Member Reviews
This is the story of two women. Caroline is an American living in present day Paris and Celine is from Paris in the 1940's. Caroline has lost her memory in an accident and is trying to piece her life together. Celine is living with her father and daughter in Paris during WWII. They own a local flower shop.
I enjoyed Celine's story more than Caroline's. Her struggles drew me into her story. I found Caroline's life post accident to be a bit silly.
I did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review.
What an amazing book! Paris stretches across time from WWII until today. Lives intertwine. Beautifully written, with characters you will fall in love with.
So much love for this one. It has everything I enjoy in a historical tale...World War II era, secrets, romance, danger, and a meshing of old and new.
It starts with Caroline waking up in the hospital. She has no memory of her past life, so she's left to piece together what she can. What she discovers is, she wasn't a very happy person. Along the way, she begins to uncover the story of another.
Celine is a young window in Nazi occupied Germany. Her only concern is keeping her father and young daughter safe. The letters she leaves behind tell her sad story.
This is an outstanding addition to the genre of historical fiction. Five stars for me
The book started off slowly, however the more I read, the more I wanted to know about the characters. Sarah Jio does a marvelous job developing her characters and I feel like I am getting to know them and want to know more. I can't get the characters out of my head, even after finishing the book. I loved seeing Caroline through the eyes of other characters. What a refreshing perspective.
The book takes place in Paris during two different time periods: the occupation of Paris during WWII and modern day. Celine and her daughter, Cosi are trying to survive during the occupation of Paris during WWII, while Caroline is living in Paris in modern time. An apartment on the Rue Cler connects them through time. I have read many books set during the WWII period and this book does not disappoint in its historical perspective.
Celine and Caroline have difficult decisions to make and I wanted to cry for both of them. The twist between Victor and Caroline was something I never would have guessed and is a wonderful and bittersweet story.
Sarah Jio evokes a sense of mystery and tautness that made me want to keep reading to find out how Celine and Caroline are connected.
Oh my goodness, what an amazing book! How do I describe something that transcends words? By the end of the book I was crying and couldn't stop reading until I found out all the characters were okay. The ending was happy and sad. I wept for Celine, Cosi, and Caroline. I loved this book!
#AllTheFlowersInParis #NetGalley
I was frustrated with myself because I couldn't read this book in one setting. I did not want to put it down. This story had me by the heartstrings from the very first chapter. I instantly wondered what it would be like to live in Caroline's shoes. What would I do? How would I feel if the life I knew was suddenly erased? With her memory gone she doesn't know who to trust and she feels as if she might be in danger. Our second heroine Celine, is introduced in the second chapter. Both are very strong women, both living in Paris. Caroline is there in 2009 but Celine is in the war of 1944 during the Nazi occupation. Sarah does a wonderful melding of two time-lines into an unforgettable story. A parcel of letters and a diary found in a Paris apartment, 50 years later, have a wonderful way of bringing these stories together. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of mystery and suspense, will enjoy this book.
Parts of Celine's story could be very dark. But Sarah Jio has a way of bringing light out of the darkness. Staying alive for her 8 year old daughter Cosi was a big insinuative for Celine. You will love her characters, you will be pulling for them and you will find yourself shedding tears. I closed this book wanting more. I was given a complimentary copy of the book from Random House Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
After a serious accident, Caroline loses her memory. She finds out she lives in an exclusive apartment in Paris, but doesn't remember anything else. While in the apartment she finds some hidden letters from a woman named Celine who writes to her sweetheart Luc in 1944. Intrigued, Caroline searches to find out more. What she finds is a story of love, tragedy, and a bittersweet love. She also finds bits of her own past.
Engaging tale that is told from the past and present that lead readers on a journey during Nazi occupied Paris with a woman who still searches for good while the horrors of the war play out. Both women's stories are ones that resonate with not only the pain of loss, but the endearing power of hope and love.
Totally recommend.
The love a mother has for her daughter is explored amid the backdrop of Paris and switches in time between Celine’s story during the occupation of Paris during WWII and Caroline’s story in present day Paris. The two stories largely take place in the same Paris apartment. Caroline finds Celine’s letters which reveal clues to the horrors that took place during WWII under Nazi occupation to Celine and her daughter Cosi. Caroline herself is searching for her own clues – she lost her memory recently in an accident and her personal history is slowing revealed as well. There are some twists and turns that move each story forward – both women love their daughters above all else and have to come to terms with their fates. The ending may have been rushed, but both stories are compelling and those that enjoy WWII historical fiction with love this new book. I received the ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.
Sarah Jio is an automatic buy/read for me. This was such a beautiful story! I love anything WWII related, the stories have so much history and there is always more to discover.
I loved Caroline, Celine, & Cosi. I loved how their stories all intertwined. The setting was beautiful and it was hard to put this one down. I may come back and add more to my review once I have more time to think about it,
Another beautiful story from Jio!
Read this in one sitting and could not put it down. As each chapter goes back and forth between present day and ww2 era in Paris, the stories align beautifully. A great read if you’re interested in ww2 fiction.
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the chance to read and review this book. I think Sarah Jio is just a brilliant author! I have read all of her books and the stories are always captivating!
This story takes place in Paris and connects past and present. Caroline (present) looses her memory when she is hurt in a car accident. She is struggling to find out who she is. Victor, a local restaurant owner, is helping and supporting her in this quest. One day she finds some letters hidden in her apartment. The letters belong to someone named Celine.
Now the author takes us back to WWII and we begin to learn about Celine. Her family owns and runs a flower shop during the war. When the Germans discover her father is part Jewish, they capture her family. Her father is sent away and she is taken to live with a German officer. During this time, she has to fight to save her daughter.
This story was just fascinating and the author does a great job of connecting the two stories. Even though these two women lived at different times, they both faced great heartache. I highly recommend this book.!
This was the first book that I have read by Sarah Jio and I could not put it down. The story was so intriguing and I loved that it was told in dual timelines. The descriptions of Paris were beautiful. I highly recommend this for historical fiction fans.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
What a great piece of historical fiction. I love when the present meets the past.
Great story line with a few twists, but a little predictable. It kept my interest and I would recommend.
3.5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a great story. It goes back and forth between present-day with Caroline and the 1940's with Celine. It was easy to follow the transitions and the stories. The characters were likeable and relatable which I always love. There was a lot of very specific detail in the beginning of the book. There were some hard-to-read parts when it came to the behavior of the Nazis. As I got to the end of the book, it seemed to wrap up really quickly which was somewhat disappointing. After reading so many details throughout the rest of the story, I'm not sure why it was pulled together so quickly and ended. Overall, I was happy with the way it ended and things tied together. There were a couple of loose ends and I would also have liked a little more development of the ending. Still it's a worthwhile read!
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I love WWII stories and even more when they are written by Sarah Jio. She just has a such a sensitive writing style that I love! This is the story of two generations of women who live on the Rue Cler in Paris. One during the war and the other today. Caroline was out for a jog when she has an accident and ends up in the hospital with no memory of who she is. As she slowly recovers, she discovers that who she was before the accident was a reclusive, sad woman. Caroline wonders what has happened in her past that has made her so sad. While she struggles to learn about her past she discovers the letters of Celine, a woman who also spent time in her very apartment! Celine, however, was held as a prisoner by a German soldier during the war. Sarah Jio has done a beautiful job of traveling between the two time periods and she really does a terrific job of sharing both sides of this story.
In another excellent book by Sarah Jio, All the Flowers in Paris weaves together 2 timelines, one in 1943 and one in 2009.
In 1943, Celine and her father are running a flower shop in a fashionable part of Paris. Then, when the Nazis occupy Paris, they face horrific acts and abuses because of their Jewish heritage.
In 2009 Paris, Caroline is in a bicycle accident and loses her memory. When her memory finally returns, she forced to face her past heartache and relationships.
Throughout the novel, these two timelines slowly come together and the connections between Celine and Caroline are made known.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
Sarah Jio has written a beautiful tale of love, loss, and survival. The novel is set in Paris. There are two stories with dual timelines that eventually intersect. Caroline's story is set in 2009, and Celine's story is set in the 1940s during the occupation of Paris. As the novel begins, Caroline has an accident where she suffers memory loss and is trying to regain her memory. As her journey to remember her life evolves, we learn she has suffered a terrible loss.
Concurrently in occupied Paris in 1943, Celine is a widow who lives in an apartment with her father and her 9 year old daughter Cosi. Celine’s father owns a successful flower shop in the heart of Paris. However, the family’s situation is tenuous as Celine’s father has Jewish ancestry in his background. The family is outed by a neighbor they are attempting to flee Paris. Celine is initially separated from her daughter and father. Reinhardt, an evil high ranking German officer has taken a personal interest in Celine. Reinhardt decides to enslave Celine in his apartment where she is consistent raped and brutalized by him. The only light in Celine's life is that Cosi, somehow has escaped and has found Celine. Celine’s focus is to protect Cosi at all costs.
As Caroline is trying to regain her memory, she discovers hidden letters written by Celine in her apartment. Eventually, Caroline learns the mysterious story of Celine. As the novel is brought to a close, a connection between the two women is revealed.
The ending to the novel is so gratifying. I've always enjoyed Sarah Jio’s books immensely. Sarah Jio's delivers again and her love of Paris is quite evident in this book. “All the Flowers In Paris” is an absolutely glorious and enjoyable read.
A beautifully written book, and at times heart wrenching about occupied France, and two different time lines. I definitely want to read more from this author. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
I absolutely loved this book. All the Flowers in Paris switches between Caroline in modern day Paris and Celine in Paris during WWII. Celine, a widow with a young daughter Cosi, and her father own a flower shop. As the Germans descend upon Paris, it is uncovered that the family is part Jewish. Their struggles are heart-breaking. Caroline, who is slowly recovering from memory loss after an accident, is working to find answers to who she is and why those around her recall a sad and unhappy woman. While she works to rebuild her memory, she uncovers letters in her apartment which reveal clues to the story of Celine and her family. The author does a wonderful job weaving the two stories together. I couldn’t put the book down and sat weeping after I was finished. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House / Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful well written love story to the city of Paris. It's written in dual timelines - one is Celine's story in the 40s when Paris was occupied by the Germans and the other is Caroline's story in today's Paris. Sometimes with dual timelines, I enjoy one story more than the other but with this book, I was equally interested in both timelines and anxious to find out how they would end.
Celine lives in Paris with her father and her daughter and they own a small flower shop. They have to be very careful because Germany has invaded Paris and the soldiers can be very cruel to the citizens. They are fearful for each other but despite all that is going on, Celine is falling in love with Luc, a young man that she's known her entire life. When a cruel German officer discovers that her grandmother was Jewish, he makes her his mistress in exchange for keeping her family safe. Will her new life of pain and cruelty help save her father and daughter?
Caroline lives in Paris in the present day. At the beginning of the novel she is in an accident and wakes up with amnesia. She doesn't remember who she is or anything about her past but has flashes about a child and is unsure if they are part of her life or not. As she learns her way around Paris again, she starts to spend time with the chef at a local bistro and thinks she is falling in love with him. In a back bedroom of her apartment she finds the letters that Celine wrote to Luc during her captivity in the apartment. She works with a student at the Sorbonne to find out more about Celine and her family. The parallel time lines bring the story together and I can promise tears along with joy.
This was a wonderful well written novel about love - especially love within a family. The dual time line is very effective in bringing us a fantastic story with well written characters and a setting in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This was Sarah Jio’s best book since the Bungalow! I loved how to the two stories wove together. Some of the parts seemed to fall together a little too quickly, but I liked that it made the plot move. I also appreciate it was just a touch of WWII.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.