As the generations die, our firsthand connection to the past also disappears which is just a cylindrical part of life. There is the saying that if you don’t learn from the past it is destined to repeat itself, which is why it is vital that newer generations find a method to reach back in time and learn so that humanity can continue to move forward; to make the future better for the generations to come.

The Paris Library takes the reader back to the hell that was World War Two when one country turned against another. When one nation took away the liberty of another. When people were guilty of nothing more than being the wrong religion, nationality, sexuality, or physicality.
There are many books on this topic, indeed whole libraries can be created on this one topic alone. People dedicate their whole lives to researching and finding methods to teach others the lessons that needed to be learnt from this period of history. This novel takes the reader to a place to understand the impact and response of people who were involved with the American Library in Paris, a place that took pride in its openness to all, for being a place in which a person could come and discover new ideas, expand their minds and create friendships with people beyond their normal scope of interaction.

The main character in The Paris Library is Odile, a smart young woman who has just landed a dream job at the American Library, ensuring her independence at the start of the novel. The reader is taken back and forth in history to Odile at the beginning of the war where she is a librarian and to the Odile in the present day, living her life as a widow in a quiet country town in America, where she has developed a relationship with Lily, a young teenager finding her way through a tough adolescence.

The reader is given both the story of Odile, a young French woman, finding her way in a time when women were still expected to want nothing more than to get married, have children and look after the home to ensure that her husband is happy, a part that Odile is somewhat reluctant to play. She is envious of her twin brother Remy’s freedom and his determination to make a difference in the world. But then Remy marches off to war and Odile falls in love with Paul. Odile is not a perfect character. She is naïve and self-centred, she is young and courageous, she is silly and wise. And as the course of the novel reveals, she makes mistakes that have devastating consequences. As an older woman, the story discloses that she has learnt a great many lessons from her past experiences, and willingly she teaches Lily the wisdom needed to be a good daughter, friend and how to be true to yourself.

Lily herself is a young teenager, complete with all the angst and joy that that age is to a person. She is well fleshed out, being both fearful of what others will think and say, and fearless in her desire to go out and take on the world. Faced with a heartbreaking family issue, Lilly is forced to grow up in a less than ideal and yet all too often common situation faced by young people in society today. Desperate to leave behind small-town America, Lily bonds with Odile over a love of ‘the different’ and France. The story comes full circle when Lily is gifted the opportunity to teach Odile a life truth and make a difference in her current circumstance.

This book is at turn heart wrenching and delightful. It explores the meaning of true courage. It gives the reader insight into the daily life of occupation and war, of friendship, love, and death. It gives one more thread of insight for current and future generations to hold onto, to learn about the tragedy of when superiority and hatred of another can destroy a whole generation. It also teaches truth and forgiveness, both of self and others.

This is a not to be missed book. Beautiful.

I was completely captivated by this book - from start to finish. The characters were magical and the writing and plot were perfect. I had never read anything by this author before, but I will be going back to find some of her earlier works.

First of all, the dual timeline put me off until I was a little further into the book, but then it was a much easier read. Secondly, Odeile was magnificent. I felt like I was learning about a period of history that I had never knew through her! I had never heard of the American Library, so I was entralled by just the thought of it. The other characters, particularly Paul and Margaret, were so real that I developed an image in my mind that is still with me.

This book, if you are interested in WWII historical fiction, will take you back to that time in ways you hadn't imagined! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Oh, The Paris Library. This book was an okay read for me. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. What I enjoyed most about this book was the history of The American Library and all that was sacrificed to get books in people’s hands who desperately needed them. This was a true story and I applaud all that these librarians were able to do during an extremely difficult time. I also liked the references to the Dewey decimal system. That was a really unique touch to the book.

What bugged me the most about The Paris Library is that it felt like we only got the surface of what this war was really like. Especially in Paris... I expected more... so much more depth and struggle and sacrifice. The characters fell a bit flat to me and I wished the ending wasn’t wrapped up so quickly.

If you enjoy a true story, WWll novels and learning more about The American Library then by all means check this one out. & then come talk to me about it when you finish ☺️

Thank you so much to @netgalley & @atriabooks for the opportunity to read this book

This sentimental book spans decades and continents with a captivating plot. The book starts out slow but picks up the pace nicely, with subplots superbly spun for historical fiction fans. There are a few loose ties that I wish had been addressed, but it is a wonderful and at times enlightening book, nonetheless.

THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles takes us to Paris during World War II and Froid, Montana in the early 1980’s. What could tie these two very different places together? In 1939, Odile Souchet has graduated from the university and hopes to put her love of books and the Dewey Decimal system to use by obtaining a job in the one place she always felt comfort: The American Library in Paris. Odile quickly becomes a part of life at the library, easily integrating with those who work there, and the subscribers they support. Odile works and makes friends, and then, the War comes to the library. As the War progresses, the Library and its employees work to continue its mission, and keep the doors open, doing whatever they can, including delivering books to their Jewish subscribers, despite the danger it ultimately poses to them. In the 1980’s, Lily gives in to her curiosity and knocks on her neighbor’s door, asking for an interview for a school project. Odile has lived in Froid since the end of the War, but never quite fit in, and what starts as a school project evolves over the years to a relationship as close as family. Odile teaches Lily about books and the French, slowly revealing the story of her life during the War and how the Library influenced her actions.
In Odile, Charles created a multi-dimensional character who is forced to grow up and evolve, realizing that everything she does can and does have an impact on more than just her life. With the dual timeline, we are able to watch this unfold and see how she has grown from it as she imparts her knowledge and life experience to Lily at a time when she needs someone to take that interest in her and her life. Charles also wove together a fascinating and compelling story that had me reluctant to put it down because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. It was also interesting to see WWII from a different view and learn more about something I didn’t know existed. If you like historical fiction, and want different look at WWII, you shouldn’t pass this one by.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheParisLibrary #JanetSkeslienCharles #AtriaBooks

I love that this book focused on the role of books historically. It was very well written and I enjoyed the different timelines.

So far this has been my favorite read for 2021! I loved both the story and the characters, so much so that I didn’t want it to end. It’s an excellent historical novel where the author has based her story on actual events that occurred during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The author also uses the real names of several people who were involved in these events. The story focuses on Odile, a young librarian who works at the American Library in Paris. This library had been established in 1920 under the auspices of the American Library Association to serve the United States armed forces during World War I. After the Nazis take control of Paris, the library has to deal with various difficult and dangerous issues, including the constant threat of being shut down, censorship, and being forced to bar certain patrons from using their services. The heroic librarians defied the Nazis and delivered books to Jewish patrons and others who had been barred from using the library.

There’s another story line that takes place in Montana during the 1980s. Odile has become a surrogate mother to a troubled teenage girl, Lily, who has been struggling to adjust to life with her new stepmother. I found this story line especially interesting as I was about the same age of Lily during the 1980s. The relationship that develops between Odile and Lily is quite heartwarming. We see how Odile has learned from her mistakes and how she tries to help make Lily a better person. We also learn how Odile needed Lily as much as Lily needed her, maybe ever more so.

I found the characters interesting because they were far from perfect. In fact, I was actually shocked by the actions of some of my favorite characters. I strongly disagreed with a decision that Odile makes towards the end of the novel. Some of the other likable characters end up performing ignoble deeds. There’s plenty of Sturm und Drang in this novel!

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good historical novel with complicated but likable characters. This novel would also be good for book clubs as there is much to discuss in terms of the less than noble actions the characters are guilty of.

If you like WWII YA fiction, this book needs to be added to your TBR. The plot follows Odile, a young Parisian working at the American Library in Paris during the war. We see how Odile adapts to life under German occupation and a life where her friends and family are taken from her without reason. We also travel ahead a few decades to a small town in Montana, where we live the life of Odile's young neighbor, Lily. Lily is fascinated by Odile and the two form a strong friendship. Odile's loneliness and longing for her home in France seems to fade with Lily's presence. I truly loved watching the two become friends and learning about how the young and brave librarian Odile turned into a reclusive widow in a small town in America. The ending of Odile's story was shocking and explained things perfectly. I appreciated Lily's different perspective into Odile's past and wish we could have seen Odile reach out to her past friends in France.

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the free advance copy of The Paris Library!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Books and ideas are like blood; they need to circulate, and they keep us alive.”
It is not often that I pick up a World War II historical fiction novel, but the early buzz around this book, and the fact that it’s centered on a library made me pull the trigger on requesting. I’m glad I did, but there were elements I felt lacking and I wanted more from the story.
The narrative is set up in a dual timeline, one obviously during the war when the main character Odile is a young librarian at the American library in Paris, and the other in the 1980s when Odile is a widow living in Montana. The author creates that sense of urgency to learn how she ended up so far from home, but I felt as if the journey to that understanding was packed with unnecessary character building and seemed to sag in the middle. Once I learned how fate brought her to the United States, the book is almost over and that’s when I wanted to know MORE. There is a lot to unpack about friendship in both timelines, and was what made the book so compelling. Things JUST GOT INTERESTING with the young Lily in the 80s and potentially her friend Margaret from the war years when the book abruptly comes to an end.
I definitely recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction, and it was fascinating to read the prologue about the characters from the book that were actual historical figures. I honestly wouldn’t mind a small sequel perhaps, so that I could find out what became of Lily, Margaret and Odile!

Fans of historical fiction and libraries, this is a must read. What I most loved about this one is its depiction of what librarianship can be at its very best- the relentless provision of information and books to all people. Don't skip the author's note where she tells of the real librarians (some of whom are depicted in the book) who did this work at the American Library in Paris during World War II. THe devastation and horrors of the war are always close at hand. Really, really loved this one.

Based on the real American Library in Paris (ALP), this story alternates between German occupied Paris and 1980s Montana. Odile, a true bibliophile, is thrilled to be offered a job at the ALP and we meet many colorful characters who both keep the library functioning and those who patronize it during World War II. Fast forward to the 1980s, and we are introduced to Lily, a young girl who strikes up a friendship with the mysterious Frenchwoman, Odile, who lives next door. The story then unfolds, alternating between the two timeframes.

It seems I’ve been reading a lot of books about the women who lived through World War II in Europe and they start to be redundant. This was a refreshingly different take on that time period with the added benefit of seeing into the future.

Yes, this is a story about the power of books to unite people, to heal, and to inspire,
but it is also a tale of relationships, morality, human nature, triumph over adversity.

Well written, engrossing…., I loved this book.

The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles, is a WWII book like no other.  Fans of WWII novel and those who are not will take away a unique view of the war and the struggles it unleashed.  Seen through the eyes of the staff at the American Library in Paris, Charles states “My goal in writing the book was to share this little-known chapter of World War II..” My favorite quote from the book was “During bad times, remember nothing lasts forever.”  The use of call numbers through out the book added a charming touch that all books lovers will enjoy.

I had no idea when I started this book that it was based in truth and that many of the characters were real. The struggles of the American Library of Paris during World War II were intense and very real. The characters believed strongly in the value of the written word and what it provides tot he human race. They not only provided books to the patrons in France (of many nationalities), but they sent books to soldiers and smuggled books to those Jews who were no longer admitted because of the German invasion.
The dual timeline was extraordinary in this case. It exhibited the life of Odelie during the war and then in America in the 1980's. Not only did she go through the hardships of the war, but she experienced many traumatic events based around her friendships with many people at the Library. She experienced extreme loss and betrayal.
This book shook me to the core when I discovered the people were real when reading the author's notes at the end. It's so hard to believe what these people went through and were witness to. This is an incredible book that should be read by everyone!.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Really enjoyed this- love the dual timelines and the way the story wove together! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this one did not disappoint.

I could not stop thinking about The Paris Library when I wasn't reading it. The characters were so well written that they became real. The story itself was facinating and heart wrenching. The connection between WWII Paris and 1980s Montana was one I would have never thought worked but both storylines were engaging and thought provoking. I highly recommend The Paris Library to any historical fiction fans. 5 stars

I really enjoyed this dual timeline story about Odile's life at the American Library of Paris during the war. Lily's story in the 1980s and her friendship with Odile provides a good tool to tell the story of both lives (Lily's and Odile's). As with most war novels, we see a lot of tragedy and hardship, however there is also friendship, love, forgiveness and so much more. The reader is faced with moral questions - what would one do if faced with that reality and those choices at that time? I loved all the book references and quotes as well as the countless French phrases. Highly recommend.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a historical fiction that is sure to take you away to another place in time. A story set during World War II tells the story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris. The author pulls you in from the beginning and holds your attention with this unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature. The Paris Library is a captivating story that is sure to stay with you long after reading.

It was fascinating to learn about the American library and the Dewey decimal system. At the same time, it was truly heartbreaking to see what it was like to live in Paris during the occupation. I admired the brave librarians who continued to put their lives on the line every day, for the sake of books and their patrons. And the fact that it was based on true events and actual people, made it that much more captivating. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC for my honest review.

Books about books are my favorite type of reading so this book had me at the title! I also read a lot of WWII books so I knew I would really enjoy this story. Set in two timelines I enjoyed both stories equally but I adored the character Oldie and her most perfect job as a librarian and getting to spend everyday amongst stacks of books. What a dream!
Oldie works at the American Library in Paris and can't imagine her life without books. When the Nazis invade Paris they quickly lay down the law that no Jews are allowed books. Along with her fellow librarians they will find a way to get the books to those who treasure them the most even if it means they are putting themselves and their friends at risk. If you can't beat them, join them, Oldie joins the resistance and her weapon of choice is books, and the freedom to read to those who treasure it the most.
Lily lives in Montana and is an awkward teenager looking for something to do. When her elderly neighbor takes interest in her she has no idea just whats in store for her. Generations between them Lily quickly realizes the two have much in common and become fast friends. Secrets can't be hidden forever and Lily will learn a lot about her neighbor that will surprise her.

Odile is a young French woman who loves books and organizing them using the Dewey Decimal system. When she was a child, her favorite aunt took her to the American Library in Paris and fostered Odile's love for reading and desire to be a librarian. She accepts her dream job at the library in 1939 as the world is inching toward the outbreak of war. We meet the library's regular patrons (or "subscribers") through Odile's optimistic eyes and then see how the staff pulls together to keep their material available to as many people as possible through the hardships of the Nazi occupation.
Lily is an American tween in 1980s Montana who takes an interest in her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gustafson, who is still seen as an outsider after nearly 40 years in the small community. She peppers her with questions about life in exotic-sounding Paris and soon comes to depend on this connection through her mother's illness and death and her father's remarriage.
The characters are a key component of this book. Odile's colleagues at the library are inspiring, her protective parents and fun-loving brother are sweet, and her quirky patrons offer comic relief. Lily's very different coming of age experience in rural Americana is full of emotions as she learns from the older Odile. Lessons of love and loss, loyalty and betrayal abound. My thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
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