What a fantastic two days of reading! This story was utter enjoyment from beginning to end, a serious story line filled with humor and relationships, love and betrayal. Set in my bucket list City to visit, Paris, at the American Library. It shows that life is not black or white, but many shades of gray. This book appeals to people who are true book aficionados, those that could understand the passion for reading, learning and books and risking everything to save them.

There are two parallel story lines, one set in Paris during World War II during the German occupation and another, approximately 40 years later and Montana.

I can't recommend this book enough. It gave me all the feels - happiness, despair, grief and the ability to see the growth in the excellent character development. Fantastic job by the author.

I would like to thank Janet Skeslien Charles, Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love historical fiction, especially WWII settings, so I was anxious to read this offering. What made this novel unique is that it focused on the lives of library personnel in the American Library in Paris right before and during the Nazi occupation. This is a love story....love of family, love of friends, love of books, love of writing, as well as love between two people. It also takes a serious look at loss, betrayal, and forgiveness.

This novel was set in two time periods, one during WWII 1939-1944 and the other 1983-1989. The library in Paris was very active, continuing to serve their Jewish patrons by delivery books to them and also sending boxes of books to soldiers. They also worked to preserve some works that the Nazi’s were in a habit of destroying. The love story is between the main character Odelie a librarian and Paul a policeman.

The eighties time period focuses on Lily a teenager who has lost her mother and her next door neighbor Odelie. Odelie is French and keeps to herself isolated with no friends. She begins to teach Lily French and also shares some her experiences during the war in Paris. Lily and a friend stumble across some letters that they don’t understand. This event causes all to evaluate their opinions is each other and also to think about loss, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this new book by Janet Skeslien Charles centered around the American Library in Paris. I love historical fiction - particularly when there are two timelines and the story unfolds in the past and present (even if the present isn't the current year or decade). I was immediately drawn into the story of Odile Souchet as a new librarian at the American Library just as World War II loomed on the horizon and her dual timeline in 1980s Montana. I found the library to be a wonderful character of the novel. (And ultimately, I spent quite a while on their website and certainly won't miss visiting there if I travel back to Paris in the future.) Odile is a young, often thoughtless, immature woman that struggles with her emotions. Her life at the library amongst the other staff members is colorful and entertaining. Outside of the beloved library, Odile's family life is rife with strong male personalities and lies. She struggles with her police-officer father's strong personality, her mother's (and father's) obsession with Odile marrying, and even with her twin brother Remy's obsessive desire to join the army. This is not a loving family. The second timeline in Montana is a complete juxtaposition from life in urban Paris. Why / how does Odile end up in Froid, Montana? This is part of the mystery that unfolds throughout the story. While I liked 3/4 of the novel, I felt that the last 1/4 felt completely inauthentic to the character of Odile. As the story wrapped up in Montana, I was disappointed in and felt the situation that brought Odile to Montana was absurd and completely out of character. I also felt that the revelation of why/how Odile and Lily meet wasn't authentic to the character either - it rings false. Lily, Odile's young neighbor in Froid, Montana has spunk and personality and weathers adolescence with Odile's help and has a satisfying story arc. Lily definitely benefits from Odile's wisdom having lived a long life with regrets about emotional decisions she made while young. Overall, I'm left with many unanswered questions about characters and therefore can only give this novel three stars. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel before publication!

A book about WWII and a library what’s not to love. I enjoyed the dual time periods and the connections between them. The characters were very interesting and kept the pages turning for me. Recommended if you like stories of this time period set in 2 different generations. Great book for book clubs! I hope to read more from this author.

I’ve always enjoyed books set during World War II and this one did not disappoint. It was so unique and interesting learning about the different people and librarians who played a role in keeping the American Library in Paris open during the Nazi Occupation. It was almost like they were resisting and rebelling in their own peaceful and quiet way. It showed that even in the midst of war, books had a way of affecting people. I would also classify it as a coming of age story. We see Odile mature and grow as the book progresses and she learns several valuable life lessons, even when their hard and difficult. 5/5 would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in return for an honest review. This is the story of workers at the AMERICAN Library in Paris, France during the 1930s and 1940s. Odile Souchet, the main character, is the daughter of the police commissioner and has a twin brother, Remy. Against her father’s wishes, she takes a job at the American Library, which serves various clients. When the Germans occupy Paris, her life changes dramatically and her brother joins the French Army. She becomes involved with the lives of her co-workers and patrons as the war rages.

Concurrently there is a story line of a 15 year old girl in Montana. She develops a relationship with the strange French neighbor and becomes closer to her after her mother dies and her father remarries.

The book is well written and based on many true stories researched by the author. The author lives in both Montana and Paris.

Have you ever considered what life was life for a Parisian librarian during WWII? The Paris Library is based on the American Public Library and the staff who kept it afloat during German occupation. I love the comraderie among the staff, all equally fascinating characters. The story is told partially in the 1980s and 1940s. Odile and Lily form a bond while gradually Lily unearths Odile's entire story. The ending was rather sad, but it was a great story. I appreciated the author's note at the end for historical explanations. It's a story than any bibliophile will love.

A very well written story of two lives, lived 50 years apart, that starts in WWII at the American Library in Paris. Janet Skeslien Charles builds the characters in layers, these young people will have their lives torn apart by war and find themselves facing decisions for which they are unprepared. How she unwinds the characters and their lives builds the tension in their lives to a peak. They will impact history in a grand way then fade into the background. Many years later, a young girl's curiosity will lead her to learn her neighbor's history. An emotional read that I'd read all over again.

I spent a good chunk of this book wondering what the point was. In the end, it was clear but it took a long convoluted trip to get to it.

The overall story was interesting enough to make me want to keep reading but not interesting enough to make this a great read for me. I found some parts were super slow and drawn out and then parts you wanted more of were very rushed. I hate that some historical fiction does that. Sure I want the history but give me a bit more in the fiction section of it!

The dual storylines worked alright, not great but I found that the '80s made me question things going on in the '40s which brought an element of suspense. You can't go wrong with a bit of suspense!

A lot of people have loved this one but for me, even though it was well written, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book. I enjoy historical fiction about WW2, and this did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and the story line intriguing. You rooted for the characters and wanted things to work out in end.
The war time was well depicted, not graphic, but the underlying horror was there. I felt like modern day was not quite there, having lives through the years depicted, not all seemed right for the times.
An enjoyable read.

For anyone who loves books, this one is for you. I could not stop reading it. Characters are well developed and the story was very interesting. Looking forward to the next book by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book based on the American Library in Paris. It was a 4.5 star book that I would definitely recommend. The author, Janet Skeslien Charles worked as a programs manager at the library in Paris and that is where she learned about the history of the staff during World War II. The library remained open to all residents of Paris during the war and it was interesting to see how the war and the Nazi oppression affected those who worked there. I loved the way the book focused on Odile, a young French woman who got her first job there in the Periodicals room and then also how Odile affected the young life of Lily who lived in Montana in the 1980's. I kept wanting to read to see what their connection was and how did Odile end up in Montana. There is heartbreak, love and hope spread throughout this novel and I will be thinking about it for quite a while. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Despite some marked pacing issues, THE PARIS LIBRARY is a compelling read for historical fiction and 'oh, it's about book people!' readers alike. The worldbuilding is excellent, and the Paris of WWII really comes to life on the page in an impressive fashion.

First of all thank you very much to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. I'm not repeating the story in details. But it's amazing to read the story of a girl in 1983 meeting an elder lady living next door who had to survive WWII in Paris working in a library. Well written, fascinating and highly recommendable to readers of historical fictions.

Two young women navigate family life and circumstance, one in Occupied Paris and one in the Midwest in the 1980s. The book is based on the history of the American Library of Paris and the brave staff who kept it open and supported patrons throughout the war while defending the collection from Nazi censorship and looting. 2 interwoven personal stories where emotional actions and words have devastating consequences, set against the little known history of the library and better known events in WWII Paris.

Captivating, addictive, and irresistible. This is a page turner that i want to linger and reread. The characterizations are very full bodied.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was excited to read a novel set in France during WWII about a librarians. Odile was an interesting character with so much determination to be a librarian even if her father did not approve. I found the story to drag a little at times. I enjoyed the historical story more and the more recent one. The added romance did nothing to improve the story. I liked the author's note at the conclusion. This was an okay book, not one that stood out to me.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I seem to get caught up in the thrillers and don't realize how nice it is to read a good story and learn at the same time. This book is set in Paris during WWII and the 1980's US. Odile is the librarian. It covers her life in Europe and jumps back and forth to her living alone next door to Lily, a girl who befriends her by first interviewing her for a school project. I really enjoyed reading this and I would recommend it.well done! Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. @netgalley @janetskesliencharles @simonanandschuster

3 1/2 stars, but I'll round up. I am a big fan of historical fiction. I loved this unique twist on the Paris WWII story, having it set in the American Library. I love that this has so many true characters and the author did a good job showing these characters to us. I also love books with two time periods presented. We see 1939 Odile as a teenager in love with the library in Paris, as well as the 1983 Odile in Montana, having lived a much different life that we ever could have expected.

I wish we had more of the adult Odile. I feel this almost could have been two different books- there is so much I would love to know of her thoughts as she moved from Europe and all she knew and loved, then to settle in America.

Overall I enjoyed this story very much. I loved the afterword from the author and all she learned of these true heros. It was neat to see the picture of the library as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC for my honest review.

Well here I am reading another WW2 book. This one was unique in that it revolved around the American Library in Paris, of which I had no idea about. It was interesting to learn about and made me appreciate how the librarians helped those in need during that devastating time in history. That being said, we are following two different timelines.
One is of Odile interviewing to get her dream job at the American Library in Paris and that of when she is an older woman living next door to a teenager in America. The story started off strong, but certain things started to bug me. At first I was okay with the teenager's timeline, but as the book went on I grew to resent that child and her actions. I did not care for her at all. Especially after having been neighbors to Odile for her whole life and not being interested in her to suddenly wanting to be around her all the time and snooping. Odile had way too much patience with her. Plus her crush, enemy, and family additions did not add to the plot of the book. It just took up space when more important topics could have been fully talked about and questions could have been answered.
As for Odile, I liked her throughout the book until about 85% into the story. She suddenly seemed to change personalities really fast without a slow progression. It was as if the author didn't know what to do with her towards the end and decided to make her go through some rash decision making. Her story did not feel complete nor fair to her. I'm not saying that she needed a happy ending, but she deserved to tell her story towards the end without it being rushed.
The reader deserves more answers and more time to get acquainted with the topics of concentration camps; the mysterious writer; the unpublished book; what happened to Odile's family and friends; what happened to the women who were accused of being German sympathizers, etc.
While this might seem like a negative review, I did enjoy Odile's storyline and wish it were a bigger part of the book. I really enjoyed learning about the American Library in Paris
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.