
The novel is well researched and I have resolved to visit the American Library next time I am in Paris. As a Librarian I love to visit different Libraries around the world when I travel and this one has now gone to the top of my list.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Split between a dual timeline and inspired by real events and people, The Paris Library is a strong addition to World War II historical fiction and manages to take a unusual view on events that have been documented to death in fiction and non-fiction alike. Focusing on the American Library in Paris before and during Nazi occupation, this shines a light on some unsung heroes and has the added bonus of being all about books. Personally I found that timeline running from 1939-1944 far more engaging than the secondary narrative set in the American 80’s far more engaging, which was unexpected as I have a fascination with the Cold War and would have anticipated being far more interested than I actually was during those segments.

The two timelines are drawn together by the character of Odile, once a young librarian struggling under Nazi rule and now an isolated old woman, clinging to her dignity as she secludes herself from the small town neighbours in Montana. Her relationship with Lily, a teenager grieving her mother and struggling to find her place in the world is the main focus of these later segments, whilst her early family life and work at the library dominate the past. Whilst it was difficult not to fall in love with Odile, with her love of literature and language, I found Lily a far more difficult character. Her character is well portrayed but I just didn’t click with her as a character and struggled to engage with her narrative. Perhaps because of her age, there is little comprehension or exploration of the political machinations of the Cold War, which would have made for a far more interesting backdrop to the main narrative than teenage worries and tantrums.

Where this novel truly shines though is in its depiction of Paris before, during and to a limited extent after the occupation. Odile’s tale captivated me and I was enthralled not just with her love of books and obsession with the Dewey decimal system, but with the characters, relationships and conflicts. The Library’s role in the war was in many ways a small one in the grander scheme of things, but the acts of bravery and kindness are a testament to what humanity can be in even the darkest times. There is a far wider cast of characters here than in the later timeline, which makes it feel more fleshed out, particularly with some of the more idiosyncratic library patrons and employees. The slower pacing of the book really allows for the characters to be developed and for these lesser known historical figures to shine.

I do think the book would have been better without the second timeline as personally that detracted from the far more interesting story of the library in occupied Paris. I found myself pulled out of that narrative, and whilst the sections focussed on Lily and Odile’s relationship were well written, I was just waiting for the book to go back in time once more. There is a very poignant moment at the end but this hardly merited the amount of time spent in the later timeline. I also felt the ending was somewhat rushed, leaving us with more questions than answers and would have liked to see more resolution to Odile’s tale. Those are minor niggles when set against the beautiful writing though, and I certainly enjoyed the novel from beginning to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

As the name suggests, this novel is set around a library in Paris, an American library and a young woman called Odile.
Odile starts working at this library just before WW2 starts, terrrible timing, i know, but the books that are within the walls of this library play an important part in people lives, whisking them away to other places and away from the misery that is going outside.
I do love a good historical novel, but my usual choice of era is the Sixteen Century , so I did have tp push myself slightly to get into this book, more of a me thing, than anything to do with this book.

This is a mix of fact and fiction and feels very well researched. I liked the writing style, which was pleasant, did like how the author wrote the relationship between the charecters. of which i have purposely, not really talked about much, as I want you to meet them for yourselves.

I have come across quite a few books about libraries in Paris, but alas cannot say if this one is better than the others, as i have not ventured into the realms of these.

All I can say, is that , if this book sounds like something you would like to read, then go for it and enjoy the story, a lot 'goes on' inside the pages of this novel and i definatly suggest you jump in.

I was very happy to see that this book is coming out in Audio as well, even though i have read a book, i do sometimes like to re visit it, via this platform, sometimes, I find that i find new or different nuances throughout the book and i really like that.

A fuller review, will appear on my social media nearer the time of publication.

Although I like historical novels, I have tended to shy away from them lately. This looked interesting – based upon the story of the American Library in Paris and their role during WWII. However, I will admit that my heart did sink when I realised that, once again, this book relied upon a dual time frame, which must be the most over-used plot device of recent times.

If I were not reviewing this, I would have thrown it at the wall. However, as it was on my kindle (which I obviously did not want to break) and I had to finish it, in order to review it, I did soldier on. At least both time periods featured the same main character – Odile, who we first meet when she is going for a job interview at the library. Later, we meet her as an elderly lady, living in Montana, where she intrigues the young, lonely, schoolgirl, Lily.

Of course, the main storyline of the book revolves around the war years, with those in the library doing their best to keep in contact – and provide books – to their Jewish readers. This is a story of resistance, bravery and betrayal. Odile, passionate about reading and obsessed with the Dewey system, intrigued me. I used to work in a library and so I could appreciate her love of order.

Although I did enjoy this, I find the dual time line distracting and unnecessary and do not like the direction that historical fiction is taking as it is becoming very formulaic. I think the amazing work of the American Library in Paris was interesting enough to merit a novel, without the reader having to wander into another time zone. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley to review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange of an honest review! 💕
I don't really read Historical fiction a lot, but I remembered that the ones I loved (The Giver of Stars & The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) were both about books, so I had to pick The Paris Library up!
This book was both fascinating and heart-breaking. I really liked knowing about Odile's life during the Second World War, and how it affected the people around her. The American Library was interesting to read about to, since it's based on true stories about libraries during that period. The themes of friendship and love were expressed in a touching manner as well.
Overall, The Paris Library was a really enjoyable read! 4 stars!

This was a book of two halves for me. I raced through the first half, lapping up the lovely, quiet, gentle story of Odile and her brother Remy and how she got a job in the American Library in Paris. Unfortunately I didn’t get as much pleasure out of the second half of the book. Once the war started, the story became upsetting and unfortunately I felt that it just dragged.

It’s based on a true story and it’s obvious how much research went into it. I did wonder whether the story in the 1980s was necessary – I think the story would have stood up on its own amongst the 1940s.

This touching historical fiction story is told mainly from the point of view of a French woman named Odile, and it flips between her early life in Paris and later life in Montana, USA. 
Shortly before the beginning of World War II Odile takes a job at the American Library in Paris.  Her parents greatly disapprove but Odile's love of books and desire for independence prevail. What follows is a fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking story about the staff and patrons of the Library and how their lives are affected by the war. 
In the second timeline, 40 years after the war has ended, Odile strikes up a friendship with a young girl named Lily. The girl is a little awkward and unhappy but she loves the hours she spends with Odile, surrounded by her books and learning about Paris and the war, and how to speak French.  Lily is in total awe of the older woman but she is sure that there is more to Odile than meets the eye.  
A beautiful, touching story.

Not an author I’d heard of before this and I though it was due for imminent publication but checking on Amazon it seems to have been pushed back to February 2021 which may mean it is one of the casualties in how the publishing industry is having to deal with COVID-19. If this is the case then this is very advance notification of a books seriously worth your consideration.
Janet Skeslien Charles is the American author of “Moonlight In Odessa” (2011). At one point she worked as programmes manager at The American Library in Paris and it was this institution which is the inspiration for this novel.
Written in two narrative strands, one set during World War II and the other in Montana in the 1980s, both strands feature Odile, who obtains her dream job when she gets to work at The American Library in Paris in 1939. The real-life Library was set up during the previous war from two million American donations with it becoming revolutionary in being one of the first to allow subscribers to browse the open shelves and introducing story-times for children. By 1939 it was a much loved, over-subscribed establishment and its war years are dealt with here very impressively. The author has placed Odile alongside real-life characters who actually did do their outmost to keep the library functioning in Occupied Paris led by the extraordinary Dorothy Reeder (good name for a librarian). Skeslein Charles has turned these staff members into vibrant characters and placed them in a plot which certainly mirrors actual events.
Alongside this we see an older Odile, now living in the US, largely through the eyes of her young neighbour Lucy who is fascinated by the elegance of her neighbour becoming quite the Francophile amidst her small-town American life. I was very involved in both strands and this was a very involving read. I loved Odile’s obsession with the Dewey Decimal System which has her constantly categorising and found the relationship between her older self and the younger Lucy touching and convincing. I loved the whole aspect of the establishment doing what it could to support its subscribers and once again the importance of libraries is brought home as well as in the non-fictional “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean (2019). I also loved the way the fiction was weaved through a fascinating historical situation that I did not know about.
I hope that if this book is to be delayed until the New Year that it can be launched with enough momentum to give it a chance of achieving the sales it deserves.

The Paris Library is currently scheduled (according to Amazon and I can’t find any information about it yet on the publishers site) to be published in the UK in February 2021. Sorry about confusion here but we might get quite a bit of that over the next few months. Many thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press/Two Roads for the advance review copy.

Being in lockdown has brought a shift in my choice of genres. I find myself reading books that are calmer, more heart-lifting, with a touch more romance. The Paris Library combines all that with the beauty of Paris, the history of war, and love for books.

PARIS, 1939 - Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris is a dream come true. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. But the Nazis invade Paris, and the Nazi 'Library Protector' changes the rules overnight, declaring a war on words. Under the courageous guidance of their Director, Odile and her fellow librarians defy the authorities to ensure all their subscribers get access to books.

MONTANA, 1983 - Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape small-town Montana. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. But as Lily uncovers more about Odile's past, she discovers a dark secret, closely guarded and long hidden.

The author makes an interesting revelation in her Author’s Note that this is based on the true WWII story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris. The role of strong willed women in delivering the power of words by risking their own lives is nothing short of heroic. Underneath it, is also the story of new friendships, cowardly betrayal, and how the consequences of one’s choices reverberate for decades.

This may remind you of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Dear Mrs. Bird, but The Paris Library stands tall on its own. With a colourful blend of history and fiction, I find it particularly relevant - heartwarmingly so - in present times.

A lovely, gentle story about a violent and difficult time. Odile lives with her family in Paris during the Second World War occupation. A ‘normal’ girl who works in the American Library living through extraordinary times. It’s a novel about love, betrayal, jealousy, friendship and books! There were moments of humour, sadness, and shock that really wormed their way into my heart as a reader. I thought it was very well written and engaging in its themes and it’s written style.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for an arc.

Firstly I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my free ARC.

This story is based on the true Second World War story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris and I love to hear tales of what great librarian bring to the people especially at difficult times.

So with a largely biased opinion as a librarian, I can tell all others readers that this is a beautiful story amidst a swirling cataclysm of social destruction that gives the reader a warm sense of how as a society we can come together and prevail. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this book.

Personally I found this book really engaging and well written. I especially liked it when I found a lot of the characters were based on real people and events. The descriptive writing was definitely enjoyable for me and I felt involved in the story.

I rarely read historical fiction but Whalen I saw the cover I really wanted to read this one. We meet young Odile in Paris in 1939 as she begins working at the American library. The timeline switches to Montana in 1983 where Lily is the central character and Odile is her neighbour. I think on balance I preferred the chapters set in Paris but I enjoyed them all. There is a great cast of characters and it was easy to get caught up in the story. This is a Second World War story with a difference and it’s amazing to think it is based on a true story of wartime librarians in Paris. I know I shouldn’t say this, but it would make a wonderful movie.

I loved this book. I just wanted to keep reading. The 2 stories in 2 timelines told Odile’s story beautifully. The horrific acts that took place in occupied Paris in World War 2 are told along with Odile’s life in Paris. Odile shares her story and the lessons she has learnt with Lily years later in Montana. This is a very moving and memorable story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I enjoyed this very much. It had a lightness of touch that made it very readable, without losing the drama of the terrible situation Odile finds herself in. I loved the way she uses what she learned to help Lily with her own issues. Although the consequences of Lily's attitudes are far less serious, they still help Odile to find redemption. Also, as a book lover, I'll always love a story about a library.

Split across two time periods, the 1940's and the 1980's The Paris Library explores friendships, family commitments, resistance and loyalty. I absolutely adored reading about the burgeoning friendship between Odile and Lily and how they both supported and saved each other. The ins between the 1940's and the more modern day are well structured so that you gain a full understanding of both of the key characters and their motivations. The author was able to evoke strong images of wartime Paris with well developed characters whose experiences were based on real like subscribers and workers at the library.

A must read for any book fan who has sought refuge in a library and is interested in WW2 history.

What a wonderful book. War fiction is my preferred genre and I enjoy books which are based on actual people and events; this book was a perfect blend.. The relationship between Odile and Lily was well drafted and brought out Odile's story really well.. This is a great addition to war fiction and a good lesson in how the Parisians coped (or not) with the German Occupation. The Author's Note was full of fascinating facts. I shall recommend this book to many friends and reading groups.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a free e-ARC of this title.

Like many readers, I love books about people who love books. I also love books about Paris, WWII, and the Resistance, so this novel was a delight. But more than that, it dealt with the difficulties and complexities of life and how that shapes one's identity. Well done indeed.