I can see why this was a book of the month pick!! What an excellent story. I felt like I was actually in Paris. This is an example of where the timeline could have been a disaster but it worked out beautifully. I loved the writing, the character, and the entire story.

Set in 1920s Paris, this novel is one for the sense with references to the sights, sounds, and haunts of notable creative Parisians and American expats. It took nearly to the end of the novel for the stories of each of the characters to mesh together into a singular narrative and for that reason I rated this book 4/5; I didn't identify with or connect with any of the characters, so for most of the narrative I felt like a casual observer. It is well written, but is best suited for the patient reader due to the slow pace, numerous characters, and nonlinear narrative structure.

#NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a galley copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was this gorgeous green cover that first caught my eye! The Paris Hours by Alex George takes place in one day. ONE DAY? A whole book? Yes. If 20th Century Paris is a place you want to be rooted in for a while, you need to read this beautifully written novel about a single day in 1927.

Synopsis:

Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.

Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.

I am so intrigued by Paris and hope to get there someday. In the meantime, its books like this help us to escape into characters, their thoughts, and feelings, their memories. Each of the four main characters has a story to tell and I enjoyed each one and how they connected.

May 5th, pre-order here!

The Paris Hours by Alex George is a stunning and unique historical fiction novel that connects the lives of four people in 1927 Paris: Souren, an Armenian refugee and puppeteer who tells tales of tragedy over happy-endings, Guillaume, a poor and lovesick painter who fears retribution for his unpaid debts, Jean-Paul, a journalist who is held back by his painful past, and Camille, a former maid who fears who betrayal and secret will be exposed. Over the course of one day, their lives will intertwine in ways unimaginable.
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The Paris Hours by Alex George is composed of short chapters, each detailing a perspective of a main character. Although the story itself takes place during a single day, George includes flashbacks for each character, allow readers to better understand their points of view, hardships, and emotions.
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George very intricately and precisely weaves the lives of these characters together, conjuring palpable emotions of regret, love, longing, and sorrow. The novel is less than 300 pages, yet George manages to very meticulously create tangible stories of these four connected people, each seeking what they have lost. With a beautiful and shocking ending, George leaves readers satisfied yet yearning for more.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to Flatiron Books, Alex George, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some things are forgettable, but misfortune is not. It dogs you relentlessly once it gets the scent of defeat.

Down-and-out, a day late, the wolf at the door all pull up a chair and take residence within the pages of The Paris Hours. But lest you feel the weight of all that suppressing you about now, remember that a determined and undaunted soul travels through life with mop and bucket in hand.

Alex George sets this story in the midst of the streets of Paris in the late 1920's. The world is still trying to find balance between recovery after the war and the weight of still aching wounds carried within by its citizens and by those misplaced and wayward souls wandering through those streets. Alex George will introduce us to four individuals who will find themselves stepping into connecting links that will snap back and forth across this incredible storyline. He will cleverly slip in characters like Josephine Baker, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway in order to get a real feel for life in Paris during this time period.

Souren Balakian, an Armenian seeking sanctuary in Paris, has set up a puppet theater on the streets to entertain and to benefit from the coins thrown into his open suitcase. We'll come to find that Souren's escape from Armenia was a dangerous and treacherous one.

Guillaume Blanc is an undiscovered artist of questionable talent who needs desperately to pay back a loan that hangs over his head like a guillotine. His art dealer, Emile Brataille, has set up a meeting with Gertrude Stein who dabbles in acquiring up and coming art pieces. Will he catch her eye?

Jean Paul Maillard is a newspaper writer sent to interview the famous and lovely Josephine Baker. Be ready for Jean Paul's backstory. It's gonna grab you.

Camille Clermont is the wife of Olivier and mother of young Marie. When she and her husband were first married, she worked as a chambermaid and companion for Marcel Proust. Camille's relationship with Proust will have a bearing that will spread in quite a few directions here.

The Paris Hours is a remarkable character study by this talented author. Alex George pulls threads through tiny openings unseen by the naked eye. The descriptors are rich and full in presenting life in Paris at such a tumultuous era with people desperate to escape the harsh realities of life. Happiness faded quickly if you didn't keep it front and center. Our characters will be signaling us with just that. Grab this one. It will stay with you for quite some time.

I received a copy of The Paris Hours through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Flatiron Books and to Alex George for the opportunity.

Lyrical and resonant exploration of a day in the life of four residents of 1927 Paris. As the point of view shifts among the characters, their storylines of loss and regret interlock ever tighter into an intense conclusion. Loved it.

Historical Fiction that is both inviting and compelling.

This book makes you want to read more after the first few pages. Those are my types of books! I'm always looking for a hook. I can soundly give a book five stars if it does one of three things: 1) is a pageturner, 2) has remarkable writing and/or 3) has exceptional plot development. In my opinion, this book had all three and more. I definitely was taken in with the plot immediately. I felt the writing was more than on point. In addition, I was fully engaged in the plotline and storyline from page one. This book is stellar and I happily give it five stars! In addition, I believe it'd be an easy handsell with both my historical fan customers and customers who want something different. I think I could convince non/historical fiction fans that this is a good book if they are looking for an "in-between" or "palate cleanser". So I project it'll be a great seller!

A little about the plot: This is one of those books that is told throughout the course of one day. Four characters are introduced and we get to know them all. This book took place in old world Paris in 1927. It was overflowing with cultural references and history.

I LOVED it!