In 1939, idealistic, courageous, and ambitious Odile Souchet works at the American Library in Paris when the Nazis arrive. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we arefamily, friends, and favorite authorsThe Paris Libraryshows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places. Located just two blocks from the Eiffel Tower, the private American Library in Paris has welcomed bibliophiles since 1920. or ask your favorite author a question with 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 Barbara Delinsky. There she meets a young woman who is the same age she was during the war and who badly needs a life coach. Fans of Lester's own French novels will be delighted with this wartime story. Susan Mallery GENERAL FICTION, by FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | Have you read The Paris Library? The Paris setting was vividly imagined and beautifully wrought, especially the library, which is depicted as a warm, happy, safe and enlightened place. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is another engaging WWII historical fiction novel. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | Why do you think its hard for us not to hold what people do or dont say against them and instead see them with compassion in light of our own fallibility? Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Paris Library! For the young Parisian Odile Souchet in the winter of 1939, working in the American Library in Paris sounds like her ideal job. Chapter 1 Summary: "OdileParis, February 1939" Entranced by the Dewey Decimal System, Odile Souchet is both excited and nervous for her interview at the American Library in Paris. She divides her time between Montana and Paris. Hugo's friend. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape small-town Montana. This article first appeared on July26, 2021 in The Edge Malaysia. Odile, who recently eloped with Paul at his urgent request, has no idea what happened and worries when Margaret doesnt attend a party for her and Paul at the Library. She lands her dream job assisting patrons of the American Library, which serves both foreigners and Parisians, and falls in love with one of the police officers her father brings home for dinner. But the rest is certainly worthy. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of Moonlight in Odessa and The Paris Library. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. Each day, they light a stinky cheroot and debate. In THE PARIS LIBRARY, the beloved library, its staff, and its subscribers come to life and remind us of both the horrors of World War II and the vital role books play in keeping us afloat in difficult times. 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. 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. Most often, they add. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer. 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 two form a bond, which deepens when Lilys mother dies. The Paris Library is another novel about WWII France from a unique perspective. A rollicking soap opera that keeps the pages turning with a surfeit of births, deaths, and surprising plot reveals. Acting in anger, Paul beats Margaret and cuts off her hair, branding her as a harlot. 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. 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. Show more Genres Historical FictionFictionHistoricalWorld War IIBooks About BooksAudiobook France Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?, A post shared by Atria Books (@atriabooks). The author demonstrates that a woman can be strong and independent while in a loving relationship. Strong and kind women, such as Professor Cohen of the Sorbonne and Library Directress Miss Reeder, are role models for Odile. Jeannette Walls In 1983, Lily is an awkward teenager trying to find her place in small-town Montana. The Paris Library: A Novel. Both her husband and son have passed away and she doesnt seem to have any connections with her past. Check out my book club questions here. I hope that you will download the book club reading guide. Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, Q&A with Kaira Rouda, Author of The Next Wife. Lily has to deal not only with loss but with learning how she fits into a new family. He was so kind and intuitive with Odile and others. The witty and idealistic Odile is someone I imagine I would have been friends with. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Thats not to say that schoolgirl crushes and adjusting to the woman her father marries after her mother dies arent valid storylines, but can they really hold a candle to the Gestapo arresting one of Odiles best friends? Drama. A thoroughly enjoyable read, kind-hearted and brimming with delightful bookish allusions., Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, "Having lived in an apartment just above the current location of the American Library in Paris, I've always felt connected to the institution and wondered about its story, so I'm grateful to Janet Skeslien Charles for penning such a vivid, enjoyable, based-on-a-true-story tale. Based upon her own experiences working at the American Library in Paris and growing up in rural Montana, Charles tells the story of "The Paris Library" with two distinct threads. One night in search of lost time. Even beyond the wartime drama, her ALP communitymany of them true historical figuresare a wonderfully colorful lot. The historical fiction genre loves dual timelines! Categories: As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. While the chapters featuring Lily are snappy and often amusing, especially as she begins to adopt Parisian airs, they play a distinctly secondary role to those concerning Odile's life during the war. Odile personally delivers books to Professor Cohen. He felt guilty about what he'd done and took it out on Margaret. 199301012242 (266980-X). "The Paris Library" marks Janet Skeslien Charles's second novel of her writing career. RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2023. If you love reading about WWII or the time period, but have trouble getting through some of the violence and starvation that was rampant during the war, then I think you will like The Paris Library. 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. I think he snapped more out of guilt than anything else. One night in search of lost time. Were you shocked by what happened to Margaret? As I mentioned in the intro, recipes for books about World War II are often a challenge since most countries faced rations, if not starvation. A Season in Hell by Rimbaud. In this one, the Montana storyline focuses more on the teenager Lily and I wasnt as engaged with her arc. Trouble signing in? ISBN-13: 9781250307187 Summary One day in the City of Light. It has been called a coming of age book, but in many regards, it is more. Margaret eventually tells Odile the secret of her German lover. I was not familiar with this one prior to seeing it on the list and since Im a huge fan of historical fiction, I decided to check it out. [I'm wondering about what happened to the character of Paul? What was the rippling impact of Remy joining the French Army? *If you are new here, WELCOME! Nonfiction books describing Late Stage/End Stage capitalism. Following Odile in her new job at the American Library in Paris, the novel offers a unique and refreshing take on the events of WWII, as seen through the lens of the library, its staff and subscribers. Paul and the other three policemen were collaborators themselves, having done the Nazis' dirty work, no matter how much they disliked it, and then having enjoyed the spoils of the belongings of the Jews they arrested. After a scold at the Library informs on Professor Cohen, its Paul who arrests her. All Rights Reserved. Defining what is moral becomes complicated for Sallie. Surely you know where this is going, by this point? Odiles husband and son are deceased. Enter your email to receive Bookclubs' newsletter with reading recommendations and the most popular book club books each month. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. When she decides to write a report on France, she visits the only French person she knowsher lonely neighbor, Odile. 841. 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. 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. A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we arefamily, friends, and favorite authorsThe Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places. While her brother Rmy supports her, Odile's Papa is convinced that she needs to focus on marriage. Published in 2021, Janet Skeslien Charless The Paris Library: A Novel tells the story of the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Her friendship with Odile was a strong part but I wasnt so into the teenager angst. 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. Using her own life experiences, Odile guides Lily to accept her overprotective father and her stepmother, who is struggling with two baby boys. Options is the award-winning lifestyle pullout of The Edge Malaysia, the countrys premier business and investment weekly publication. It is 1939, and Odile Souchet has just returned to Paris after completing library school. I found the Montana parts just unnecessary! Hearing her detail what she loved most made me realize that I loved those things, too. Because of this, I cant quite give it 5 stars. Rogers fiance. 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 tough test of time involves readers. Who was your favorite secondary character? 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. Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. The men are similarly flawed and human. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Many historical fiction stories adopt the dual timeline formatwhy do you think thats a popular choice for the genre? It has been called a coming of age book, but in many regards, it is more. At the same time, I heard hushed, terror-filled stories from relatives were Jewish about the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Reeling from the loss of her mother and her father's remarriage, Lily finds herself adrift: overlooked at school, out of place at home. For dessert you could serve Professor Cohens Russian cigarettes! The book also made it clear in the beginning, his disgust with women who snuggled up to Nazis. When Odile visits Margaret, shes horrified. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. Welcome back. Margaret is arrested as an enemy alien, but a sympathetic German releases herand then becomes her lover. Later, Odile returns to her fathers office twice to steal some of these letters and spare a few people. 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. More importantly, Odile prevents Lily from ruining a good friendship with Mary Louise, a schoolmate, in a fit of jealousy. 823. 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. Sallie wants to support her sister but sympathizes with the bootleggersher neighbors and tenantsand recognizes that the family's finances depend on trading whiskey. It is charming and moving, with a perfect balance between history and fiction., Tatiana de Rosnay, New York Times bestselling author of Sarah's Key, A fresh take on WWII France that will appeal to bibliophiles everywhere. And when Margaret begins a relationship with a Nazi solider, shes horrified. I literally shook my head at it. Margaret, an English woman in a loveless marriage, finds a home at the Library and begins a friendship with Odile. Seventeen-year-old Sallie is devoted to Eddie, who's 13, but after he commits suicide she's torn by conflicting loyalties to her weak but lovable stepmother; her fathers scheming but able sister; and her older half sister, Mary, who's next in line to inherit the Kincaid empire but has not lived in Claiborne Country since her parents divorced. The readers added a drama that was, I thought, wrong. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Giving her a belt, Margaret tells Odile to remember the meaning of friendship when she wears it. A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. 2023 Bookclubz, Inc. All rights reserved. Honestly, at times I wondered if Id stumbled onto a YA novel. Having learned the French language from Odile, Lily has become a Francophile and decides that she will head to the American Library upon her arrival. Rivalry and secrets? 823. What is real, and what is mystery? [I think Paul is an interesting character and he illustrates some of the conflicted feelings Parisians felt about the Occupation. 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. Books, libraries, Paris whats not to love? How would this have changed your reading? Yup another historical fiction novel that I could not put down. Its a city I truly love and reading this was a balm for my travel-deprived senses, reliving the City of Lights, even if it was in the pre-war years of the 1940s. 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. It shows how literature can be a means of escape, a catalyst for human connection, and a moral center in grim times. 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. As different as Odile and Lily are, the two are drawn to each other by their similarities outside of a love for books and reading, their heads are full of dreams and they possess a quick wit and instinctive understanding of their surroundings, but they also tend to jeopardise friendships because of their inability to hold their tongues.