Oh wow. Just wow. I love historical reads and this book truly hit it with me. I loved the characters and storyline and who doesn't love the library? I read it so fast I actually bought the audio so I can listen to the characters too!one of the best books I read in 2021. A must read for anyone who loves historical reads!

(Update - the audio book was AMAZING and I definitely think I loved it more thAn the book of possible! Great narration!!!!)

This is a story told in dual timelines, primarily of Odile, a librarian at the American Library in Paris during WWII. This historical part of the book shines a light on the real life people who bravely kept the library open, circulated books, and resisted the Nazis during Paris’ occupation.

There is also a modern timeline set in Montana with Lily, a girl trying to find her place who turns to her neighbour, the now elderly Odile.

I loved this book. The writing was gorgeous and was a real treat for book lovers and history buffs. Charles brought a real compassion to the war and the occupation, showing how people coped, resisted how they could, and kept going and took care of each other in terrible circumstances.

The modern part of the book was an interesting counterpoint to the history – how people judge and try to fit in.
There was some great character development, especial with Odile and I loved the 2 views of her – as a young and an elderly woman. And the friendships she developed, both in Paris and in Montana, really enhanced the human aspect of the story.

I loved this book so much I made it one of my book box selections.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

As a historical fiction lover, sometimes WWII books tend to blend together but not this one!

It had dual timelines and dual narration but I was equally interested in both timelines, which if you read historical fiction sometimes that is not the case.

I loved the unique angle and the character development throughout this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

I am a huge historical fiction reader and love reading about WW2 from different perspectives. This was a beautifully written book that tells about the American Library in Paris during WW2. Although the setting is the library, Paris, and Montana, the richest part of the book was the love and friendships that Odile and Lily had that brought them together. A truly beautiful story of love. "I love the library, but I love you more."

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and Janet Skeslien Charles for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

As a fan of historical fiction, I was overexcited to get approved for The Paris Library. To read about WW II and books and bookish people - what else can a girl want?

I did enjoy the historical perspective of the story, I enjoyed the idea of library being a sacred space that helped people to find where they belong and never discriminate. I also enjoyed the author’s note about her inspiration for the novel.

On the other hand, I am tired of dual narration and dual timelines. It seems to be a trend nowadays and every historical fiction novel comes out with the same structure. I understand that past events cannot be changed and some novels may seem repetitive and, therefore, a bit boring. However, the same book structure becomes even more boring. At first, it’s hard to jump from one timeline to another, from one person to another. It may seem beneficial but it is too much. I did enjoy this types of narrative once, but no longer.

I think the story was good, the characters were ok, the execution was so-so.

I enjoyed reading this story. It was well written, engrossing and hard to put down. It is set in dual timelines and tells the stories of Odile in 1939 and Lily in 1983 as Odile and Lily navigate their friendship. It's a story of courage, love, friendship and all the sacrifices people are willing to make to keep the ones they love safe.

This novel follows two timelines : The story starts in 1939 Paris, as we follow twenty year old librarian Odile Souchet, and in 1983 Montana, we meet Odile again, widowed, alone, isolated from others except for her attendance at church.

I loved that most of the characters in the book were real people and the book followed real events quite closely, while keeping it an intriguing tale. You could really tell the effort that went into the research of this book. Sometimes there were slow moments, I think thanks to all the information needing to be absorbed but I enjoy slow reads like this. They're the ones that stay with you long after you finish.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this story. The format was good and Odile was my favorite character. Getting a glimpse at Paris and the American Library was great.

I always love books about books and/or libraries and this book was no exception. I loved reading the different book quotes and I also got to learn some French.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I do love WWII historical fiction, and this offered a different perspective. As I have continued my reading in this genre, I find that as I become more knowledgeable about the War in general, the more I appreciate niche perspectives. This particular novel dove into the side of French civilians who continuously tried to provide a library service to all citizens of Paris, even when the Jewish people were no longer welcome in the Library. I found the characters interesting enough, but I never entirely connected to any of them. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I didn't find it as inspiring as others in this genre.

A refreshing read in the historical fiction genre, particularly when it comes to WW2 novels, The Paris Library was delightful to get lost in and really appealed to my book loving heart. I loved being placed in the middle of the American Library in Paris among these brave librarians, risking their lives to keep stories in people’s hands amidst the Nazi occupation of France, and the story that unfolded from it... one of fortitude and strength, heartbreak and betrayal, friendship and family, and the powerful community that a love for literature creates. The war really was just the backdrop here, as it was much lighter in that regard and more of a character-driven day in the life. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book at all, but I wish I’d have known to expect that going in. Oh, and speaking of characters, I can’t help but mention that those we meet in these pages really were such a wonderful, quirky, and memorable bunch. I want to be friends with them!

As can happen with books that have dual timelines, I did tend to feel drawn to the Paris timeline more than the Montana, 1983 one. I struggled with understanding the “point” of the latter timeline much of the time. And while that piece of the story really did come together so beautifully by the end, I wished for more of a connection sooner and simply to see more of our Odile’s life in the U.S.

All of that to say (if you’re still with me) I truly am glad I read this book and I would definitely recommend it to historical fiction fans and even those just dabbling in the genre. With a passion and love for books and the library at its heart, The Paris Library could appeal to a vast group of readers. As a side note, a great #bookpairing for this one would be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. That lovely story of bibliophiles banding together came to mind many times as I was reading this one.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy to review. This was a delightful book combining three of my favorite things - libraries, Paris, and historical fiction. I enjoyed both the past and present sections of the book equally, which is a rare thing in a book that takes place in two time periods. The protagonists of both sections grew over time. I will recommend this to friends!

Greatly enjoyed this read, especially the portions set in WWII. The Montana portions paid off, but I think the book’s strength was in the 1930s-40s. Highly recommend!

Wow! This is now my favorite read of 2021!!!! Odile goes to Paris and works in the American Library during WWII and it is the story I didnt know I needed in my life. The struggles that the librarians and the staff to keep the library open, deal with the suspicious behavior of patrons and keep sending books to the soldiers was so legendary. I cant believe that I didnt hear more about stories like these before. It makes me so proud to be a librarian. Bravo on your research and I adored every word.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for my advanced readers copy. I told everyone at book club about this book and everyone was so keen on reading it next month.

What a beautifully done Historical Fiction! I love the dual timeline and how it was based on real life events. (Make sure you read the Authors Note at the end - SO interesting) I loved that and made it all seem more real while reading. I loved how this was of course focused on the librarians and what they did to keep the books available as part of the resistance. It’s so inspiring and just makes me really appreciate librarians even more!
Thank you NETGALLEY for my copy.

This was a really sweet book! every time I feel like I've read all the WW2 books I can handle, another one comes along and shows me another aspect of the war I didn't know about. If you love books about books, libraries, or historical fiction, you will love The Paris Library.

A young woman at the onset of WWII has a drive to work at the American Library in Paris. The cast of characters in this novel is eclectic and interesting as the Library responds to the events before and throughout WWII. Odile's story starts in France and also has a storyline later in her life in 1980's Montana as she meets a teenage girl Lily and they strike up a friendship over friendships and a mutual loneliness.

I truly enjoyed reading this novel which revolves around books and those who love them as well as relationships that are struck around the love of books. The characters are well developed and relatable.

This book features dual timelines- 1940s Paris, and 1980s Montana.
I loved how much the love of books was a part of this historical fiction. I loved picturing the library in Paris, with its regular patrons. I would love to time travel to pre-war times and see what it was like.

I thought the connection to the two timelines happened really quickly, which removed the sense of suspense you might find in similarly structured novels. Still, if you enjoy WWII era Historical fiction, and also enjoys books that feature a love of reading, I think you will find something to like with this one.

The Paris Library is based on the real-life American Library in Paris, the largest English-language library in mainland Europe. Half of the story takes place leading up to and during Nazi occupation in WWII. The other half, told in alternating chapters with the Paris story, takes place in Montana during the 1980’s. How in the world do these polar opposite locales fit into the same novel? You’ll have to read it to find out :-)

This is a good entry point for a reader new to historical fiction, particularly WWII. Good character development with the impossible choices many face during war, without a lot of descriptive violence contained in (some) other WWII novels.

I am a library paraprofessional and received an advance copy from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

The Paris Library connects right to the heart of any reader, those of us who love books, and anyone who can appreciate the bonds made by sharing books. The story takes place in Paris in WWII and then in Montana during the 1980s. The storyline weaves back and forth between the two timelines so that we get to know Odile as a young woman and then as an older widow. The subscribers that we meet due to the American Library in Paris grow to be characters we learn to love. Lily, her family and friends also become familiar, but in my opinion not as endearing as those in the WWII time.

If you are a historical fiction fan, especially a WWII fan, this account of how books helped save people, give them hope during a dark time, and connect a group of people as family will give you a new perspective of the kindness and also the hatred in people. It’s definitely worth reading.

2.5 stars // This book took me forever to get through because I just could not get into it. The premise on paper sounds like such a win for me -- set in Paris during WWII, one foot in the past and one in the present, an unlikely friendship, secrets, the whole nine yards. But the pacing was just a bit to slow for me. I would have preferred smaller chunks of time in either past or present, but each felt too long and then all of the sudden we were in the opposite. Overall, it was okay. Still give it a try if you enjoy WWII historical fiction!