"I loved Paris, a city with secrets. Like book covers, some leather, some cloth, each Parisian door led to an unexpected world."

Have I mentioned I love dual timeline historical fiction? What makes them even better are real people and events embedded into the storyline. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles checks both of these boxes, is a story set around a real library i.e. The American Library in Paris, its patrons and workers, and the writing is simply stunning. A story of courage, friendship, bravery and books, The Paris Library explores themes of grief, betrayal, resentment, regrets but also hope, healing and the solace one finds in the world of written words.

“Grief is a sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn’t so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I’d be back to the beginning, fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow.”

The first timeline is Paris, 1939. A young Odile Souchet, an ardent book lover with an obsession of the Dewey Decimal System (google it!) has just scored a job at the American Library in Paris. It's a good life for Odile, until the Nazis come to Paris and the library is not the same. A number of books are banned, a number of people are banned from entering the library and conditions keep getting worse with every passing day. The library workers resist in their own way by keeping the library going and hand delivering books to banned people, mostly Jews, by risking their own lives.

“Books and ideas are like blood; they need to circulate, and they keep us alive.”

The second timeline is Montana, 1983. Lily is a lonely teenager, wary of her life in the small town, struggling with grief after her mother's death and trying desperately to fit in with the other kids her age, sadly with no avail. She is fascinated by her neighbor, a senior French widowed lady with a mysterious past. Odile and Lily connect over a school project and Lily unknowingly uncovers something unbelievable from Odile's past. Questions are asked, secrets revealed and it all wraps up into a brilliant and heartbreaking conclusion.

“People are awkward, they don’t always know what to do or say. Don’t hold it against them. You never know what’s in their hearts.”

A well researched and beautifully told story about a piece of not so well known history, a tale of grief and betrayals yet that of hope and courage, The Paris Library is an incredible work of historical fiction that should not be missed!

“I was skeptical about soulmates, but could believe in bookmates, two beings bound by a passion for reading.”

If you like books and libraries and are a fan of historical fiction, please add this to your TBR.

As a book lover, I was hoping The Paris Library would give a fresh take on a dual-POV story in Nazi occupied France. Unfortunately, I found this book to be pretty standard and basic with no new or exciting twist on a well-documented era in historical fiction.

I wouldn't say this is a "bad" book, but it's not the book for me. I didn't connect at all with the story and found both main characters extremely naive, immature, and lacking self-awareness. The Odile narrative (1940s Paris) was much more interesting than Lily's (1980s Montana) - I couldn't even remember Lily's name. There were also one-off chapters with other character POVs in Odile's timeline that I felt made the story a little choppy, but at least those characters had interesting story lines. I would have liked to read the book from Margaret's perspective, Odile's British friend who is the wife of a diplomat and struggles to find her place in Paris.

I wish there was more about how the library was a resource during the Nazi occupation. I felt the author glossed over it - just that they started delivering books to their Jewish patrons because they were banned from the library. I don't see how you could be doing that task and still be so oblivious to what's going on.

A quick and easy read, but there are higher quality options if you're interested in 1940s France.


Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t found a historical fiction book I haven’t liked.
This one did take me a while to get into but I ended up really enjoying it once I just sat down an read it.

A WWII novel that shares a different part of the history. I liked how it blended a current story with the historically story.

The Paris Library follows a young woman, Odile, as she starts her first job in France during WWII. We also see how ~40 years later, Lily, a teenager in the United States, is dealing with transitions and family tragedy and change. As each navigates abrupt changes in their lives, you understand that the implications of choices aren't always what they seem, and the power of being there for someone else.

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

A story told in two alternating time periods, WWII Paris and 1980s Montana. The book provides a slice of the unknown history of the role played by the staff of the American Library in Paris during the Second World War. It is a story about the love of books, the power of friendship, the importance of relationships, the struggles to survive adversity, the decisions one makes, and the memories one cherishes as life moves on. The author has done great research to bring this story to live. I believe the story of Odile and Lily will stay with the reader. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Paris Library is an interesting historical fiction based on the true events and people living and working at the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation during World War II. The importance of books is shown throughout the story as Odile becomes the librarian and cares for all her subscribers at this perilous time. When Jews are forbidden to use the library, she and her comrades develop ways to deliver books. Love, compassion, friendship are on display as well as jealousy and betrayal and the consequences of their actions. There is also a dual timeline dealing with Lily, a high school student in the 1980’s who befriends her neighbor, Odile and interviews about the war and the secrets she is hiding. Well written and researched. Many facts are presented by the author at the end of the novel to which adds more depth to the story. #TheParisLibrary #JanetSkeslienCharles #NetGalley

I have been getting into historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. I feel in love the characters from past and present and wanted to reach in and hug them!

This was a war story yet it wasn't a typical war story. It centered around Odile and her passion for books and her job at the American Library in Paris. Valiantly trying to keep the library open during the Nazi occupation of France was challenging. When they were told that Jews could no longer be served, the librarians risked their own lives to bring the books to their Jewish subscribers. Odile is at first portrayed as a privileged young woman who resents her twin brother's girlfriend for encouraging him to enlist and go off to fight. Her father, who is in law enforcement thinks her job is a waste of time. We learn Odile's story as she recalls her mistakes and regrets after taking a young motherless teen named Lily under her wing and teaching her French as well as lessons about life. They are both good for the other and fulfill a need in their lives that they didn't know was missing.

A solid historical fiction novel, taking place during the Paris occupation. Parallel narratives give the novel even more depth, as the reader sees the characters in their youth, and also reckoning with their youthful decisions in their older years. While the present day storyline was a bit more compelling, both narrative lines are worth the read. It doesn't have any of the same high-stakes drama of comparable spy novels, but these librarians were not resistance fighters or spies. Readers of WWII fiction that love women's stories will love this one.

The Paris Library by Janet Skestien Charles was an excellent work of historical fiction. I think folks who like stories of WWII and books themselves will appreciate this look at the efforts to protect books and ensure people have access to them, during a time of war.

I really enjoyed this book. Odile is a young woman who gets her dream job at the Paris Library just before WW2 hits London. Her parents would be happier if she found a husband, but Odile has found her place and purpose. As the war story progresses there’s another timeline in the book in the 1980’s where Odile is the elderly neighbor of a young girl Lily, the whose family life is falling apart. In this future story Odiles wisdom from years of living through a war, helping others and making mistakes helps Lily through difficult times.

This is a must read for any historical fiction fan, especially for those who enjoy WWII era books. The story of Odile is told by using alternating storylines between Montana in 1983 and Paris in 1939. In Montana, Odile is living an isolated life in a small town when she meets a lonely girl named Lily. Even though there is a considerable age difference Odile and Lily they develop a beautiful friendship. As they are getting to know each other Odile flashes back to her early life in Paris when her dream was to work at the American Library in Paris. Both timelines are equally interesting that flowed seemlessly back and forth.
I felt a wide array of emotions while reading this book, there were moments of pure happiness, terrible sadness, fear and hope. I loved the way the story reminds us that literature offers hope even in the darkest of times.
It was a very intersting historical story and I could tell that the author did amazing research into the history of the American Library in Paris during WWII. The librarians that this story was based on exhibited great heroism through a very trying time in history.
This is a wonderful story about friendship, resilience, and love. I found it fasinating and highly recommend it. I am grateful to Atria books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this historical fiction book about WWII. The Paris Library gives a different perspective, from Odile who lives in Paris and works at the American Library. Odile has a great life, working her dream job, until the war gets closer to her life in Paris. Her twin brother enlists in the army, the Nazis come to Paris and enforce rules, and friends have to flee the city.
Throughout the story, another story is also told of Lily in 1983. Lily gets to know her lonely, elderly neighbor, Odile. She tries to uncover Odile's past and leans on her neighbor for support after her mother dies.
The Paris Library is a fantastic story of love, family, friendship, and a love of books.

This is a wonderful tale of friendship through time and the power of literature. As a librarian, I truly admire Odile's plight and her courage, especially when she agrees to share her story with Lily.

I loved The Paris Library so much. The book has a dual timeline; one with the main character, Odile, in Paris during WWII. The other timeline is Odile as an elderly woman in Montana, neighbor to Lily, a young girl. I had no clue that this library was real and also that some of the characters at the library are real people! The author did an amazing job of blending fiction and non-fiction. This novel also gives a powerful example of how jealousy can ruin lives. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don’t normally reach for historical fiction which is why I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Paris Library! This based-on-a-true-story novel follows the librarians of the American Library of Paris during the Nazi occupation. I liked the dual timeline so we got to see characters from two perspectives, but felt that there were some craft-based choices that didn’t suit the story well. Nonetheless this was a great read for readers who love to read about reading. 4 stars.

I adored this story. The cover and title alone had my attention. It’s a book you can give to any Paris and/or library lover.

Told from a duel time, 1940s Paris and 1980s Montana: the story follows Odile a Parisian who was in the resistance during WW2. Lily, her Montana neighbor comes to her house to interview her for a project and begins a sweet and life-giving friendship.

I loved how this story was based on the librarians American Library in Paris.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria publishers for the arc of this book.

First off, I love all things World War Two so this book had my interest from the beginning. I really enjoyed the characters and the pacing. This is one I’ve already begun recommending.

This is one of the best historical fiction books I have read in a long time. While some may say the subject of WWII is saturated in the genre of historical fiction, this shines a light on the American Library in Paris, and the way it continued to remain open and serve subscribers during the lean war years in Paris. The characters are flawed and fully-drawn. The plot is swift, exciting, but not anxiety-inducing. The pacing of the conclusion is not abrupt, but very natural. Highly recommend!