The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book takes place in Paris while world war 2 is approaching from a distance. Lately I have loved reading books such as this one because it does an amazing job of showing how little many knew about what was actually going on when they weren’t the ones directly effected. However, this book shows how the citizens of Paris were still brave, and hurt, during the war. This book is so charming but yet so deep as it follows the bravery and betrayals of a young librarian trying to make it through the hardships of the war. If you love historical fiction, charming French settings, or books about books then I highly recommend this one. It comes out on Tuesday the 8th!

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Ms. Charles, a former librarian at the American Library of Paris, has written this work of historical fiction. The main story takes place in Paris during World War II. The other story takes place in Montana during very recent times.

Highly recommended for public libraries and book clubs.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of The Paris Library, which is based on a true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris. The book alternates between 1983 Montana, where Lily struggles to find her place at school and her changing family dynamic; to 1939 Paris where a young Odile has started her first job at the American Library in Paris.

I loved reading the Paris plotline as Odile and her fellow librarians fought to keep the library doors open and get books to its readers during the German occupation of World War II. Then back to 1983 where Lily begins a friendship with her neighbor, a now older Odile. Aside from my fascination for the 1939 library plotline, there was plenty of suspense in both timelines to keep me turning the page. This is a must-read especially for historical fiction fans.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just to start off by saying this was a good book the best book I have ever read no but overall very enjoyable I learned a lot from it about the ww2 and the American library in Paris I have also been doing more research into events that happened in this book which I would have never know about I would say if you are planning or reading it go into knowing some about the war it is about a young lady who loves the library and how that love for the library carries over to her love for helping subscribers (patrons) find the perfect book for her as they did for her as a kid it also is about how she fell in love and did what was right along with some wrong and how it helped her make a impact on a young girls live when she got older I would definitely recommend this book I just think it was a little harder for me to grasp due to know knowing a lot about Paris when it came to the war

The Paris Library
A Novel
by Janet Skeslien Charles
Atria Books
You Like Them
Historical Fiction
Pub Date 09 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 01 Jul 2021

I really like historical fiction, but this one just wasn't a good match for me. It was slow going and I couldn't get interested in the dual timeline. I liked the Paris storyline the most. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the
ARC. Not my favorite book.

3 star

I wanted to love this one, because I’m a sucker for library stories and WWII books. However I didn’t like, don’t get me wrong I loved the Paris setting. But even that couldn’t the two main characters Odile in 1939 France and then Lily in 1983 Montana. Lily was supposed to be a teenager but the way she was written and her behavior she seemed younger than teenage. I had high hopes for this one.

I really enjoyed the history of the PARIS library and Odile, the main character has such strength and humble beginnings .I liked the dual timelines with Lily a very inquisitive teen who learns so much from Odile while struggling with her mothers health issues . Remarkable story !

I was excited to read this one, as it has two of my favorite things in the title--Paris and Library! This one was a slow start for me, and the book as a whole was a bit slow moving for me. The dual time lines that seems to be the recipe for every single WW2 historical fiction lately made it harder for me to get really invested in the book. I loved the Paris story line the most. Overall I liked the book but didn't love it as much as I'd hoped.

It was an insightful view of the times in Paris before and during WWII. A coming of age story set upon the memories of a librarian in Paris, the love,, the pain and the joy really touched me. There was a mystery line in the middle part of the story that was handled well. The part after WWII seemed rushed. All in all a great read.

I'm a few weeks late in typing up my review but I absolutely devoured this book. While I enjoy historical fiction books, my favorite ones to read are centered around WWII and The Paris Library was different than any I'd read before. I enjoyed that it was focused on the American Library in Paris and the brave librarians who kept it open during the Nazis occupation of France. They put their own lives at risk in order to continue supplying their Jewish patrons with books after the Nazis banned them from visiting in person.
I love that some of the characters were based on real people. What they did was admirable and it's amazing what they accomplished.

The book seamlessly alternates between Paris in 1939-1944 and Montana in 1983-1989.
In Paris we follow Odile Souchet when she begins working at the American Library in Paris in 1939.
In Montana we follow Lily Jacobsen, a lonely seventh grader who decides to interview her reclusive neighbor Odile Gustafson for a school report on France.
Odile begins teaching Lily French while telling her about her former life in Paris during WWII. I love the friendship that develops between them. Odile is there for Lily as her mothers health declines and becomes not only a friend but a mentor to the young girl. My heart completely broke for both of them.

I appreciate that both Odile and Lily are flawed characters who've made mistakes but were able to learn from them and grow. It's more realistic. While I enjoyed both timelines, I have to admit that I preferred Odile's story to Lily's. Her story was intriguing and as heart-wrenching as that time period was I couldn't read fast enough. I liked learning more about the American Library in Paris and after reading the authors note, I can appreciate the book even more.

The Paris Library was well-researched and beautifully written. I would highly recommend picking this up if you're a lover of historical fiction!

The Paris Library was an interesting novel to read. I enjoyed learning about the American Library in Paris and the librarians who kept it functioning during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The novel demonstrates the power of friendship and the power of books. The part I didn’t like was the dual timeline-the part set in Montana in the 1980s. I had no interest in an adolescent girl who was trying to pry into Odile’s life and also unsatisfied with her own. The book became almost YA fiction in those parts. Odile’s life was interesting enough to make this novel complete.

I love historical fiction novels, especially those centered around WWII. I loved that The Paris Library had a new focus that I had not seen before, centered around those who tried to keep libraries open to the public, and the books themselves being protected from the Nazi's. I also love when the heroine's have flaws. None of us are perfect, and to see the mistakes that Odile made, and still love her character, was a true testament to the character building that took place with her. I also loved that the book focused on showing different aspects for people when the Nazi's invaded France. There were those that were happy, those that were angry, those that fell in love, and those that were forever lost. It was such a horrendous time, and yet it repeatedly turns into beautiful novel.s. I really enjoyed The Paris Novel.

Really great book! How Lily’s and Odile’s stories intertwined was what made it for me. It was definitely a different twist on WW2 historical fiction, yet so refreshing. Worth the read and the non-fiction aspects of the book added to its character AND its characters. I’ll surely be visiting the ALP this summer when I visit Paris.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book through NetGalley from Atria Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Without toi, there’s no moi.”
― Janet Skeslien Charles, The Paris Library

By 1939 Odile couldn't ask anything better from her life. A new job at American Library in Paris brought her not only joy but many great new friends. Her relationship with the family couldn't be better, loving parents and supportive twin brother. And of course, nouvel amour, that took her breath away. Odile's happiness was short-lived as her beloved country and city were occupied by Nazi's and her idyllic life came to an end. As the War progressed and brought sorrow into her life, Odile began to make decisions that affected the lives of the ones she dearly loved.

By 1983 Odile found herself in a new country, living a new lonely life when a knock on the door gave her an opportunity to make an impact on a young girl's life. Meeting Lily and getting to know her family, and later supporting the young girl thru grief and grand change in her young life made Odile take a look back at her life, and for the first time open up and tell her story, and share her shame.

Odile and Lily's friendship warmed my heart. Despite the significant age difference, they learned a lot from each other's character. I wanted to love this novel, the build-up to Odile's final twist in the novel was grander than the actual ending to her Parisian affair. It was a good but slow read. I read the book in my free time but I didn't free my time to read the book. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ebook. I was very excited with the premise of the American Paris Library being open to all during WWII. This book was a 3 star for me. I found Odile at times frustrating like she tried to ignore there was a war going on and was so immature with her friendships. The dual timeline with Lily and Odile fell flat for me. It took a long time for them to develop a friendship and with Lily’s snooping to discover Odile’s past.

I loved The Paris Library! I'm a WWII historical fiction fan and this was everything I hoped it would be!

As a book lover, who doesn't love a complicated story that revolves around the lives of those in charge of taking care of a library during a war and ensuring access to books at the American Library in Paris?! The jumps between 1939/WWII and the 1980s were seamless and helped deepen the story.

I fell in love with Odile as she came into adulthood and figured out who she was, what values she stood for, and how she ended up in Montana. And I loved how she became a guiding and steadying force in Lily's life.

In fact, I fell in love with every imperfect character, the lessons and anecdotes shared from favorite books, and the reminders of how books (and libraries) have the power to connect each one of us.

This historical novel takes place in two time periods. In Paris before and during World War II, we see things from the perspective of Odile, a young French woman who gets a job at the American Library in Paris. And in Montana in the 1980s, we see the perspective of Lily, a sad teenage girl who gets to know her older French neighbor - Odile. So unlike some dual time period historical novels, it doesn’t bury the connection between the two stories, though I will say that though they are both very good, they didn’t really gel into a way that made me understand mixing them into one book until almost the very end - but then it really came together. I also enjoyed learning from the acknowledgements that not only was the American Library a real place, but many of the minor characters working at the library were real as well. If you enjoy World War II fiction, definitely add this one to your to read list.

In the Paris Library we are swept up in the story of Odile, a young librarian working at the American Library. With the Nazi's occupation of Paris, Odile must learn to navigate family expectations, helping to keep the library open and the harsh realities of war. No one is above suspicion and there are lasting consequences for the choices that are made. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this memorable story of friendship, courage, loss and betrayal.

THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles is a February2021 LibraryReads selection as well as being a "most anticipated book" for Library Journal and Goodreads. I truly enjoyed learning about the library (where Skeslien Charles has actually worked) and its functioning during WWII. The story alternates between Paris during the war where Parisian Odile is a young girl with her first job in the reading room and in Montana in the 1980's where Odile, now widowed and a bit of a recluse, is neighbor to Lily who recently lost her mother. Readers will appreciate both the European setting with its sense of menacing German occupation and the more modern intergenerational story where Odile and Lily gradually set loneliness aside, develop trust, and support each other. A coming of age tale involving friendship, betrayal, and books.

Novel reveals wartime heroism at the library
By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star
A By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star
A personal connection of the author to a story seems to give a novel even more life on the pages. Such is the case of Janet Skeslien Charles’ “The Paris Library.” I seem to have chosen a wonderful assortment of World War II fiction lately, this being the most recent. Charles actually worked at the American Library of Paris, a unique library in France providing books in English and other languages to the residents of the city. This book is based on the story of the heroic librarians who struggled to keep the library open during the German Occupation.

“The Paris Library” has dual timelines: Paris in 1939, and Froid, Mont., in 1983. Odile is fresh out of library school. Against her father’s wishes, she seeks and acquires a position at The American Library of Paris. She has loved the library since her aunt first took her there and taught her how to use the card catalog and the Dewey Decimal System. (Odile categorizes much of her life using Dewey.) Her father, a police captain who is determined his daughter will marry, brings a new young, single cop home for dinner every week, much to Odile’s dismay. She becomes an integral staff member of the library, and comes to care deeply for the staff and the international group of members who frequent the library nearly every day. World War II impinges upon their lives in unspeakable ways. The characters are brilliantly developed, and I came to really care about them.

In Montana, Lily is experiencing typical teenage angst combined with a great loss. When she decides to interview her reclusive neighbor, Odile, a war widow, for a school assignment. They discover that they are similar in some ways—“the same love of language, the same longings, the same lethal jealousy.” Odile teaches Lily to speak French and makes Paris during the war come alive with her stories as she becomes a mentor to the teen, whose home life is rather chaotic. While it is lovely to see their friendship blossom, Paris during the war provides the backdrop for the primary story. I must add that the love of books and reading and the importance of libraries to a community also play major role.


The author’s notes were wonderful, going into great detail revealing which characters in the book were real people, and giving even more details about Paris during the occupation. The bravery of the librarians to get materials to patrons when they were no longer permitted in the library was stunning. This book was obviously well-researched and gives the reader a perfect view of a part of wartime that I had never even thought about prior to reading it.

It is a book about families torn apart, friends lost and found, fear, hope, inspiration and books and a love of reading. Bravo to Janet Skeslien Charles for a job well done.