Such a wonderful read!!! I’ve read many WWII books and this is yet again, another depiction, different depiction, of what people went through. We don’t know what we will do when the time is here. War time calls for what you think is right at the time.

When a reader gets involved in a book like this and finds that they cannot stop thinking of the book look after the last word has been read--it is truly a title that will remain in one's soul for a long time. Obviously, this book was definitely a perfect explanation of how this left a lasting impression with me.
A definite page turner from word one---it was a beautiful story of love, resilience and survival.
I thank you so much for allowing me to read this magnificent title prior to publication---I just adored it!

I love reading historical fiction books, and Paris Never Leaves you, is one of the best I’ve ever read. What I love is that it’s a World War 2 novel, and it’s told from a perspective I haven’t heard before. This book had me feeling many emotions as the characters went through struggles and questioned their identity. I highly recommend this book and can totally see it in book clubs and on best seller lists!

Paris Never Leaves You is a very different and unexpected World War II story. Charlotte Foret and her young daughter Vivi are not rounded up at night, forced to leave their homes and their families, and transported to a concentration camp. Instead, Charlotte, a young widow who runs a book shop, is left on her own in Paris, as the Nazi's move in and take over. Vivi is very young, and the Germans take everything, leaving very little for the populace to eat. The danger is great - the Nazi's are unpredictable and kill for no reason, French citizens turn each other in for a variety of reasons - but Charlotte is determined that Vivi will survive. When a young Nazi officer, Julian Bauer, comes into the bookshop, Charlotte wants nothing to do with him, but he keeps coming back. When Vivi is ill, he brings her medicine. And he brings them food which keeps them alive. Both Charlotte and the Nazi officer have their secrets, and after the war, Charlie's secrets help her to immigrate with Vivi to America; Julian's secrets land him in Bogota, Columbia. But secrets can be a heavy burden, and they have a way of catching up to you no matter where you are.

Paris Never Leaves You is the story of identify...what makes you who you are. It's also a story of love, and sacrifice and relationships and how all that interacts with identify. It's a unique story, one that resonates and takes you out of your normal space and puts you into the world that Charlie, Vivi and Julian faced. The writing is wonderful, the characters jump off the page and ask you the question, "what would YOU do in their place?". An outstanding read, one of the best!

I had a difficult time getting into the book in the beginning, but the slow pace didn't last long and once it picked up it really picked up and I felt compelled to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next. There was a twist at the end I didn't quite see coming and was something fresh and different for someone who has read a lot of novels set in WWII. I thought it was a great book with an out of the ordinary perspective.

I was really set to enjoy this book. I love books set in WWII or just post WWII era. However, this one feels disjointed. The time jumps happen out of nowhere and it just doesn't have the flow of the story that I was hoping for. The main character wasn't super likable and some of her choices didn't feel real either. I think conceptually it was a good idea but it just didn't land as well as I was hoping.

I have read several other reviews of this book and am afraid that I don’t agree with them. It was difficult for me to follow the story from chapter to chapter. Often it would take me a couple pages into a chapter to discern whether it was during the war or ten years later. Charlotte was the main character and Vivianne her daughter. During the War, Vivianne was a baby and they lived in Paris. After the War they moved to New York. Vivi’s father was killed in the War. To me this book went on and on with storylines , that while important/interesting didn’t add to the story. I don’t feel like I got to know the characters until the last third of the book. I truly regret that because I think I would have liked knowing them. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

I finished reading the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in January 2020. It will be released on June 2, 2020. I predict that this will be one of the most popular books of 2020! Every book club will have it on their to-be-read list.

It is easy enough to read the synopsis of the book, so I will not go on to write that same summary here. What I will say it that "this book will never leave you". When you walk into a grocery and see an orange, you will think of this story. When you hold that secret in your heart, that you do not tell others (and we all do this), you will think about this story. When you hear a secret that someone held for years and then had to let it out, and chose you, you will remember this story. It is the kind of book that will remain in your mind forever.

I thought about what I wanted to write as a review for this book for a few days. I do not have the skills to adequately express how much this book touched me! The plot is wonderfully heartbreaking and uplifting. The characters are so life-like in all their glorious flaws, compassion and strength. The scene settings are described so brilliantly, that I felt I was in the story, experiencing the same pain of trying to survive and then live with the guilt of surviving.

I absolutely recommend this wonderful book very highly. This was the first book I read by this author, but it definitely will not be the the last. She is a master storyteller!

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, for allowing me to read the ARC. My review is completely my own opinion, not influence by receiving the ARC.

War is hell. I often find that reading books about war is the same. I do my best to avoid them. The premise of Paris Never Leaves You is that it was post WWII, however, that isn't totally accurate. Set in a dual timeline, the story alternates between the 1950s in NYC where we find Charlotte and her daughter living post-war and the 1940s in France and what Charlotte had to do to survive the war to get to that point. Charlotte lives with the guilt as so many survivors do.

In the past year there have been numerous books set during WWII, many of which were based on a one sided view of what happened during the war. After all, how books about the Russians during WWII have you read? It was a traumatic awful time for those in France particularly and most of the books reflect that. Paris Never Leaves You is the same. I found myself skimming pages more often than not and this is a very short book so there were not a lot of pages to skim. I never fully connected to the characters, didn't really care about them. I suspect that reflects more on me than the book itself. However, there are tremendously well written books that deal with the war and the people who endured it. I just don't think Paris Never Leaves You is one of those books.

I loved this. I couldn't put it down. I read it in about a day (had to work at some point in the middle). Charlotte is a young woman with a baby when the Nazis take over Paris. This is the story of what she does to survive and how she deals with her conscience later. I thought all of the characters were well written. I definitely recommend this one.

This is a very interesting book that I highly recommend. It deals with just how far will a person go to survive when pushed to extremes. The story alternates between occupied Paris of WWII and a decade later in NYC where a young mother and her daughter flee after the war. Charlie has grown up in Paris with a British nanny and her wealthy book publisher father. Her husband has died during the early days of the war and she is running a bookstore during the occupation. A German Officer begins to frequent her store and begins to bring scarce food and medicine for her child. He is a true enigma in that he reveals to her that he is actually Jewish, a doctor, and quite literally hiding from certain death if he were discovered by his superiors. He becomes her protector. As the war progresses, Charlie’s exposure is from all sides. If she is discovered to be sleeping with the enemy, she and her daughter could be killed but as she is fighting hard to not fall in love with her German protector.

As the Germans flee Paris, her lover actually pretends to arrest her and puts her into a French prison for her safety until the Americans can arrive .She actually pretends to be Jewish to escape Paris and the dangers it presents to a collaborator. She arrives in NYC and begins a new life with the help of her father’s contacts. Her past cannot escape her and her new Jewish identity exposes her to prejudice and fear even in NYC. Eventually a letter arrives that turns her feelings upside down. Her daughter is now a teenager and has her own questions about the past that cannot be ignored.

I really liked this story. The characters were well created and believable.

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman WWII historical fiction about the psychological effects of the war on civilians who witnessed the cruelty and brutality inflicted on others and were trying to survive in Paris during the Occupation. Duel timeline set in occupied France during the war and in New York during the 1950's. Well written and well paced with relatable characters. A different portrayal of the people trying to survive during WWII.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Received through Net Galley and this is a past and present story of what these two had to deal with during the war and after! Trying to understand why these horrible things were happening and why they had to be in the middle of it all! Thinking back to the war and how this mother and daughter survived and so many didnt! France got hit so hard with living conditions,no food,spies not knowing who to trust especially being a single mom! Very good read on survival!

With an abundance of WWII novels about women filling my feed/inbox/recommendations, I wasn't sure about this one, but I'm so glad I chose to read it. As the author herself explains, much has been written about the occupation of France, the plight of Jews and others in Paris, and the resistance, but not much has been written about the others, the people who were not resistance fighters, those just trying to survive.

Two alternate points in time and location, naturally. The characters were well-rounded, sympathetic, and thoughtful.

This is the first book I have read my Ellen Feldman. I really enjoyed her writing style and the story she crafted. This book deals shows how one woman, Charlotte, and her daughter built a life after living in occupied France. It unveils slowly. We learn through flashbacks what went on during the war and in the 1950's how Charlotte and Vivi deal with the past. A very good read that can easily have a sequel.

Thank you St, Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book. This is my honest review.

PARIS NEVER LEAVES YOU
BY ELLEN FELDMAN

This novel takes place with alternating timelines along with dual settings. The novel starts out with Charlotte raising her daughter Vivienne alone because she has been a widow from before World War Ii. They presently live in NYC and Charlotte works as an editor at her friend's publishing house. The book jumps back and forth in time and was a little unsettling at times because many times the narrative could be describing a time in Charlotte's life in the present and in the next paragraph without any identification skip backwards and start describing a past scene in Paris.

Charlotte was a native Parisian who was also living during the French resistance while the Germans occupied France. Everyone who has ever heard or read about the period of the French resistance during German occupied France knows that food was scarce and all it took was a minor infraction and one could be shuttled away to a German concentration camp.
Charlotte spends her days during the German occupation working in a bookstore. Julian who is dressed like a German officer is really a Jewish doctor hiding in plain sight from getting deported to a death camp himself. He starts frequently visiting the bookstore bringing food for Charlotte and her baby daughter Vivienne. At first Charlotte is repulsed by Julian because she doesn't know he is really Jewish and thinks he is the enemy. Little by little Julian gets Charlotte to warm up to him and they start an illicit love affair.

Remember that the French population towards the period when the allies entered France would root and murder anyone that they suspected collaborated with the Germans during the occupation and after. This makes it dangerous for Charlotte and Julian to be seen together. Even though Charlotte isn't reporting any of the Parisians or Jews to the Germans or supplying them with any information about the resistance she feels guilty by association for laying with Julian and they continue to do it.

This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. It is a quiet story that had me contemplating how much easier it is to forgive other people but when it comes to forgiving myself it is more difficult for me for some reason. I think Charlotte suffers from the same affliction and this story is among other things a quiet meditation on how self destructive it is to hold onto unearned guilt when which can quietly eat away at your soul. I did like this allegorical tale and I am still thinking about it. I think it will appeal to fans of literary historical fiction even though though the author who is an accomplished novelist drew her research from memoirs from the New York Institute.

Thank you to Net Galley, Ellen Feldman and the publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Paris won’t leave me anytime soon.

Paris Never Leaves You is well written and the story is told with finesse. Ms. Feldman grabbed my attention from the very beginning and did not let go until the end. Charlotte’s story of life in Nazi occupied Paris and after in America is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I could identify with her as a mother, and I could understand her motivations for protecting her child. I would love to finish Charlotte and Vivi’s story. What happens in 1954 Paris? Do they find lost family and friends? What about Simone?

A beautiful story sure to be enjoyed by all who read it.

What would you do if you suffered with survivor’s guilt? Could you witness atrocity after atrocity and come out unscathed? What emotional and psychic scars mar the soul of witnesses? If you leave the site of those atrocities do you ever truly leave or are you forever tied to time and place?

Paris Never Leaves You is a careful, thoughtful examination of those questions, crafted with humanity in all its pain and survival.

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950’s NYC, the novel tells the story of four such witnesses, each taking a bit of their past in to their present—perpetually grappling with it in search of healing and forgiveness.

The novel is a unique take on the on-lookers perspective (in particular) and offers a refreshing twist on the WWII hist fic genre.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099954334

**I received this books as an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review upon completion**

I am a huge World War II historical fiction fan and have read many books from the perspective of the Jewish families who have dealt with the atrocities of the Holocaust. This book told a very different story. This is the story of a Christian widow in Paris during the Occupation, she comes to depend upon a German soldier with a secret and he helps save her and her child from the Nazis.

I enjoyed the different take on the Occupation and the story was very well told and consistently kept my attention. I believe when released this story will do well amongst fans of the genre.

Set in Paris 1944 After Charlotte's husband death, she was working in a bookstore, fighting for her and her young daughter's life. The Germans were in control and it was very harsh conditions. A German Dr helps Charlotte and Vivi, her daughter and they are safely in New York City.
1954- Vivi is now 14 yrs old and Charlotte is working for Horace Field at his publishing co. Vivi has started asking questions about her father and her life.
Does Charlotte reveal her secrets to Vivi or keep her in the dark.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC