Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Odile is fresh out of school and only wants to work for the American Library in Paris. She starts her job and then the war starts. Fast forward and Odile is in her 80’s, a widow and living in Montana. All the neighbors know about her is that she is a war bride with a lot of secrets. This book is during the war but doesn’t focus on it. Good read! #theparislibrary #janetskesliencharles #feb2021

An exciting, unusual glimpse at a totally different aspect of WWII in Par. .Odile is a librarian at the American Library of Paris. Trying to protect books, the ability of all religions to have access to books, A wonderful story for all book lovers. Lily, a high school student in 1983 in Montana makes friends with an elderly French women, Odile. Love the dual time lines and the 2 characters stories. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is the story of Odile Souchet (later Gustafson), a young girl in Paris , France with a passion for books who wants to become a librarian at the Paris Library during WW2, who eventually does. This alternates in a present timeline with the story of Lily, a young girl in Montana who loses her mother, witnesses her father's remarriage, and the birth of two new siblings. Lily befriends the elder Odile, her neighbor, and a bond is formed in which the past connects the present. I did enjoy the book. It was well constructed with a good narrative. My only issues I found it a bit dragging. You would get all these chapters devoted to Odile, then Lily would get stuck in after in a random placement. It took awhile for the perspective s to connect. Not a bad book. I admired Odiles passion for books and helping the soldiers obtain them.

This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend this to other lovers of historical fiction. This book recounts a little-known part of World War II history that occurred at the American Library in Paris during the German occupation. The story is rich with interesting characters. The writing style keeps the reader engaged throughout as you move from two different time periods. My only criticism is that I felt there were some loose ends that could have been more satisfactorily tied up. However, overall I would give this book a 3.5.

I thought this would be a relevant one to read during Banned Book Week, and it was, but it’s about more than banned books. It’s about people affected by the Nazi occupation of France, how the Librarians and other staff at the American Library of Paris tried to save some of their patrons as well as preserve their right to read by delivering books to their Jewish subscribers who were no longer allowed by the Nazis to use the library. I was compelled to read some about the history of ALP and discovered in those articles as well as in the author’s note that some of the characters in this novel are based on real people. In the novel, Dorothy Reeder ( a wonderful sounding name for a Librarian) who is the director of the Library was the director of the actual ALP from 1936-1941. I was so impressed how accurate this novel reflected the history. A program to send books to soldiers was also implemented. It’s also about the power of friendship.

I’m drawn to stories about WWII and the Holocaust and as a retired Librarian, this was a perfect read for me. The novel is written with a commonly used mechanism telling the story in two time frames, linking the past with a present or near present time. Odile in the current time frame of the early 1980’s is the recluse neighbor of a young girl, Lily, in Froid, Montana. It’s a lovely story of how these two becomes unlikely friends when Odile helps Lily get through a tough time of loss and change in her life, with heart, wisdom, love of reading and teaching her to speak French. The alternating past story covers Odile’s life and work as a Librarian at the ALP. It is in these past chapters that the reader is introduced to the wonderful place that the Library was, the Nazi occupation, the courageous and commendable work of these Librarians. It’s also Odile’s personal story of love and loss. While we don’t necessarily see the horrors of the death camps front and center on the pages, there is loss and death close to these characters. While I enjoyed the past time frame of the story a bit more, with some wonderful characters both real and imagined, there is a lovely connection between these two characters in the current story and we never know until the end just how much this friendship meant to both of them.

Some may think that the loss of books or the loss of one’s ability to access books is not comparable to the loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust and of course it isn’t, but it’s stealing a part of who people are, their society and culture. Something that the real Dorothy Reeder says made me realize how important their work was. In May 1940, just weeks before the fall of France, Reeder reflected: “More and more I realize my responsibility to guard our library. It stands as a symbol of freedom and understanding, of service to all, a fine piece of democracy.”
(We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris”
By Leonard Kniffel | American Libraries Magazine, May 1, 2020


“After the darkness of war, the light of books.” (ALP’s motto)


ARC was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wonderful. It was fantastic from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. I received an advance e-copy of this book and I liked it so much that I've added it to my list of books I plan to buy after it's published.

This was such an amazing novel. Once I got started it was hard to put down. I love the characters and plot of the novel. Odile and Lily were such great duel main characters. I like the idea it went back and forth between the time Odile was in her 20s during World War II in Paris. At the beginning she got a job working at the American Library in Paris. Then during the war we see the entire staff work around the clock to help those in need during the war. Then we jump to the 1980s in Montana where a young teenager named Lily who lives next door to a very much older Odile. The two strike up a beautiful friendship and we see Odile's past comes to light. I also loved how books played such a major role in the novel and how book titles were being told left and right. I also like how a lot of historical events from World War II was brought up in the novel that people do not talk about a whole lot. I now want to research on my own to find out more about the true librarians who helped out during the war.

It’s only been about a month since I last read a book from the historical fiction genre and I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. It was wonderful to be able to step back in time again. It never ceases to amaze me how many untold stories WW2 holds; So many different and fascinating point of views.

The Paris Library is a glimpse into the lives of the librarians and their patrons at the American Library in Paris. Told in multiple points of view and in a dual time line we are treated to Odile’s life as a young librarian at the beginning of the German occupation of France in 1939 and Lily’s life as a teenager growing up in the 1980s in small town Montana. Both facing challenges and tragedies that brought me close to tears more than once.

There was a fair amount in this story that I had not read about in other world war 2 fiction. It’s very obvious that Janet Skeslien Charles put in an impressive amount of research time in on this book. I found the addition of the anonymous letters people wrote to police to inform on their neigbours rather thought provoking. It’s intriguing to read about people stealing apartments of those they informed on or of those that had to flee the city for their own safety. While it’s hard to say exactly how one would have acted being in a situation like those faced during that time period I can honestly say I wouldn’t inform on my neighbour, essentially sentencing them to death just to get my hands on a swankier pad.

Although most of the plot centres around Odile and Lily the reader does get treated to occasional chapters focusing on some of Odile’s coworkers and friends. That addition to the story was appreciated and I would have liked more of that from Lily’s family and friends as I felt her chapters and story were a little rushed. That feeling of being rushed is the only thing I didn’t particularly like about this book.

Overall this is a well written book with an endearing cast of colourful characters. Even if you aren’t a tremendous fan of historical fiction I would still recommend checking this book out. I mean how could you not love a book set in a library?!?

Spoiler free review!
The book was just a little slow to start, but once it got going I couldn't stop! It goes back and forth between 2 timeliness. One timeline is A young teenage girl in the 80's when everyone was scared of Russia, and a young adult woman during world War 2 in Paris..
It's ultimately about 2 people who come together through loss and coping. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who's obsessed (like me!) With historical fiction.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles tells the story in dual time lines. One of Lily living in small town Montana in 1983, bored with life and very curious about her exotic next door neighbor; the other of Odile, a librarian at the famous American Library in Paris 1939.

 

Odile was getting the life she always wanted, her dream job at a library, a handsome boyfriend and independence from her overbearing family. Well that is, until the Germans invaded. Realizing that her favorite spot on earth could be in grave danger, she finds courage she never thought she possessed to keep the world of books alive to all Parisians. She learns about friendship, honor, independence and consequences in the fight to keep her library paradise alive.

 

Then there is Lily, who is struggling like all young girls her age with trying to find her place in the world. She wants to be different, cultured and nothing like the people living in her small farming town. When she becomes friends with her next door neighbor Odile (see what they did there?) she discovers the world right outside of her town in the form of books.

 

This book was good. It felt like a very intelligent sweeping movie; that is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Everyone tells you it’s amazing and it will change your life, but it ends up not being your thing. It’s not the entertainment that you seek out when you need something to distract your mind. A book that you can’t get out of your mind and you must read it again. I enjoyed it but, I kept waiting for just a little bit more. I felt like about the time you really were into a timeline, it would change and start all over again. There was some drama at the end that definitely had some payoff, but that was the only thing that elevated this book to the 3.5 rating I am giving it. That and the story was an absolute love letter to books, reading and the relationship that a reader has to books and stories. When the author is describing the comfort that books and the library can bring to readers, it made me feel seen. There is even a scene where Odile talks about the magical smell of old books and I. Was. There!! So while this book wasn’t one of my top 5 to bring on a desert island, it is a good book, especially if you enjoy big sweeping WW2 historical fiction. I give this a 3.5 out of 5.

I always think I've exhausted my love for this genre and time period and I'm routinely proven wrong. A satisfying read that moved me back in time and place. Recommended.

DNF this book: After 2 weeks of reading this, I could not get into the story. I was very drawn in by the concept of the two different time frames, a library in Paris, and a mysterious tie between the two main characters over generations. The writing was very rich in descriptions, sometimes to the point of slogging down the story. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get the momentum or buy in to keep reading past 40%. Perhaps more dedicated historical fiction/WWII readers will find the story Charles' intended for her audience.

I have a rule to give every book 100 pages before I give up on it. I am so glad I did for this book, I didn't like it at first but I wound up loving it in the end.. It took a while to get into the flow of the story but when it really got into the story of Odile and her role as a librarian during WWII I was hooked. This book is definitely worth reading.

I received the Paris Library as my first Advanced Reader copy on a kindle! The story is about the American Library in Paris and lives of the librarians who work there. During the war they worked hard to keep the library open and books in people's hands. I enjoyed the flashbacks in the story and wondered how it would all connect in the in end. I did have to wait until the very end to piece it all together. I loved Odile and her passion for books and how in the 1940s in Paris he convinced her family to allow her to get a job. And how she went about doing that and getting to read books as a job! I think her family highly respected her for that. Then we have Lily an American girl in Froid who longs to belong. She endures a tragedy at a young age and tries to navigate the world around her. Luckily she meets up with Odile and opens up her world to the French language and Odile becomes a champion for Lily. I loved their friendship in this story. The mystery of the story takes until the very end of the story to come out. It was good read. This is the first time I've read by the author Janet Skeslien Charles.

Incredible read! Absolutely loved it. Im always amazed by how many different stories can be found in the realm of WWII. I shouldn't be, but I am. I don't think I have ever read the same interpretation of events once throughout all the novels I have read.

The characters in this one are beautiful. The setting of this book is beautiful. I could not put this one down. I loved it. The morals in this story are done so well, and so much is learned from every individual character.

Beautiful story.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reading copy of this book. The review is my own honest opinions.

I have to admit that I love a good historical fiction, but quite often some of the stories can start to sound similar. This book, however, takes a unique look at the war as it focused on the American Library in Paris. The book is told in two timelines, one beginning in 1939 Paris with Odile and one in 1983 Montana with Lily, a young neighbor to the now older Odile. We begin the story with Odile starting to work as a librarian just as war is beginning, we meet the people she works with, and the lengths they went to in order to keep the library up and running during this tragic time. We follow Odile through the war as she deals with family, as her twin brother joins to fight in the war; love, as she falls in love with Paul, a police officer who works with her father; friendship, as she bonds with her co-workers. We also see Odile deal with heartache, loss, and betrayal. We then get to see another side of Odile 44 years later though the eyes of Lily, her neighbor in Montana. Lily is at the young age when life starts to change, she begins to grow up and is trying to figure out her place in the world. Lily is fascinated with her French neighbor who no one seems to know anything about, and takes it upon herself to get to know Odile.

All in all I really enjoyed the book. I loved the characters, particularly Lily. And I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the American Library in Paris. It was quite like a love letter to book lovers. A bonus was the author's note explaining more about the library and the people that the story is based on. This was historical fiction at its finest. I would love to hear more about the research process from the author.

I very much enjoyed learning about Odile, her story in France, and about the American Library in Paris. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, or books about books.

Lily goes next door to interview her older neighbor who used to live in Paris. The story switches between Froid, Montana in the 1980s and Paris during WWII. Odile gets a job at the American Library in Paris and helps keep it open throughout the war, even during Nazi occupation. The story tells of her experiences as well as those of her friends and families. We learn of Lily and Odile’s growing friendship in Froid. It’s a very engaging story that reminds us that we can never fully know another person and that we must also be kind to ourselves.

Set in two time frames, The Paris Library is a well-researched, fictionalized story about the American Library in Paris, starting about the time of the Nazi occupation of Paris, as well as flipping to current times (1983) in Montana. The author has taken another aspect of WWII that I knew nothing about and made it interesting, human, and readable.

The flip to current times was done well enough, but frustrating. While I appreciated the hint of mystery around Odile’s life in the US, versus what she lived through as a librarian during the occupation, I had a difficult time flipping the switch, emotionally, to deal with her teenage neighbor’s self-involvement. I realize most teens that age are just that self-involved, but the contrast for me was jarring at times.

Overall, a readable book that taught me something new, which is one of the things I appreciate most in a good book.

This book was...incredible. I am finding it hard to start another book yet because I am still so preoccupied with this beautiful tale of loves and betrayals!

I love libraries and books, so I could easily identify with Odile and her passion for her job - and her confession, "I could read books but couldn’t read people." It is wonderful to see that change over the painful course of this time-slip book. I love the insightful way she mentors Lily, and steers her grief into growth. But the author doesn't stop there - Odile has some growing left to do, too. That closet scene stunned me, and made this book more precious!

There were many supporting characters who fleshed out this story. I especially love Remy and Margaret, and the poignant realism they wove into Odile's life. There was no "fat" in this book - no scene or person that could've been trimmed without damage to the whole. That said, there is some violence and sexual content that I was less than comfortable with, but I think it was entirely appropriate to this WWII tale.

I treasure this book, and will be thinking about it for a long time. May I always remember those wise words: "You’re nothing without principles. Nowhere without ideals. No one without courage."

Odile, a naive young Parisienne applies for a job at the American Library. To impress, she memorizes the Dewey Decimal System. Achieving her dream, she begins a journey during which she meets heroic people, performs brave acts and becomes a woman. In the midst of World War II Nazi occupation of her city, she, along with the members of the library, face fear, deprivation and loss. Her jealous nature, however, leads her to make decisions that will turn her life upside down. Several years later, widowed in Montana, she relives those days when she becomes a mentor for Lily, a troubled teen who is grieving, lonely and jealous herself. Janet Skeslien Charles offers her readers the opportunity to share in the lives of the communities of both the Library and Montana. Through literary allusions and references to actual people, she demonstrates the value of both. My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.