This book!!!!! The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles, was absolutely fantastic! These days, anything that takes me outside my house without actually leaving home, feels like such a gift. But The Paris Library was more than just a few hours of entertainment. I fell in love with these characters and I have a major book hangover right now!!!

The Paris Library by Janet Does CharLesion . Prior a you woman work in the A library in Paris and the other people keeping it going in war two.And a young women in the fighter. That have Some things in common.

This book is a delight! Historical fiction usually isn’t my sweet spot, but I adored this book. The characters are well-drawn, both primary and secondary. The dual timelines are both strong and equally well done, which isn’t always the case. The bookish Easter eggs throughout are sure to delight any reader. They added joy to an otherwise potentially heavy topic. I loved it, beginning to end.

This book had so many themes I just adored: WWII in Paris, books, libraries, romance, adventure. The different timelines added a huge richness to this story. I really loved Odile and Lily, though I do wish their story was fleshed out a bit more. I would've liked to see more of the connection between the pair.

4.5 Stars. I really, really loved this book. It had so many elements that I like to read: multiple timelines, WWII in Paris, books & libraries, romance and a coming of age aspect. Odile's story and that of the American Library in Paris during WWII were truly fascinating and I could not put it down. I also loved Lily's story and her strength as she came into her own. This really was such a captivating read, I could not put it down. I also always love when novels are based off real stories and events. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

3.5/5 stars.
I really wanted to enjoy The Paris Library more than I actually did. I loved the concept: WWII, librarian spies, France, coming of age, complex family dynamics, a bit of romance! I'm perfectly fine with dual timeline/multiple POV books and often enjoy hearing other characters' perspectives; however, they can be tricky to pull off, and I don't think it was executed well in The Paris Library. While I don't mind 1st person POV either, in this case I think the book would have been better off entirely in 3rd person, especially considering the occasional chapters of the other librarians' perspectives and the letters. There also needed to be better balance between the perspectives in terms of how much attention and page time was given to them and how often the perspectives switched. Additionally, although Odile ends up being a big influence on Lily. I wanted to actually hear more of their conversations rather than descriptions of what they briefly did aside from some big/crucial moments; we are more told than shown about their growing bond. Interestingly, though it at least seemed Odile got the most page time, I connected to Lily a bit more, although this is a purely subjective aspect of the reading experience and doesn't really affect my rating as much as the actual writing and construction/execution of the story. However, the last 1/4 or so of the book was quite emotionally impactful on me, and I felt I understood Odile's character a bit more, which is why I bumped it up to 3.5 instead of just a 3.
Although one of my most highly anticipated ARCs, and equally one of my most disappointing (unfortunately) I will still be encouraging others to read it because they might look for different things in books (such as not minding the switch in perspectives or finding the characters more personally relatable).

The theme of the story resonates with the core of my soul... the things that save us in hardship are friendship and a good book!

In Germany occupied France amidst sad news from the French war front, the American Library Paris became a place for community and respite. Odile is a young librarian learning to face the ever changing world of WW2. Books, friendship, a first love, and a determination to resist the oppressors take us on a lovely, albeit sorrowful, journey with her. I came to adore Odile, her bookish nature, and her willingness to learn through hardship as well as her own faults. This is a delightful read about a piece of WW2 history that I had never heard about prior.

This is a well researched novel memorably blending fact and fiction to bring to light the American Library Paris and its courageous and dedicated librarians. The library still thrives today.

As a person who loves quality literature, I loved the way the author dabbled quotes from classic literature to highlight how books grant guidance, peace, and joy in uncertain circumstances. The intertwining of the Dewey decimal system throughout the book was a quirky, fascinating touch.

While I enjoyed the story greatly, I also longed for more detail in the relationships and day to day interactions. I found that I wanted to rush through the portions of the story about her Montana neighbor, Lilly, so that I could hurry back to Odile’s story in Paris. Had the book focused solely on Odile, we could’ve gained a greater depth in the Paris story and her character.

Deepest thanks Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library is based upon true events that took place during WWII. The main focus is the American Library in Paris and those who were employed or volunteered there. Some characters were based on real staff. Central to the story is Odile who has finally secured her dream job of working at The American Library. Through her eyes, readers meet a wide and varied cast of supporting characters, each of whom offers a lens through which the events and effects of the war as it reached Paris can be viewed. But that setting is only part of the story.

The author, Janet Skeslien Charles, has woven two stories within the book. Readers are offered parallel threads that intersect: Odile's story that begins in 1939, Paris, and Lily's story set in 1983, Montana. Within the past are mysteries that are slowly revealed. The reality of war and the way it slowly turned people against one another is masterfully portrayed. No one is free from grief as brothers, sons, neighbors are wounded or killed in war.
Fast forward to 1983 and Lily and Odile are neighbor. Lily, a plucky high school girl manages to break through Odile's cold, reserved exterior. As Lily faces normal teen struggles, Odile offers a listening ear and sage advice. When Lily faces a dark trial, Odile becomes the anchor to which Lily ties her soul. And then, in a foolish act of teen curiosity, Lily discovers what she believes to be a dark and shameful secret from Odile's past. Can their friendship be restored or will they each remain stubbornly enmeshed in their own pain?

The book tells a compelling story and the dual story lines reveal how various characters wage their own personal war. The book shows the good, bad and ugly that often dwells within each one of us. Part of the good was the message that when we learn to share our pain with another person, a friendship can grow that will facilitate healing and growth. The bad included what I considered moral failings in Odile's younger days. I wish references could have been made without providing detailed descriptions of those lapses. Compared to the average offering on television and film, the book's content would be considered mild, but it's worth noting that I would not recommend this book for any but an adult audience. And the ugly represents the realization that we are all capable of hatred and despicable acts of betrayal. Learning how to forgive and seek restoration is perhaps the hardest war of all, but so worth winning.
You can pre-order the book today and it will be shipped to you upon its release on February 2, 2021. In the meantime, check out the author's website for a fascinating look at some of the real lives of characters in the book. The author has scanned images of photographs, reports and newspaper clippings, some of which detail the services that the American Library in Paris performed.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of The Paris Library through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

I was taken in by this historical fiction from the very beginning. Between the multiple narrators, carefully crafted suspense, and love of books woven throughout, I didn't want to put it down.

Another WWII book, but I did like it. I’m learning to enjoy this types of books.i believe this is the third of these I’ve read.

I have been disappointed in the historical fiction genre for a time, But this book has ended that disappointment. It was superb in every sense and one in which the author was able to blend fact and fiction flawlessly.

Taking us once again to Paris during the war, we meet a cast of characters who knew and espoused the idea that books are the answer to the ills of people who suffer. The American Library of Paris, like so many things was gravely affected during the wars. From books being banned, to people being denied access because of their backgrounds and what they believed, this library was able to survive and bring hope to his patrons.

The author reminds us of the way in which fascism worked. How it eliminates those ideas, those concepts, and those books which they feel are a challenge to what fascists espouse. For so many of us, the library has been a place of refuge, a place to escape the ills of the world and escape into a world where peace and words exist side by side.

Odile Souchethas found that perfect job, that of a librarian in the American Library of Paris. She and her coworkers are lovers of books, and through them the library and its patrons, including those who were banned, are able to find solace. These people become part of their own Resistance by seeing that books stayed a part of the way forward.

Years later, living in America, Odile comes to meet and counsel Lily, a young teenager who is unhappy and feels cut apart from life and love. Through their blossoming friendship, Lily learns of Odile's life, her struggles, and her strength. From Odile, Lily learns the meaning of courage and the ability to realize that everyone carries burdens some of which are harder than others.

This marvelous story comes highly recommended for both teaching us a piece of history not well known as well as presenting a story of bravery and the will to carry on even with adversity nipping at one's heels.

Thank you to Janet, Skeslien Charles, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this enlightening and poignant story, due out February 2, 2021.

For readers who loved the Nightingale, this is the often untold story of the American Library in Paris during WWII. The duel timelines (Odile in Paris during WWII and Lilly in Montana in 1985) present two sides of the story as you read and work through to the conclusion. While Janet Skeslien Charles does not shy away from the horrors of the time, she also is not overly graphic or without hope. As a reader, I so enjoyed reading about the difference books can make for those who are facing struggles, no matter how big. I love how she tied the actual, factual, true history right into the book.

Let me start off by saying that I wanted to be a librarian at the American Library in Paris after reading this book. The words on the pages brought me into a cozy world where books, pastries, and tea were abundant. Typically, I am a little bored with WW2 fiction in the beginning before the war actually starts. This was so different! I felt like one of the patrons of the library, and just wished they could remain untouched by the horrors that would soon be coming their way.

Odile is imperfect in the best way, sweet, brave, and anxious all at the same time. Everyone will be able to relate to her in some way. Read this book curled on on the sofa with a cup of tea and a cinnamon roll in order to get the full experience. If you're wondering if you should read it the answer is most definitely yes! I give this book 4/5 stars!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is about the American Library Paris (ALP), which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. The author, who worked at the ALP, has created a beautiful work of fiction that incorporates many of the actual employees of the library during World War II. In the beginning of the war, the library sent over 20,000 books to French, British, and Czechoslovakian troops and the Foreign Legion. After the German occupation of France, the library was able to remain open as long as it did not circulate banned books or allow Jews to enter. The librarians regularly defied the Nazis to make sure all subscribers, including the Jewish ones, were able to have books to read. The ALP staff’s dedication reminds us of how literature binds us all together.

The main character of the novel is Odile, who was an ALP librarian during World War II, but is now a lonely widow living in Froid, Montana in the 1980s. The 1980s story centers around Odile’s relationship with a teenage girl, Lily, who lives next door. The two become close, with Odile teaching Lily to speak French. Odile can see Lily making some of the same mistakes Odile made as a young woman and gently tries to put Lily on a different course.

The World War II plot centers around the emotions of being in an occupied country. What makes a friend, what is loyalty, who is a traitor, what is love, and how to forgive are all questions pondered. Odile is forced to face these questions along with learning the importance of keeping secrets. When she fails, her life is never the same.

5-Stars. Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks, for my advanced reader copy of this novel. The expected publication date is February 2, 2021. If you enjoy historical fiction, be sure to add this to your To Be Read list

On the brink of WWII, when Odile Souchet is hired as a librarian at the English speaking American Library in Paris, she enters a world of thinkers, book lovers, and activists ready to protect of everyone's right to read. There are librarians, trustees, and subscribers, some real, some fictional, all adding richness to the story. For instance, the Director of the ALP, Miss Reeder, a real character, was the force behind the Soldiers' Service which sent books to soldiers. When other libraries had been ransacked and closed by the invaders, she faced the Nazi “Book Protector” to keep the library open and defied the Bibliotheksschutz by secretly delivering books to Jewish subscribers who had been barred from the library by the Nazis. At home, Odile's parents are still reliving the losses of WWI, but her twin brother, Remy, has been supporting the refugees from the Spanish Civil War, and then he enlists in the French Army. Fast forward to 1983-4 in Froid, Montana, where Lily, a teenager, has interjected her self into Odile Gustafson's life, her reclusive neighbor, so she can interview her for a school project. Both have suffered loss, and felt the impact of their decisions, but the multigenerational bonds they form, allows for resolution of past events, and for new doors to open. The use of the dewey decimal system in the chapter heading sets the theme of each chapter, and books titles highlight specific events. There are several storylines in both time periods, and the ending ties the bow on the complete package.

Although this book has garnered plenty of great reviews, I had a difficult time loving it, due to several issues., having to do with unrealistic characterization, coupled with a combination of extremely unlikely events and a split-storyline narrative that just didn’t mesh smoothly for me. I was turned off of this book from the first chapter with the business about the Odile’s passionate love affair with The Dewy Decimal System. Sorry, that just was a goofy element for the author the keep harping on. I get it that Odile loved the library and the people and books within it, but loving The Dewy Decimal System?? And then we flip to Lilly’s storyline and that just didn’t work for me at all. Her character felt flat to me, as if she was never really fleshed out as a “whole character” but was rather just a literary vehicle being used to connect the reader to Odile’s current life. I will be honest in admitting I did not finish this book because it just wasn’t holding my interest. I thought the idea of the book was good, and wanted to enjoy it, but would like to have read about more complex realistic characters and a more believable plot.

Some things never change. A father’s love and wanting the best for his daughter, love and loss, life experiences spanning generations and continents and that you need to go beyond first impressions and really get to know who people really are. A lovely story that keeps you on your toes with story lines past and more recent.

I really enjoyed the time-period in this book, the characters felt like they belonged in it. I really enjoyed reading this book and would enjoy more from the author.

I loved this book! If you are a lover of historical fiction and love a good book that highlights the importance of books and literature you HAVE to read this one. Absolutely phenomenal!

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction so I am always looking for stories that are from a different point of view. This book tells the story of librarians in Paris trying to save the collection at the American Library from the Nazis. Told in two parts, this story follows the life of Odile Souchet when she is in Paris and then later in Montana. I really enjoyed this book and the way that the author described the struggles of the resistance in Paris, Odile's internal struggle and concern for her family, and the how she handled the general atmosphere in France during that time. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the modern day portion of the story as much. I understand that it was used to explain more about Odile's life and choices however it was told from the point of view of her neighbor Lily. Lily's story is not nearly as interesting and I found that those parts of the book dragged. Overall, I would recommend this book for a different story set during this time period.