The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, deals with the lives of three women, all mothers, who meet in Paris during WWII. This harrowing story of motherly love, tragedy, and the fortunes of war is gripping and moves between Paris and New York. Ruth, a Jewish woman with two children who manages to keep them safe by leaving them, also somehow by the end of the war is still alive. Juliette and Elise, who have been close friends, end up being estranged because of children lost in bombings and another child misidentified. Unfortunately, Juliette is a victim of the war and is unable to deal with her losses, and she blames Elise for her unhappiness, unable to contend with it for the rest of her life. Elise is an artist, and her daughter becomes one too, a gift she has from her mother. This book is a close look at motherhood under unspeakable circumstances, and it focuses on motherly love.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

Kristin Harmel has written many novels and I have enjoyed and read them all - but I believe this one might be her best yet! This book is a excellently researched, and it is clear, as always, that she is a scrupulous historian alongside her authorship. An excellent story by one of the top WWII fiction authors, it is a heart-breaking look into the sacrifices mothers had to make to protect their children, and the horrible aftermath of war and how it affected them. I think anyone regardless of whether they like historical fiction or not should read and would enjoy this wonderful novel. Wonderful, captivating writing and original plot gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. I couldn't put it down because I had to find out what happened. I highly recommend this author and all of her other books I have read have been nothing less than fantastic. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to own this novel in print.

Wow, What an amazing story. Its unique plot twists bring the reader full circle back to the painful moment when one event catapulted everything, and everyone, into darkness. The story follows the lives of all the characters who were so impacted by that one day in Paris. It is a wonderful exploration of conflicts between mothers and daughters when choices are limited.

Elise and Juliette have a chance meeting in Paris and become good friends. Their daughters were born close together so the two young mothers spend a lot of time together. The war is starting in Europe, but for awhile seems far away from Paris. They have no idea how much their lives will change. As the war creeps closer to France, Elise's husband becomes a target for the Germans due to his political opinions. Soon Elise's only hope for her and her daughter's survival is to separate from her daughter and flee. Elise entrusts Juliette with her daughter and leaves Paris to hide under a different identity for the rest of the war. When she comes back she finds that there was a bomb that fell on Juliette's bookstore.
This book was a riveting World War II book about a mother's love and the sacrifices she takes to keep her children safe.

The book was an engrossing and emotional read. It portrayed strong women, their will to survive and the love of a mother and what she is willing to do to protect her child. The characters were all developed clearly and I felt as if I knew them on a personal level. I grew closer to Elise, Juliette, and Ruth with every page. Mathilde and Lucie were also memorable characters.

Look forward to more from this author.

Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Wow, I had to read this all through lunch and beg my fifth graders to let me finish the last 10 pages while they finished independent work. It was THAT good!
Only change I would make……the excerpt gives away too much! I was still surprised, but wouldn’t even had seen the ending coming if it wasn’t alluded to in the previews.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early read!

I always want to give Kristin Harmel’s books more than five stars. Her writing, research and characters are phenomenal. She is one of the best historical fiction writers I have read. Once again her book is set during WW2 and readers will not be able to put this book down. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced read.

There are so many stories that come out of the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII. This is the 2nd one about this time I've read by Ms. Harmel and she has a way of finding new ways into the lives of the French people during this period. This story is told in a 'before and after' way which allows us to see what happens to those living during the occupation and the toll the loss of loved ones transforms their characters as time goes by. Harmel is a good storyteller and has a great way of drawing you in to the story. Unfortunately, for me, her writing style seems to lack a certain 'quelque chose', although descriptions are luscious and accurate, it lacks the 'punch in the gut' that her surprising denouement requires. I was not disappointed with the story, however, and would reccommend this book to those who enjoy this genre. Squeaked by with 4 stars.

I love Kristin Harmel and this one did not disappoint! What an unbelievable story! I just finished it in less than a week and this story kept me captivated from start to finish. I usually dislike reading historical stories but since I love the author, boy she really can tell a wonderful story.
I love how the story moves and does not get lost in descriptive details. What each character goes through, the words really allow the reader to feel the emotions of each character, I felt I was there in the story.
The story starts with the development of a friendship between two women, both pregnant and living in Paris in the 1940's. Both are married and the relationships of each are described in a way you can tell loved by their spouse. This is the time when WWII was happening, so attacks came from out of the blue. The main character had to leave because her spouse was lobbying against the other side and she couldn't risk being found and take her daughter, so she asked her friend to take her as her own under false papers. I felt so sad with the bombing part and was grieving with the pain the mother underwent in the story. Despite the bombing the main character comes back to find her daughter only to learn that the bombing hit the bookstore where her friend lived and not knowing how her daughter died was sad. I just loved the build up of the story when she reconnects with the friend and what she discovers was so unbelievable. I will not spill the beans on it, but this truly is a heartfelt story and will stay with me for years to come.

Grab your tissue boxes!

I have read numerous stories about World War II from every angle and every country involved. This book ranks above the best. Not for its historical value, which is spot on, but because I was so caught up with these woman and their pain. It was hard to put the book down and go to sleep at night. Many nights I was in tears while lying on the pillow. Kristin Hammel has done a marvelous job at giving us a glimpse to what it was like for mother's during the war.

Elise and Juliette, two ex pats from America, meet by chance in a Paris park while both are carrying a child. They immediately form a deep, connected relationship as the Germans move in to occupy Paris. Elise is the wife of a famed artist, involved in the resistance, and Juliette is married to Paul, and they run a bookstore in a small Paris neighborhood. Two daughters are born with weeks of each other, Mathilde to Elise, and Lucie to Juliette. During a visit to the bookstore, Elise is present to Ruth, a Jewish friend of Juliette's, explaining that she is sending her children away to save them from the German's and she will disappear as well. Not long after and with much horror, Elise will have to come to that decision as well. This sparks a debate with all the woman on how a mother could leave a child to promise them life- and is that real love. Juliette, Elise, and Ruth will deal with the consequences of that debate and those decisions for the rest of their lives.

After reading this book, you will also find yourself debating what extremes you would take to keep your child safe.

Elise and Juliette become fast friends when they meet at a beautiful park in Paris during the German occupation in 1939. When Elise is targeted by the Germans due to her husband's involvement with the Communist party, she must make the decision to leave her child with Juliette. Elise returns a year later to Paris to claim her child only to find Juliette's home and bookstore destroyed. She learns that Juliette and a little girl were the only survivors and have moved overseas. Years later, Elise finds Juliette in New York to find out what happened the day of the bombing where their friendship is once again tested.

The Paris Daughter was a good book that explored relationships between friends, husband and wives, and mothers and daughters. I felt like the book kept going and jumped through time quite a bit which became confusing to me at times. I also figured out the "twist" a lot sooner than the reveal but found the ending to be very satisfying. I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Under these stars,fate will guide you home."

"I think when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future, whatever comes our way..There is always light in the darkness even if that spark is sometimes hard to see."

That Paris Daughter set in France during WWII is an emotionally heartbreaking story that grabbed me in from the very first page. This is history that needs to be told again and again. To never be forgotten.
How can parents send their children away with strangers? They do so to keep them safe, hoping to be reunited with them. What were the alternatives?
Elise was forced to leave her daughter behind in the care of her friend Juliette and her family. She had to flee Paris. All she could hope for was Mathilde to be protected and safe. Hopefully to be reunited again once the war ended.
A story about friendship, grief, love, devastating loss, motherhood and the difficult, heart wrenching decisions that had to be made to protect her child. I had tears flowing as I read. A story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Kristin Harmel expertly weaves a tale across decades and continents as she tells the story of a friendship between two mothers during World War II. One desperate mom sends her only child to live with a dear friend, only to wait decades to learn the fate of her child. If at points a little slow moving, readers will be enticed to read to the end to discover what happened.

Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction novels that take place during World War II. Her research is impeccable and her characters come alive on the pages of her books. The characters stay in my mind long after the last page and they make me smile and make me cry. I have enjoyed all of this authors books and The Paris Daughter can be added to her list of fantastic historical fiction.

It's 1939 in Paris and there are rumors of war. For two new friends, Elise and Juliette, their main concern is their family. Neither believes that the impending war will have drastic effects on their lives. Both women are Americans who have married Frenchmen and neither wants to return to America despite the danger. Elsie has small child and when her husband starts getting involved with the Communist party, she knows that it may bring danger into her life. When she is told by a friend of her husband's that her husband has been arrested and that the Nazis will come to arrest her soon, she flees to her friend Juliette's bookshop. Elsie knows that it won't be safe to be on the run with a small child and her friend Juliette agrees to make the little girl part of their family and protect her from harm. After a year of hiding to save her life, the war ends and Elsie returns to Paris to claim her daughter. What she finds is a bombed out bookstore and the news that Juliette's husband and everyone but Juliette and her daughter were killed not long after Elsie left Paris. Juliette has left Paris and no one knows where she's gone. Both women end up in New York. Juliette has married a rich man and built a book store that is the replica of her store in Paris. Will Elsie be able to locate her friend again to find out about the last days of her daughter's life and to put closure to her pain from the war? The perfect ending to this story of friendship had me in tears.

This book is about the cruelties of war but more importantly it's a book about motherhood and the difficult and often unthinkable decisions that a mother will make to protect her children and to help ensure their future. It's a story of friendship and love, grief and despair with characters that you won't soon forget. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book where she goes into more detail about her research and the parts of the story that actually happened.

Kristin Harmel's new novel is an intense story of two women's lives before, during, and after World War II. Elise and Juliette are Americans married to French men and living in Paris in the 1930s. Elise is forced to flee German-occupied Paris as the war peaks and is advised to leave her little daughter, Mathilde, with Juliette, who has three children of her own and a bookstore to manage. The Resistance advisors say that the Germans will easily catch Elise if she is with her daughter. Reluctantly and deeply sorry, she entrusts her daughter with her dear friend. Juliette doesn't feel she can deny shelter to her best friend's daughter, so the pact is made, and both women hope it will be safe in a few months.

The war wasn't over for another two years, and the story moves on to the sad fact that Elise cannot find the family that took in Mathilde. The POV chapters articulate each woman's pain, sorrow, regret, and anger. The novel's second half is full of surprises, and the tension builds for the mothers. I was glued to the book for the resolution but also to try understanding the deeply seeded feelings of all involved in the war. It affected families as horrifically as it did the soldiers on the front. KH has written a unique historical novel about warfare and all its damage.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

4.75 stars ⭐️ Gripping, heartbreaking and captivating doesn’t even begin to explain The Paris Daughter. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Kristin Harmel has a way with her historical fiction works that captivates you so completely that you don’t even want to come up for air until it’s over, and even then, you always want to know more of the story. In my opinion, the only fault of The Paris Daughter is that it lacked the epilogue my heart needed. Harmel does it again with another beautiful, heart-pounding WWII era historical fiction novel that you won’t soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely had to read another book by the fabulous Kristin Harmel. This story of resilience, tragedy, and the mother-daughter bond was absolutely breathless. If you think you're done with WWII novels, think again. This is so much more.

The story starts with a friendship between two women in Paris who give birth to daughters around the same time. WWII is about to begin, and the people of Paris are facing tough decisions; decisions that will mean life or death.

Fast forward to New York City in 1960: the characters have changed, but the past haunts them. I cannot provide any further details at the risk of spoiling this treasure of a novel. It comes to a satisfying and beautiful conclusion that conjures up all sorts of emotions. Thank you Ms. Harmel, NetGalley, and the publisher for the privilege or reading this novel!

5 enormous stars!!! Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite authors and her latest novel is the perfect example of why! The Paris Daughter is a deeply emotional novel that is set during WWII in Paris. Kristin Harmel brilliantly combines the historical fiction, women’s fiction and even the mystery genres together to create a novel that will absolutely stay with you! I love when a novel makes me feel like I went on a journey while reading and Kristin Harmel came through big time with this gem! The characters are well developed and extremely memorable. Sometimes I find historical fiction novels can be a little slower, but I found The Paris Daughter to be the opposite- the storyline is so fantastic that I finished in record time! Once you finish this epic novel make sure you read the Author’s Note- wow, have tissues on hand! The Paris Daughter is one of my top favorite reads this year and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is a beautiful love story to mothers and daughters. During WWII we know that many families were separated by choice. Children were sent away to safety in the hopes that they would survive and one day be reunited with their loved ones. This story is definitely emotionally charged when two women must make this difficult decision and another woman must deal with a devastating loss.
With the ensuing German invasion of France this story begins with two American women who become fast friends and their children become friends too. Both married to Parisian men, they adjust to their lives in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne.

We are introduced to Elise and Juliette. Elise is an artist married to an artist. Her artist husband becomes politically involved and this brings a danger to their family.

Juliette and her husband Paul own a quiet little bookshop aptly names Librairie des Rêves (Library of Dreams). They have three small children and a picture-perfect life.

The story of these two women’s friendship and the difficult heart wrenching decision they must make just to try to stay alive is wonderful storytelling. Their promise to each other, that they would care for each other's children if something happened, is central to this story.

Because of Elise’s husband’s involvement with communism, she and her daughter, Mathilde, are in grave danger. Elise must leave and turns to her friend Juliette to take Mathilde, and keep her safe until she can return. The children are already all friends so of course Juliette is happy to bring Mathilde into her home.
All is well, until one day in 1943, Allied forces drop bombs intending to destroy the Renault Factory occupied by Germans (this really happened). But surrounding buildings were leveled because of an inaccuracy. (I looked up this disaster, and the pictures are very haunting). This changes everything for Juliette and her family.

Anyone who has ever read a book by Kristin Harmel knows how she can create this world of characters and places and keep you entranced until the very end. She weaves this story of love, friendship, loss, grief and pain along with artistry and hope.
She adds in her Author’s Note how she created this story adding real places and real disasters in both France and New York City. She states that she cares about accuracy and loves the idea of turning real history into fiction. I always look forward to her 'Author's Note' in her books.
I will recommend this book to anyone who loves a story of friendship, Paris, artists, libraries and family.

5 stars!!! Do not pass on this one! Whew, I am going to begin by telling you a little bit about the book. This will show you two women that are expecting babies near the same time. WWII is about to break out and one woman is in love with a man on the wrong side of the Germans, and the other is just trying to mind her bookshop with her family. Elise, is a hunted woman, as the Germans are seeking her and she knows that will mean death, so she makes the ultimate sacrifice to give up her child in hopes she will live. She finds her bookshop-owning friend, Juliette, and asks her to take on her child. Juliette has children of her own, but will gladly take a child that she views as not wanted by her mother.

Fast forward to the end of the war and both of the women's lives have changed, but what has happened to the children? Oh, I can't spoil this for you, but I hope you have become interested because there is most of the book left. There are many times when my heart was on the floor with emotion. I will also add that this book is hard to put down so plan accordingly.