This is the story of a French librarian, Odile, who works at the American Library in Paris during Nazi occupation. The staff, volunteers, and patrons at the library resist censorship, protect each other from betrayal, test their friendships, and endure incredible hardship with the help of books and writing. The international cast of “library regulars” was especially charming.

The second storyline, where a teenager named Lily befriends Odile late in her life in 1980s Minnesota, didn’t work quite as well for me. It was satisfying to read the rest of Odile’s story, but these chapters interrupted the pacing and were less compelling than the WWII-set chapters. And I found some of the “lessons” a bit too on the nose.

I’d recommend this book to library lovers and anyone looking for a different take on the WWII historical.

I truly loved "The Paris Library" by Janet Skeslien Charles. I am a big fan of historical fiction in general but I really appreciate when I learn about a new place or time. In this case, the author spent years researching the American Library in Paris and the brave librarians who worked there during WWII to keep the doors open and books in the hands of their subscribers. Though the main character is fictional, many of the others around her were real people. Odile is a young woman who has loved the ALP since she went there as a child with her beloved aunt. She goes on to study the Dewey system and is then hired at the library.

Through Odile we see how hard the struggles were during occupation, and yet the friendships that grew and love that blossomed. In a common storytelling way we also meet Odile in 1980's Montana and her friendship with a young teenage girl. She teaches Lily to always be true to her best friend and opens up about how she came to live in Montana.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I loved this book! If you love libraries, WWII historical fiction and stories about friendship, this book is for you! There is a dual timeline of the early 1940's and late 1980's, with Odile and Lily points of view.

Odile is a young woman in the 1940's who lives in Paris. She has a passion for books and works at The American Library during WWII. She makes strong friendships and finds love. The library brings books to the people who the Germans decree can no longer to go the library. Odile makes a life-changing mistake that she deals with the rest of her life.

Lily is a teenager growing up in the USA during the 1980's. Her family life is altered immensely and she finds friendship with the woman next door, Odile.

Their friendship results in learning lessons and learning to deal with the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library is everything you would want in a historical fiction novel; it had amazing friendships, a love of reading, and a love of books. The novel was exquisite with the Paris Library as a backdrop and characters that will stick with you for a long time. With the timeline being in WWII, there was ample pain, loss of loved ones, and the abhorrent living conditions/war conditions. However, with the love of books and close friendships amidst the librarians, it was still a delight to read. These librarians were heroes in their own right keeping the library open throughout the entire war. It was their mission to keep their subscribers well-read no matter what cost. They knew that a love for reading could tamp down the pain of the war in of itself, and felt soldiers needed the literature now more than ever. Even with Nazi Occupied France, the librarians dangerously delivered the books to their Jewish subscribers, which was courageous and heroic. Based in 1940s (Paris) and 1980s (Montana), these two time lines were both enthralling. Pertaining to the characters, Odile and Lily developed an incredible friendship. It saddened me the emotional turmoil (and self-blame) that Odile endured throughout her life, but was happy to see her friendship with Lily ease some pain. I loved that the author weaved in other characters through the chapters sporadically - to obtain a quick glance in their lives that were close friends of Odile’s. Another point worth mentioning, the author’s note is a must read — as this book is based on a true story. I felt with learning of the characters being real, it added more depth to the story and an attachment to the characters. This book is another historical fiction must read, and a stunning debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this amazing historical fiction novel.

I can't stop thinking about The Paris Library, this is one of those stories that you want to keep reading and reading and when the last pages come, you don't even want to read it you just want to keep getting to know more and more about each character and stretching the story even longer...

This is the amazing story of Odile a woman that I really have so much respect for her, she was strong and she lived so many things that were so sad, she was trying to survive during the war by working at The American library a library that still exists and still in service, a library that has many memories and dreams that still lurking around the bookshelves.

This is where the magic begins at The American Library, where Odile meets new people, people with great stories and with different backgrounds but at the same time with so many sad and terrible situations that are bringing them together as a new family.

Odile and her friends who worked at The American library were determined to keep the library up and running during the worst days of the war. no matter what was happening all around them, no matter if the rest of the libraries already closed, they were determined to keep their faithful book subscribers by delivering books to the comfort of their own homes.. they weren't excluding anyone, they will never treat their costumers like the Nazis were so eager to do so... Odile and her friends were not ready to turn anyone down, no matter what the books were more important than the Nazis.

Odile loves her new friend so much, she is the confidant of many, she has to be careful whom she trusts or those secrets can end up in the wrong ears and hurting her friends the most, and that is exactly what destroyed everything, it wasn't the war, it was the terrible mistake of Odile to say something she wasn't supposed to. this is exactly when things started to fall apart nothing was the same after that, I cried so hard when this happened.

The story permeates between past and presents, Odile is now living in the US she has a new life, a new home and she is already building a life so far from those memories that keep hunting her but she still has many ghosts that keep lurking around her house, letters and memories that keep reminding her of terrible desitions she made.

Lily is a young neighbor living with her parents, she lost her mother at a very young age, and her life changed so drastically when her father brought a new stepmom to the house... Lily was kind and beautiful but she tended to get into trouble by doing stuff she wasn't supposed to do like sneaking around looking for things that didn't belong to her but eventually will cause her a great deal of pain that can even destroy the most amazing friendship she ever had.

Lily was a character that really brought out so much to Odile, what started as some small French lessons became more like a surviving guide for the whole family as Odile really was there to save the day, she was helping Lily's stepmother and even Lily to understand more about each other and even about life.

I don't want to get into much detail about Lily and Odile's friendship as I don't want to give anything away..

There were so many great Secondary characters that really brought so much to this story and they were also very important in Odile's and Lily's Life. Like Mary Louise, Lilys best friend, Miss Reed, Margaret Saint James, The Countess, Bisti, Buck, Boris, Remy, Paul, and many more.

One of the things that I really can't understand and that I really disliked about the war was the way the French people were treating women after the war, there were many men who participated and betrayed their country, and only the women were treated in such a disgusting way, also the way they treated the kid of these women was also a shame, you cannot put out, fire, with more fire and this is exactly what people were doing, they were behaving exactly like the Germans. No matter what you went through you never pay back with the same coin.. it was inhumane and not right and especially for the kids, they didn't deserve the treatment they got not even to see what they were doing to their mothers.. this behavior in every single book was for me so disgusting and unpardonable and no amount of excuses will ever condone what they did.

so many great things to say about the story but I'll leave it here for you to continue to discover more about this fantastic journey...

Overall The Paris Library was excellent, an amazing book, an amazing story with great characters and so many beautiful moments that will make you think and revaluate your life over and over again.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 25%. I really wanted to like this, as the story line was promising. I do think many readers will really love this book but I struggled with the writing style. The paragraphs seemed so choppy to me! The story did not flow well and the pacing was all wrong for me. Each Lily section felt like we were reading about an 11-12 year old, not a teenager. I appreciate the research that went into this work to keep it so historically accurate but unfortunately the writing was just not for me.

Many thanks to Atria Book and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy and allowing me to post an honest review.

I love when a book has two storylines going in different eras and then a portion of the way through the book they start to intersect. Told from two prespectives, modern day (1980s) and WWII, The Paris Library really just boils down to the human need to be loved and cared for. Lily lives next door to Odile and through Lily getting to know her elderly neighbor, we learn about what it was like being a librarian in France in WWII. Beautifully researched and was quite a lovely book.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Paris Library

Author: James Skeslien Charles

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, library lovers

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (Language, Antisemitism, Hitler mentions, War, Grief, Sexual content)

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 368

Synopsis: Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

Review: Oh my goodness this book completely swept me away. I am a huge lover of anything that takes place during world war II. The story was very well plotted out and the characters are very well developed. I also felt that the world building was very well done. I was instantly hooked upon starting the book and I wasn't able to put it down until I finished it.

However, there were some moments in the book that I felt like the author could have went more into the whores of world war II and what was happening with the Jewish people, but they didn't. The book is very sweet, but it doesn't have that emphasis on not repeating the same mistakes that were made to start that war. So if you're looking for a book with heavy emphasis on the horrors of world war II, then this isn't your book. But if you're looking for a book that set during that time period and that can show you what it was like for people that were non-jewish, non Romanian, non-LGBT+, etc then this would probably be a good book for you.

Verdict: It was good, but I wished it showed more of what happened in the war.

Beautiful prose and philosophy in this lovely story of The American Library in Paris. Enchanting characters, a fraction of time in WWII captured and brought back to life. Engrossing!

Oldie is living the life she’s always wanted until the Nazis invade Paris. She does everything to help her Jewish friends but at what cost? Then years later a young girl Lily is curious about her neighbor that nobody talks to or knows anything about her. What will she discover?

Beautiful and heart wrenching all at once. I loved the dual time periods. The closer I inched towards the ending, the more I wanted. I love Odile and I want to know so much more about the gaps of her life. I didn’t always love the writing style, but Skeslien Charles sure created an admirable, dynamic character.

I love historical fiction, and was drawn to the Paris Library for its dual timeline and riveting story about the American Library in Paris (a topic I am not familiar with, but wanted to learn more about). The dual timeline really enhanced the plot, as you go along Odile's journey on how she travelled from Paris to a small town in Montana. This is juxtaposed with Lily's own story as she gets to know Odile and faces her own set of trials. I really enjoyed the book, and it was a delight to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was an insightful historical novel about WWII that explores friendship, courage, survival, and the importance of libraries and books. The characters were interesting and I found both of the duel timelines engaging. It's a powerful story that helped me learn about the American library in Paris which I previously was unfamiliar with.

As a reader of WWII fiction, I would highly recommend "The Paris Library" be put on your to read list.
I really cared about what was happening to Jean Luc and Charlotte and then Sarah and David entered the picture. I always enjoy books that are told from different characters point of view and was very happy that the author included Sam's view.
It is hard to read what happens in the death camps but it is part of the story. I did feel the journey over the Pyrenees was hurried but there was so much more to this story than that.
I plan to read more of Ms. Charles' work and hope that they are as good as this is.

Tired of WWII historical fiction? Same. I promise, though, that The Paris Library is different and is absolutely worth a read. Even if you are feeling the WWII burn out. This offers something unique and some absolutely unforgettable characters.

It's February 1939, and Parisian Odile Souchet has just landed her dream job as a librarian at the American Library there. Odile has been visiting the library since she was a child and already knows many of the people who frequent it on a daily basis. Meanwhile at home, and much to the amusement of Odile and her twin Rémy, her father, a police captain, has been inviting protégés from various precincts to the house for Sunday dinner, in the hope she will be attracted to one. And finally, it happens - a blond policeman named Paul, who actually shows up at the library bearing daffodils and looking for reference books.
Odile also meets Bitsi, the friendly children's librarian who loves reading as much as she does, and wealthy, but unhappy Margaret, the wife of an attaché at the British embassy who can't adjust to living in Paris, missing her mum, England, and speaking English.

Odile brings Margaret into the library fold as a volunteer while teaching her French. Like Odile, Margaret blooms in the library, finding friends, confidence, and meaning in her life and the two women become fast friends.

It feels like an idyllic life until France falls to the Nazis and everything changes. Libraries in Paris are now controlled by the Nazis, who have already closed some and banned certain books. When the day for the inspection of the American Library arrives, it turns out that Miss Reeder, the director of the American Library, knows the inspector, Dr. Fuchs, a librarian himself. He basically leaves the most of the library's books intact, but forbids some to circulate and says certain people, namely Jews, may no longer be allowed into the library. Miss Reeder is determined to keep things going, however, and everyone pitches in to secretly deliver books to the homes of the banned Jewish subscribers and to send books to soldiers to help keep up morale.

Meanwhile, Rémy has fallen in love with Bitsi, has joined the army and is taken prisoner. Odile has fallen in love with Paul, and Margaret's husband has left Paris. But when Odile learns about some of the things Paul is doing, and begins to notice changes in Margaret, she starts to question her feelings towards both of them, and unwittingly betrays Margaret to Paul.

Juxtaposed to Odile's life and these events in wartime France, is the story of Lily, a bored, lonely teenager living in 1980s Froid, Montana, right next door to the elderly, mysterious and reclusive but worldly Mrs. Odile Gustafson, the town's only war bride. Wanting to know more about her and what makes her so different from the other ladies in Froid, Lily decides to make to do a school report on France, hoping to get help from Mrs. Gustafson. And surprisingly, Mrs. Gustafson does agree to help her. Over time, the two become friends, and when Lily's mother passes away, Mrs. Gustafson is there for her.

I found the chapters with Lily's story to be somewhat of a relief from the tensions of WWII, even though she experiences her own tragedy. Lily is a wonderful character - nosy, curious, looking for a way out of Froid and into the wider world. And Odile is just the person to lead her there. But, it is through her friendship with Lily from 1983 to 1988 that we learn what happened to Odile after the war and how she ended up in Froid, Montana.

I was first attracted to The Paris Library because it was about a library in Paris during WWII. What lifted it out of good book and put it into great book for me was the inclusion of real people who worked in the ALP at that time, like Americans Miss Reeder, the directress, and library trustee Clara de Chambrun, as well as the Russian born head librarian Boris Netchaeff. Even the German library inspector, Dr. Fuchs, was a real person and a professional acquaintance of Miss Reeder. All of this added such a sense of authenticity to the novel and allowed for some interesting history to be worked into the story without seeming forced.

And I loved being in the library with Odile, Miss Reeder, Boris, and everyone else. Even the subscribers who spent their days there, reading, talking, arguing were so realistic, perhaps because they reminded me of the habitués I used to know at the NYPL when I was doing research. Each one of Skeslien Charles' characters were brave, defiant and loyal, even through the darkest days of the war.

If you are looking for a book about books with themes of community, communication, friendship, betrayal and resistance, you can't go wrong with The Paris Library.
You can find a detailed Reading Group Guide courtesy of the publisher Simon & Schuster HERE.

This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was an eARC gratefully received from the publisher.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a beautifully written book that has dual storylines taking place during World War II in Paris and 1983 (and later) Montana. The storylines go back and forth, melding together perfectly. The occupation of German soldiers in Paris was such a sad time full of horrible atrocities, but what was done by the employees of The American Library in Paris was truly admirable. The commonality in both storylines is a character named Odile, a spunky young lady during World War II and a refined lady in Montana. But, one never knows what another is going through and Odile's friendship with Lily was precious, pretty much a life-saver on both sides. The biggest surprise for me was reading the author's notes and finding out many of the characters were based on real people. The notes were detailed and super interesting. 100% recommend!

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a very good historical fiction set in Paris during WWII and is based on a true story. Odile is a young French girl who dreams of working at the American Library in Paris. She obtains her dream job, forming deep friendships with the other workers. She also starts to date a handsome police officer introduced to her by her father. When war breaks out and the Nazis occupy Paris, she and her fellow librarians are determined to keep the library open. They send valuable books out of town to safety, and they smuggle books to Jewish patrons that are forbidden from going to the library.

Lily is a lonely teenager in a small town in Montana in 1983 dreaming of being adventurous and traveling. She befriends her solitary elderly neighbor, Odile, and slowly learns how Odile went from having a life in Paris to being a widow in a small town in Montana.

This is a beautifully written book. The story slowly unfolds and the time line jumps back and forth between Odile's life in Paris during WWII and Lily's life in Montana in 1983. The author does a fantastic job of developing Odile and Lily's characters, as well as building the characters around them. Normally I'm impatient with books that are slower in pace than other books I read, like fantasy and mystery books, but the author does such a great job that it didn't bother me. Odile and Lily are both impetuous and allow jealousy to get the better of them, and the way that Odile coaxes Lily to be more mindful of her actions is beautiful to read. I highly recommend you read this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

This author has created an extraordinary look at life in Paris during WWII. The characters are so vivid and believable. It's obvious the author did extensive research to base her characters on real people. Odile was such a strong character. She definitely wasn't goody-two-shoes - - she did some horrible things to her friends - - but she seemed real and believable. She was spoiled and flighty - but also dedicated to the library and the love of books. To tell the truth, I was disappointed every time the story switched to Lily in the 80's. I appreciate, though, that the author clearly told us when she was changing the time and characters.

To me, this book had a feeling like "All the Light We Cannot See" or "The Book Thief" - both of which I loved. This is that kind of book. It's hard to bring myself back to 2021!!

I kept wondering how on earth Odile ended up in Montana! Who was Buck? Where was Paul? What happened to all the people who worked at the library? And then - - as Lily said - - the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle was revealed and it all made sense. Odile had done some unforgivable things - but she paid the price by cutting herself off from her friends and family. Sad.

I'm hoping for a sequel.

I loved this book so much, and not because it is set in a library (the happiest place on earth!) The characters were well-written, likeable, and wildly entertaining! I would have felt right at home with this group of librarians and patrons - they shared my love of all things books. Reading their day-to-day interactions and work in the library, with mentions of the Dewey Decimal System and beloved authors and classic literature, I felt like I was there in Paris at the famous library with them. From the elderly retired Generals on opposing sides of politics whose arguments became charming, to the handsome cop who frequently visits the library in order to see the main character, Odile, I was entranced by this story. As the war advances into Paris, the American library is threatened and these characters must work together to save the books. In a concurrent timeline, Odile is living far from Paris and none of the other characters are featured, leaving us to wonder if they survived. The only people she interacts with are her neighbors, and she soon becomes friends with the teenage girl living next door. I really enjoyed these chapters, seeing how they were able to be a support to each other. The author brings both stories together beautifully in the end and I was sorry to leave their world. This is a must read for lovers of WWII fiction as well as lovers of BOOKS. I was not familiar with this author before reading this, but I will now be going to check out her back list work.