I love dual timeline historical novels and this one had me crying by the end - both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The main thread deals with the efforts of the French resistance headed by Laurance and is even more heartbreaking to know this is based on a true story. The subplot deals with Laurence's daughter Jeanne returning to France from the US in a quest to find out what happened. Very well told and an excellent read.

“She wanted to save her country. She would risk her life for love”


Warning! I’m not usually much of a crier over books or films, however I defy this story not to bring tears to the eyes of the most steadfast reader!

Whilst the ‘bare bones’ of this WWII premise may sound all too familiar, believe me, there is an amazing twist in this particular telling of the tale, which for all my fellow bibliomanes and bibliophiles, will take this story to a whole new level, as well as evoking some pretty strong feelings and emotions – but to say any more would give away far too many ‘spoilers’!

This multi-layered story is so much more than a poignant and beautifully portrayed war time romance, although that is obviously its core theme. However, wrapped around that, there is a layer of social and cultural history, which shines a spotlight on just how frightening it was to live in a war time occupied France, how terrifying it was to be Jewish in a Nazi occupied country, how dangerous it was to belong to the local French Resistance movement and how courageous were the allied forces who sought to help liberate an oppressed population. Peel back the layers even further and surrounding all of that, there is a contemporary coming of age story, of finding oneself, discovering your family roots and experiencing a true and honest sense of belonging and inclusion; that totally connective feeling of coming home!

A small town, just outside Paris, France in 1939: –

The war is no longer a distant and passive event for this small rural population, as the German troops flex their military muscle and invade France. Their mighty, destructive footprint spreads way beyond the Parisian environs, as the troops make themselves at home and settle in for the duration. The new regime is harsh and unforgiving as it takes what it wants from the community, is brutal and swift in meting out justice against any form of subversion, whilst at the same time being more than willing to openly bestow benefits on those who would collaborate with their new masters, pitting friends and family against one another. For Laurence there is much to lose, as her ‘Bookshop Dispensary’ immediately comes under intense scrutiny, with whole shelves of books whose authors and content the occupiers deem to be inappropriate, needing to be removed from sale. For Laurence and a small group of trusted friends, what begins as any small acts of defiance they can commit to disrupt the newly imposed status quo, soon becomes a much more organised, if small scale off-shoot, of a quickly spreading French Resistance Movement. Can Laurence keep her heart, her head and show her true courage, when the situation becomes desperate and the reprisals are too terrible to countenance?

Fast forward to the USA in 1993: –

A deliberately vindictive, throw-away comment at her late mother’s wake, sets off an unimaginably traumatic and emotionally charged chain of events for Jeanne and her father Wendell, as Jeanne goes in search of a past she doesn’t remember, Wendell seeks the answers to questions he has been unable to ask, and they both try to connect with the one person who shaped their lives together and made them the people they are today. A distraught Wendell, comes clean with Jeanne about the truth of her birth and shares with her the scant few possessions he was untrusted with by her mother, during his dangerous mission to rescue the most precious of cargo from a certain death. Jeanne and Wendell decide to return to France, in search of the closure they both so badly need, little knowing that the experiences they are about to share, will forge a new and even stronger bond between them and despite the individual decisions they consequently make about their respective futures, the new and genuine friendships they make along the way will change them forever.

Author Siobhan Curham has crafted a fluid and richly atmospheric, desperately intense, dual timeline story, with strong women at its heart; which tells of bravery, courage, happiness, loss, love and longing; together with a powerful strength and resilience in the face of adversity, of loyalty to friends and those who are held most dear, a sense of doing the right thing and of fearlessly and selflessly fighting for a just cause against the common enemy.

The alternating timeline of the story, was beautifully structured and seamlessly written in short, well signposted chapters, which drew me into the action, totally immersed me in the unfolding events and held me captive in its thrall until the very last page; when the slightly claustrophobic air of suspense, suspicion and tension, finally gave way like a gentle sigh and the release of a long-held breath, to a future full of calm fulfilment and promise. The compelling and profoundly touching words of the narrative and dialogue flowed effortlessly from the pages, surrounding me and allowing me to bask in their vividly visual descriptive sense of time and place, which had me at Laurence’s shoulder as she typed her ‘prescriptions’, sat in front of the fireplace as the the ladies discussed their latest illicit reading and rushing to the forest clearing with the brave Pere Rambert, as he discharges his final promise to Laurence and places his precious bundle into safe hands.

Siobhan affords that same attention to detail and and visual inclusion, to her cast of characters, no matter how small a part they play in the whole. They are well developed and defined, and whilst not all are easy to connect or empathise with, the overall dynamics and synergy between them, makes them completely investable, genuine and authentic in their individual roles. A complex jigsaw of human emotions were laid bare, when the fragility of the lines between life and death, defeat and survival, love and hate, trust and duplicity, were drawn. However a raw addictive passion and the will to survive, overcame all the odds making them stronger, determined and more united as time went on.

Ultimately, this strangely uplifting tragedy, is the culmination of an all too brief affair between a man and a woman, whose everlasting love transcends everything, including death and whose enduring memory lives on in the life of their daughter. I was afforded a unique and individual experience, by an author who fired my imagination and stimulated my senses beyond all expectations, making this a journey which you really need to make for yourself, to see where it leads you!

Despite Being Set Nearly A Century Ago, Still All Too Relevant. This is one of those books that makes a lot of solid political points... without ever actually coming across as preachy, as they are completely couched within the story being told and the period it is being told within. Specifically as it relates to resistance of tyranny not always needing to be violent and that the mind is the only thing the tyrants can never take, as well as a war-born form of "cancel culture" to boot. But again, the tale makes all of these points in a moving tale of a 1990s era 50 yr old woman trying to find her origins in 1943 France - and of a young woman in 1939 France destined to become the mother of the 50 year old. Kudos to the author as well not only for the points I've already mentioned but also in not being afraid to take what is a ... less conventional... path that makes the tale all the more realistic for it. This is absolutely one of those books that truly takes you to the era and brings out *all* of the emotions therein... leaving you breathless by the end, and maybe sitting in a room that suddenly becomes quite dusty. Very much recommended.

The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham

A new WWII story of a young bookseller that decides to help save her country. In France, Laurence owns a bookstore where she writes prescriptions for life along with the books or poems for her customers. When her town is taken by the Germans she joins a resistance movement.

Decades later in America, Jeanne discovers her mother is not in fact the woman she grew up with, but a brave French woman her Dad fell in love with during the War.

This book was lovely! Full of emotion and relationships. I loved Laurence and her little book shop, I loved how she treated her community and friends. The bravery of individuals faced with tragedy always inspires me.

This is a great story to add to your historical fiction collection!

This book is available now! Thank you @bookouture for the ebook and audiobook and for having me on this book tour!

#theparisnetwork #siobhancurham #books #netgalley #ebooks #bookouture #historicalfiction #womensfiction #mybooks #reading #readbooks #booksontour #readmore #bookreview #bookishthoughts #bookrecommendations

The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham is an emotional dual timeline story tells the story of Laurence in WWII France and Jeanne in the US in 1993. Laurence is a young woman who has just turned her deceased mothers dress shop into a bookstore around the time of the Nazi occupation of France. She provides customers “prescriptions,” which consists of books, poems or short stories, which help people in their time of need. Laurence looks to make a difference and she uses books as a form of resistance, starting a book club who reads books banned by the Nazis. These acts of resistance expand to include secretly listening to BBC broadcasts on an illegal radio, carrying coded messages, delivering leaflets for the resistance and helping allied planes land in the forest carrying members of the resistance to get them into France. Laurence channels the strength and courage of her heroine Jeanne de Arc to carry out acts of resistance with increasing levels of danger. Jeanne and her father Wendall end up on a journey of discovery to find out information of what happened to Laurence all those years ago.

This book is a reminder of how small acts can have big impacts, as well as consequences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A FIGHTER IN ORDER TO FIGHT BACK

Often when you read stories about resistance fighters during World War II there's a clear emphasis on the fighting. But this was a different story of resistance, a story of resisting in small, quiet and yet impactful ways. It's a much needed addition to WWII literature.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Resistance: What is resistance? Do you have to spy on the enemy, shoot a gun, kill a man and blow up railways? Or can it be something as mundane as reading a book? That is the central theme of this book, and I was fully enthralled by it. I really liked how it showed how even everyday activities can become means of resistance. It is definitely something I would like to see more of in future WWII literature. A little can be just as impactful as a lot if done right.

Emotional: There is no denying that I got swept up in the emotions of this book. I was invested in the characters and the plotline, which made the emotions all the more real.

Timelines: Normally dual timelines can go either way - I either love it or I hate it. For a dual timeline to work, the two timelines have to each contribute something important to the overall story and be tied together neatly and effectively. Both things were accomplished here. We follow both Laurence in WWII France and Jeanne, her daughter, trying to piece her mother's life back together in the 1990's. What I liked the most about the dual timeles was how they each served to drive the other story forward and heighten the mystery of what actually happened to Laurence. It was very well done.

“I am not afraid, I was born to do this”

My mind is spinning thinking about this book...a masterpiece is one of the ways I wish to describe it.

Laurence is a young woman living in France, she owns a bookstore previously occupied by her mother’s dressmaking crafts, but since she’s died Laurence has decided to truly embrace her passion, books and sharing her love for them to all those she can.

She used what she calls a prescription which consists of books, poems, & short stories meant to be seen as an ailment in anyone’s time of need. It is on of the many unique things Laurence has offered to those around her.


In a matter of seconds her whirlwind dream of owning her bookstore is taken over with occupation of France as Germans invade her home leaving her with no option but to continue as she was before, but it’s not so easy when every fiber of her being is screaming at her for being so naive and allowing this to happen. How can she sit back and watch as Germans kill those she loved and take away her future, her liberty.


She begins to slowly fight in small and silent ways, reading banned books, delivering leaflets, even smoking until she coughs. The thing I admire most about Laurence is her adversity in the most trying and empty times. Eventually moving towards more dangerous waters...

“We need stories more than we need food” one of many quotes I chose to remember. The short but impactful relationship between Laurence and Wendell while brief they were destined to meet, their love as unique as a white deer frolicking in the forest, a blessing created amidst pain and death. “At least now you have experienced the intensity of true love”

This is not merely a romance but a story of a strong and resilient woman who fought against the tyrants who wished to control and silence her freedom, I will never forget her heroism.

I loved every character with my whole heart especially those who were there for Laurence when she truly needed someone, Charlotte, Odette, Madame Bonheur, Peré, Wendell, and many more. Her future was safe because of them, her life would live on no matter what happened.

The ending was painful and unexpected I wish that it could have ended differently but I think there’s beauty in the final moments of a story, you reach a standstill and beckon for more but in the end you are left with silence, she merely shouted “Liberté.”
Adieu Laurence and Merci Beau cul....

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookotour, and of course a big thank you to Siobhan Curham for writing this incredible and beautiful piece of work I simply can’t wait to own a copy of my own!

Loved this book. I love reading historical novels set during WW II, but this one was so totally different. I read it in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. It will have you so emotional. Get the tissues ready. Thank you NetGalley vane the publisher for a fantastic read!

I loved the strength and resolve Laurence showed in her efforts in the French resistance. I loved her encouragement to the customers of the bookshop. The two night stand and then pronouncement of love did not ring true. Details about Jeanne's rescue would have been appreciated. The dual time line slowly uncovers answers for Jeanne.

I was first introduced to the writing of Siobhan Curham when I read Beyond This Broken Sky in April 2021. Like the earlier book, The Paris Network alternates between two timelines. The first, set in 1993, concerns Jeanne who, following the death of her mother, discovers that her father has a secret in his past, one that directly affects her. The second is set in wartime France in which the reader witnesses the events following the occupation of France by the Nazis through the eyes of Laurence, owner of a bookshop called The Book Dispensary.

I confess I wasn’t completely won over by the dual timeline structure. Perhaps because Laurence’s story was so powerful or because it was written in the first person, the sections concerning Jeanne felt very much secondary and I found myself eager to immerse myself again in Laurence’s story.

In her author’s note, Siobhan describes how her discovery of the important role books played during the German occupation of France inspired the writing of The Paris Network. As a booklover myself, this was an aspect of the book I really enjoyed. I loved the idea of Laurence dispensing literary ‘prescriptions’ to her customers in the form of books, or more often poems, individually tailored to their circumstances; to provide comfort, inspiration or solace. It’s just one way the author demonstrates the essential role that books play in Laurence’s life. They also provide her with sustenance through dark times. In fact, at one point she says, ‘Today for lunch I am dining on an appetiser of Little Women before a hearty feast of Flaubert’. This is all the more poignant given the food shortages the people of Laurence’s village experience as the German stranglehold on the population increases.

Books also become a form of resistance as Laurence creates a book club who read works of literature banned by the Nazis, including those illicitly published by the Resistance movement. (A list of the poems and books that feature can be found at the end of the book.) But Laurence is also inspired by General de Gaulle’s rallying call to the people of France to carry out other acts of resistance: secretly listening to BBC radio broadcasts even though radios are banned, painting V for victory signs or the word ‘Liberty’ on buildings, carrying coded messages and delivering leaflets for the Resistance or defying petty rules such as the ban on drinking wine on Sundays or the wearing of trousers by women.

However, acts of resistance have consequences and German reprisals for acts of sabotage or in defiance of rules are increasingly swift and savage, as Laurence discovers. Wartime relationships often form quickly and can be fleeting. Such is the case for Laurence. Facing a heartbreaking choice, she has to channel all the strength and courage of her heroine Joan of Arc. As Jeanne and her father Wendell put together the final pieces of Laurence’s story, I was reminded of a famous quotation from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.

Absolutely gorgeous, heart wrenching WW2 story about Laurence, a bookstore owner and French resistance member during the war. A dual timeline story with great characters, an easy but we'll developed plot and a great pace. Thanks to netgalley for my ARC.

What an outstanding book on the efforts of a young girl in the resistance in France in WW2. The story will grab you and keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is intriguing and the characters are well developed. A truly inspirational novel, that you have to read!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fabulous and fascinating book especially as it was a true story which added to the enjoyment. It was at times quite harrowing and made me realise yet again, how people suffered during WW2. But, also the risks people took to try and stop the enemy by joining the resistance and helping their friends. A wonderful book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Paris Network is set at the time of the German occupation of France, and centres around a book seller in a small village who focuses her resistance to the Germans around books and literature.

Much of the book is rooted in historical fact and I think I learnt more about the occupation of France in this book than in any of the other books I have read. You get a real sense of how harsh this time was and the way the French were treated. This book was so superbly written that it makes you not want to put it down and I read it in a day.

You quickly fall in love with Laurence, the main character, and alongside the main story is the 1993 story of the daughter going on a voyage of discovery of the mother she never knew. This isn’t a book for the feint-hearted, and there are many tragic elements to it; but most of all you feel the strength and courage of people at this time hitting you hard as it comes off each page.

This is certainly one of my favourite books of the year, and I am sure I have found a new favourite author. Definitely, though, don’t expect a hearts and roses story. The book has a very strong ending that packs a big punch and floors you. However I am happy to be able to strongly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher, the author and Net Galley for a copy of the book for an open and honest review.

Liberty

A heartbreaking tale of courage and love during WWII. A group of young women led by the bookstore owner Laurence resist the Nazi's by reading banned books. Then Laurence is drawn into the network of the French Resistance movement. Her involvement becomes dangerous putting not only herself but the whole network at risk.

It is a story of love and betrayal, of friendship and courage. When Laurence helps a downed American pilot hide from the Nazi's it has consequences that last beyond the war. One last act of defiance puts not only her life but those of others in the town at risk. This is when Laurence must be the most courageous.

Years later when her mother dies a young lady Jeanne finds a box with information linking her to a bookstore in France and a woman named Laurence. Now Jeanne is on a quest to find more information on how she is mysteriously connected with this bookstore and this woman in France.

I loved how the author put the two stories together. I don't generally like both stories of a dual story line, however this one was so well written that I loved both story lines. The book was riveting and suspenseful. It kept me reading and even though I wanted to find out what happened next, I didn't want it to end.

It was beautiful and sad, filled with love and courage. A wonderful read, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Siobhan Curham for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

I enjoy Siobhan Curham's other works and was excited to read this piece. The Paris Network is a touching work of historical fiction about French Resistance during WWII. The plot centers around several characters during the period of 1939-1945. There are heart-breaking moments and moments that provide some hope in humanity's actions when it comes to relationships between characters during a difficult time. The research done to provide rich and vivid details within the story is evident. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII historical fiction.

This was an interesting read set in France when the Germans invaded, full of secrets and bravery.

The main story of Laurence (female) was fascinating and very sad. She lived in France and was left on her own after her mother died but changed the dress shop her mother had into a bookstore which was Laurence's passion. But then the war started, the Germans invaded, and life changed completely.

In the present day Jeanne's mother recently died, but she'd never felt close to her, and then found out a secret that had been hidden her whole life, leading her and her father on a trip to a little village in France, to visit a bookshop that she'd inherited but had known nothing about her whole adult life.

Once there the secrets became clear and Laurence's story, and bravery, is slowly revealed.

I did enjoy Laurence's story much more than the present day part, for some reason I couldn't really warm to Jeanne, I'm not even sure why, she just irritated me a bit!

But an enjoyable, if sad, historical fiction, although inspired by true events.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book is a dual- timeline read and is written about incidents which really happened. I found it hard to put down. A story about how women found the strength to live through difficult circumstances.

In Paris, 1940: a book is given into a lady’s hands and she’s advised to go to a cafe and ask for Pierre Duras and to tell him that she’s come to save the people living in France.
Laurence owns a bookstore and at night she puts coded messages into books before going to meet her contact/member of the resistance movement. The only thing she can hear is a plane flying over her heading into the forest. The plane is brought down and she has to save the pilot.
This will mean to leave meeting her contact, and Laurence doesn’t want to do that, and if she’s found out, it won’t be just her life that she’ll be putting at stake….
Many years later, Jeanne, in America funds an old box in the garage, and what she discovers inside it, suddenly changes everything she knew to be true. Finding out that she owns a bookstore in a small village in France from someone called Laurence.
So, she goes to France, to find answers to all the questions going round inside her head. To find out who this Laurence is that het father never mentioned. She locates the store, but it’s no longer open, every window is boarded up and desperately needs work doing to it. As Jeanne has a key, she enters from the back entrance and finds a silver pendant which is hidden underneath floorboards.
Slowly Jeanne joins parts of Laurence’s story together and discovers that she wasn’t afraid to do what was needed to help her people. But, when she hears who Laurence was, will the news once again change her future?

This is the first book I’ve read by Siobhan Curham and I must admit, I will definitely be reading more. This is a dual timeline story that takes you to WWII France and then back to 1993 United States and back to France. This beautifully written heartbreaking, poiGrant, and yes, joyful story this is.

Laurence is a bookstore owner in war torn France, who is known for the prescriptions she writes for her customers. When the Germans come to town she joins the resistance. 1993 US, Jeanne attends her mother’s funeral, but due to a comment from her aunt, she confronts her father and finds out her mother was not her birth mother, which then sends her on a journey with her father to find out more about her birth mother.

This book will pull on your heartstrings early on and keep hold of them until the finish. I absolutely adored this book and will definitely be looking for more of Siobhan Curhham’s books.

Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. All opinions above are my own and were no way influenced by the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced copy of The Paris Network. As a WW2 historical fiction connoisseur, I enjoyed Siobhan Curham's story that is written from a slightly different point of view than I usually have read. I thought Laurence was a fantastic female character and I loved how she rallied the other women together to form a Resistance Book Club! I liked that the story mostly does not take place in Paris as many stories do, but in a different village in France where the Germans invaded and took over. Laurence was strong and brave and made for an exciting read!
This book comes out Feb 15, 2022.