An emotional and well written story. You very quickly become immersed in the lives of the characters Ruth Druart introduces you to in While Paris Slept. This story covers many moral dilemmas and shows that not everything in life can be looked at in a clear cut manner, choices are made and there are often more sides to a story than are immediately visible. The struggles that they all go through are different, harrowing at times and heart warming at others.

I highly recommend this book.

I was given a copy of While Paris Slept by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Looking for a beautiful, heart wrenching, horrifying but also life-affirming read that truly captures the essence of motherhood? Then look no further than the wonderful While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart.

This book was absolutely not what I thought it was going to be, but I absolutely loved it. It’s perfectly plotted, and I quickly became so invested that I absolutely could not stop reading until I found out if everything was going to turn out ok for these wonderful characters.

The way the horror of the Holocaust was conveyed took my breath away at times, especially through the eyes of characters that I had quickly grown to love. The profound, life-changing impact that wartime had on each individual and family, and the love stories that somehow managed to endure through the darkest times I thought were written thoughtfully and with sensitivity.

The theme of parenthood threads itself through the whole novel, and as a parent myself, I’ve found parts of this story playing on my mind. I became emotional on a couple of occasions while reading, which is something that doesn’t happen all that often!

With thanks to Headline for gifting me a digital copy to review.

Being a well written story in a dual play like format, 'While Paris Slept' is a culmination of love, hope and family. Reading it has been an absolute pleasure and a reminder that once things lost can be found again if one tries hard enough.

This is a definite read for those tired of life and bereaved of hope in a sense. It does absolute justice to being a historical fiction with many snippets from the start to the end.

While Paris Slept took an alternative view of World War II and the aftermath, a Jewish baby thrust into the arms of a young railway worker, his entrepid escape with his girlfriend and their subsequent life in California.

Our young railway worker Jean-Luc was a man who questioned the Nazi’s and their methods, his work on the railways an eye opener to the horrors that may await the Jews herded on its railway carriages. His girlfriend Charlotte, a health care worker in a German hospital shared his views and they made a formidable but naïve team as they defied their parents and escaped with the baby.

Their flight across the Pyrenees was wonderfully portrayed by Druart, their exhaustion, the danger a tangible presence within the narrative. Yet it wasn’t necessarily this that tugged at the emotions, but more of what happened as Jean-Luc and Charlotte settled into life in America as Druart sprang forward to 1953. The young baby, Sam, was now an all American school boy, oblivious to his dramatic start to life until Jean-Luc is arrested and accused of kidnapping Sam.

What followed was an emotional tug of war with a bewildered Sam in the middle. Druart used the voices of each of her main characters to tell their stories which gave us that closer more intimate and emotional aspect. She made you question what you would do in similar circumstances. Were the two sets of parents thinking of their own feelings, and where did Sam and his feelings fit into the whole scenario.

The officials were at times cold, their objective to get a job done, emotion left somewhere else. It was heart rending to read and that it could have actually happened made it all the more real and plausible.

I admired Druart’s narrative skill, a narrative that kept you reading, that drew you in and made you invest much angst and emotion in the characters and their story.

It was nice to see an author take on a differing aspect to the World War II and its fall out and made a welcome change.

Not an easy read but one I couldn’t put down and found totally compelling.

This is a moving novel about courage, love and sacrifice. Jean Luc and his family have settled in California, leaving behind the horrors of Nazi Germany and hope they have finally peace.

Fate intervenes and the story then weaves between past and present, as we learn more about Jean Luc’s work on the railways in wartime Germany and his chance meeting with a Jewish girl called Sarah.

The story is emotional and well written. Love and determination drive the story on to its end, an end which while maybe unexpected is made easier to understand by skilful writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book.

The story is told in two places and in two timelines:

Santa Cruz,1953 - Jean-Luc and his wife Charlotte thought they could put the past behind them and enjoy new beginnings with their son, Sam, in America after fleeing Paris during Nazi occupation. That is until the police come knocking to pull him back...

Paris, 1944 - Paris is under Nazi occupation. Jean Luc is a railroad worker and sent to work on the tracks at Bobigny where Jews are transported to Drancy, known as a transit concentration camp that housed Jews temporarily until they were deported out of the country to be killed. In a split second a young mother’s future changes by handing her new born son to Jean Luc before she is herded onto the train to Drancy.

Two strangers’ lives are changed from that day forward, connecting them in an unimaginable way.

An utterly compelling and engrossing read which I inhaled in matter of days (even though it’s just over 500 pages) - it’s heartbreaking, shocking, beautiful, compassionate, courageous, I could use so many adjectives to describe this emotional book!

There is such a sharp contrast between love, hope and survival versus the cruelty, hatred and brutality of war and treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. It’s definitely uncomfortable and sad reading at times, the realisation of this dark, dark history in humanity, families torn apart, lives forever changed.

It’s interesting to learn and understand lives of local citizens living under Nazi occupation, which was terrifying and divisive. No one living during these times escaped the atrocities happening all around them.

A brilliant debut novel that I could not put down. A unique perspective on how the present is inextricably linked to the past, with powerful explorations of love, courage, parenthood, hope and survival, against all odds.

Highly recommend for lovers of historical fiction set during WWII and anyone else who wants to read a deeply affecting and beautiful book.

This book is truly amazing and had me mesmerised from the beginning. I did not want to see it come to an end.

The pure sacrifice and strength shown by all the characters is nothing but admirable and inspiring

But what really shone out to me was the strength of the women in this story, both made sacrifices for the sake of others but both came from the same place of true love from within.

If you love books set in this era or war then I highly recommend

An enjoyable historical read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

This is a great example of historical fiction. Jean Luc flees the Nazis and takes along with him a woman’s baby, she is headed to Auschwitz. We catch up with Jean luc after the war, when the past comes knocking on his door. No easy answers are offered and this novel examines all the hurt and feelings involved in depth.

‘While Paris Slept’ by Ruth Druart is a powerful narrative of love and family in the war-torn country. The split narrative interchanges two different timelines, with the events set in the 1950s in California, and the 1940s in France during the Nazi occupation.

In 1944, Jean-Luc works in the railway station at Bobigny, witnessing the deportation of thousands of people when a young woman pushes a young infant into his hands. In 1953, Jean-Luc and Charlotte live a happy life in California, having left the painful memories of war behind them. But the secrets and their past is catching up with them.

I think what I liked the most about ‘While Paris Slept’ is the fact that it’s a powerful story about ordinary people who must find the courage to do the right thing both during the war and in the years after. The story shows that the right thing isn’t necessarily easy or obvious, and that the consequences of one’s actions will stay with them for the years to come. I think that ‘While Paris Slept’ is especially powerful because it doesn’t offer an easy answer or an easy way out for any of its characters, leaving the reader with far too many moral questions.

Love, unbelievable cruelty, moral dilemmas.
Paris 1944, Jean luc works unwillingly on a railway that transports Jews to Auschwitz, he has a chance to save a life putting his own life in danger, the rest of the story hinges on his decision.
A love story of two couples and their commitment to each other and a child. A child Sam has a good life in America, but is uprooted to France, becomes Samuel where he has to deal with challenges beyond his nine years.
Descriptions of life in Auschwitz are heart breaking. Life in Paris with food and lifestyle descriptions good. My problem was with Santa Cruz, it could have been present day not 1953, I found some of the writing out of time, for instance the prostitute in prison wearing a short denim skirt.
A very emotional read.

While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart is a powerful historical novel that will break your heart.
The action is mainly set in occupied Paris in 1944 and in Santa Cruz in 1953. The voices alternate within the chapters.
This is a novel about the great love for a child. It is a love that is self-sacrificing as needs are put aside to do whatever is best for the child.
Occupied Paris was a terrible place to be. Suspicion lurked around every corner. Trust was in short supply. Terror reigned. “It’s amazing how quickly people learn when taught with fear.”
There were extraordinary acts of great courage performed by ordinary men and women with everything to lose and nothing to personally gain. They acted because it was the right thing to do. In the face of great evil, personal safety was pushed aside.
Part of the story is seen through the eyes of French Jews. Their normal lives exploded when the Nazis marched in. “It [the yellow star of David] immediately changed who she was. People looked at the star, and then at her.” How horrendous to not see the person behind the symbol.
There were some very harrowing scenes set within Auschwitz. There were also tender scenes where people helped others in their fight to survive. Little things could offer great hope. It was to this hope that people clung on to.
America after World War II was seen in complete contrast. It was the land of the free and of opportunity where all men are treated equally – until one day everything changed and suspicion rose its ugly head again.
While Paris Slept consumed me. It was a novel about a deep love – a deep love that would break hearts, including mine. Love is a powerful force, especially when it is self-sacrificing.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Our story begins in 1953, where Jean-Luc, Charlotte and their son, Sam, have settled into their version of the American Dream after their flight from war-torn Paris. But their peace is shattered by a knock at the door that exposes a secret they have been hiding since 1944.

We are then plunged into occupied Paris of 1944, where fate brings together a young railway worker, called Jean-Luc, pressed into aiding the Nazi's, and a desperate mother, called Sarah, on her way to almost certain death. In a split second, this mother makes the hardest of choices, pressing her baby into his hands with the words "Please, take my baby! His name's Samuel.".

What follows is a dual timeline: following the flight of Jean-Luc and his fiance, Charlotte, out of France in 1944, with a tiny baby who becomes their own - while Samuel's parents are transported to an uncertain fate in Auschwitz; and a tug of love fight in 1953 to decide the fate of a child who knows nothing of his real parents and considers himself wholly American.

This is a powerful and heart-breaking story that will hit you with a profound emotional punch. Many of the scenes described from the 1944 part of the tale are difficult to read, with unflinching details of the horrors of war, and the hard decisions associated with survival. The 1953 elements are also full of their own brand of cruelties and trauma that tug mercilessly at your heartstrings. But both parts of the tale are also filled with moments of love, the strength of the human spirit and the bonds of family that tie people together.

This is definitely a book that requires you to invest fully in both sides of the story, but there were times when I felt swayed in my allegiance, and I was not entirely sure whether this was intentional or not. I would have liked to have seen more of Sarah and David's experiences both during and after the war so I could get to know them better. Although Ruth Druart rightly says in her Acknowledgements that this is not what the story is really about, I needed to know more to fully understand their own difficult choices.

There is so much in this beautifully written and compelling debut to admire. The strong themes of love, loss, what it means to be a parent, cultural identity and moral dilemmas are fathomless and Druart explores them artfully as she weaves her threads through time. The war time scenes are particularly impressive, and Druart's descriptions of the horrors Jean-Luc sees during his time at Dracy are incredibly raw and emotive. I also have to say that I don't think I have read anything before that examines quite as well the tenuous line between what collaboration and the acts one is forced to perform in order to survive might look like to outside eyes.

I will finish with a powerful quote from my favourite character of Draurt's, Jean-Luc, which sums up the sentiment of this novel for me. "I think we always have a choice. It's just that it's a difficult one sometimes."

I was drawn to this novel, interested as I am in all things related to human behaviour, especially the acts of barbarity and cruelty that happened during the Nazi occupied countries in the Second World War.

Jean Luc lives and works as a railway worker in Nazi occupied Paris One morning a bundle is thrust into his arms as he watches in horror the Jewish people being herded into cattle trucks and sent to Auschwitz. He manages to escape with the child and his wife Charlotte. The couple bring the child up as their own, assuming that the child's parents were murdered in the concentration camp.

Years later, the arrival of policemen to their front door in America force them to confront the consequences of their decision, when they learn that the child's parents, Sarah and David, are alive and want him returned to them. Jean Luc is accused of kidnapping and Sam is sent back to Paris.

That both couples suffer horribly from the fallout is unquestionable. The descriptions of Sam's reactions and behaviour when he is sent back to Paris make for painful reading. The anguish and sense of isolation is palpable for the new family, trying to overcome the emotional distance that exists between them, through no fault of their own.
I was conflicted reading this novel. It was only whilst reading about Sam and his return to Paris that I actually felt engaged with the story. Up until that point, I found it difficult to form any connection with the characters, even though the situation for Jean Luc and Charlotte was a devastating one. I wasn't convinced by it, unfortunately. However, it is well researched, and overall, worth reading.
With thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for a copy in return for an honest review.

Beginning in 1953, Jean-Luc is living in America with his family, having made a new life far from his previous one in Paris. Life is good until one day, early one morning, there is a knock at the door. Life is thrown into turmoil.

This dual time story, set in 1944 Paris and 1950’s America is told through various perspectives. I’ve read so many stories that feature the German occupation and the Holocaust and it never fails to horrify. While Paris Slept binds together its characters in the most tragic and extraordinary circumstances.

Jean-Luc is a railway worker in 1944 Paris during the German occupation. Whilst working on the tracks at Bobigny, he becomes aware of the horror around him, despite the secrecy, and after realising what is happening at that station, he is angry and wants to take action against the Germans. Nearby is Drancy, a transit camp used for transporting Jewish people to Auschwitz. The Germans are using the cattle trains as people transporters and they go through Bobigny.

Sarah, a young Jewish mother is on one of these trains with her newborn son. She takes desperate action to try to save her son, and this decision will have repercussions for all concerned.

In alternating timelines, While Paris Slept tells of life in Paris under occupation – the worry of never knowing who can be trusted and who is a collaborator, always being hungry because of insufficient food and curfews. The brutality and inhumanity and struggle for survival both in and out of the concentration camps is harrowing no matter how many times you read of the suffering. It’s also a story of a family making a new life for themselves in America, where life is good and the future looks secure.

Both timelines were completely engrossing and although I didn’t favour one over the other, I was so anxious to know how everything would unfold in the second half of the story. There is a dilemma at the heart of this story which is heartrending. My heart broke at times for the sadness and suffering of all involved, especially the innocent, caught up in this heartbreaking situation.

The level of research necessary for the story comes through clearly and it makes for an authentic and compelling read. In the author’s acknowledgements Ruth Duart refers to a school in the Jewish quarter of Paris where 260 pupils were arrested during WW11 and not one survived.

This is the author’s debut novel. Wonderfully drawn characters, a beautifully written emotive storyline – I loved it and I would recommend to fans of historical fiction but mostly to anyone who loves an engrossing story.


My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invite and the publisher for the review copy. I also have an audio extract below to share.

This is an emotionally driven and heartbreaking read and as a mother I just can’t imagine ever having to even attempt to survive what the characters in this book had too.

Told from the perspectives of different characters over different periods of time, this one was possibly a little too long (for me - personal preference) but my word is it powerful 👏🏽

I cried. That’s a big statement from me when it comes to books and it takes a certain style of writing to really draw that emotion from me - Ruth Druart succeeded. My heart broke on multiple occasions - I don’t want to give away any spoilers but although there are moments of joy (and of course a happy ending), this is just such a sad read.

I’m so glad that this book wasn’t your typical WW2/Auschwitz read and that it incorporated so much of life afterwards and how people can be changed by the things they have no choice but to face.

A great read and one I’d definitely recommend for lovers of historical fiction.

While Paris Slept is a beautiful, heartbreaking book which manages to be uplifting at the same time. If you are a fan of historical fiction set in world war two then you will love this book.

The thing that most stand out about this book is the wonderful descriptions that just draws the reader into the story and makes you feel like you are actually there experiencing everything first hand. I felt like I could feel the desperation and fear of the people on the station which made me want to jump into the book to help them. It must have been horrendous to experience that and I felt very emotional reading about everything that occurred.

The two timelines were both very interesting and unusually for me I didn’t prefer one to the other which meant I found the book hard to put down as there was always something happening. I liked the way both stories unfolded and the way that they came together in a realistic way. The characters were all very relatable ones who I felt a lot of sympathy for and I liked following their stories throughout the book. I felt very involved in the story and their fates so had to keep reading to find out what happens to them.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which gripped me from the start and kept me reading, though I must admit to having to take a few breaks in some of the more emotional moments. This is a book that takes you through every emotion possible and I have continued to think about it since reading. I think it would make a good book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Headline for my copy of this book and to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour.

Just wow, what a beautifully written book with tragic circumstances at its core. A real emotional roller coaster, on reading I had such a range of emotional feelings and empathy with the characters, I almost felt like I was right there with them. I’m not going to write about the storyline as this is the job of the blurb but in my opinion a must read a truly fantastic book and one of my far and few 5 star ratings.

A compelling read where you yourself feel the enforced despair of those living through such horrific times. This was not a single short-lived period - the pain of each person carries through many years into the future. A difficult but nonetheless life-affirming ending gives hope.

Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamp are living the American dream with their son Sam after fleeing Nazi occupation almost a decade ago. They have put the past behind them. Until the day a knock at their door resurfaces the everything they have tried to forget and the secret they have tried to bury since that fateful day at a Paris train station in 1944.

This book called out to me the moment I saw the cover. I love historical fiction and one of my favourite time periods is World War Two, so this was right up my street. Moving between dual timelines and multiple narrators, we are transported to Nazi-occupied France, the horrors of Auschwitz and post-war France and America to tell this story of love, loss, survival and forgiveness.

Druart highlights the torment faced by those living under German occupation; their fear palpable as they go about their days starved from rationing, terrified of being taken away for the smallest violation and fearing for the lives of those that have vanished in an instant. She also examines the dilemma and guilt that haunts them: do they say nothing and survive? Or stand up for what is right and risk their lives? A similar question torments the Jews as they try to decide if they should comply with Nazi orders, whether it be to wear a star on their clothing or to do what they are told in the camps, even at the expense of the lives of others around them. Survival is a basic human instinct and the anguish radiates from the pages.

Druart also looks at the PTSD experienced by survivors after the war and how they struggle with disbelief at what was done to them, wrestle with feeling like they should have done more or question why they were the ones to survive. There is also a profound sense of loss running through the story that takes many forms. Everyone has lost something because of the war. They have been altered by their experiences and the shape of their lives has changed because of them. It makes for difficult reading at time but conveys the true horror of war and its aftermath.

But what is at the heart of this story is love. More specifically, it's the love of a parent for their child. Samuel is the light in the darkness and the reason to survive for both couples. By asking someone to protect him when they were being taken to Auschwitz, Sarah put her son before herself and Samuel became the one thing keeping her and David going during their days in hell. For nine years they searched, missing their child and wondering if he was alive. Meanwhile Jean-Luc and Charlotte risked their lives to save this little boy. A stranger’s child. They trekked through France, over the Pyrenees and through Europe before finally entering America knowing they could be arrested and killed if they were discovered. Love for this child is at the core of their existence for both couples. Druart asks if the actions of the Beauchamps and the Laffittes were right, even if they were made from a place of love. She doesn’t judge, simply examines the effects of these decisions on everyone involved and invites the reader to decide for themselves.

While I felt for both couples, the person who I felt for most of all was young Samuel. This boy broke my heart. It was utterly heartbreaking to read as he was ripped from the only home and family he’s ever known, drugged, and taken to a foreign country where he didn’t speak the language to live with people he’s never met. They may be his biological parents but they are strangers to him. All of his emotional attachment and safety rests with the people he’s taken from and told he must never again have contact with. I just wanted to reach into the book and hug him. It is clear that everyone involved wanted what is best for him, but there are no winners in the tug-of-war for this child. Especially not him.

Atmospheric, poignant, powerful and heartrending, While Paris Slept is a remarkable piece of historical fiction with a cinematic quality that makes it feel perfect for the big screen. Beautifully written and well researched, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the genre or the time period.