Thank you Netgally and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on the true World War II story of the American Library before and during the Nazi occupation of Paris. I enjoy different approaches to WW2 historical fiction and this is perfect for book lovers and library stewards!

The story follows two timelines; Odile, a young woman who lands her dream job at the American Library in Paris (ALP), 1939-1944, and the other of a teen, Lily in Montana, 1983-1989. Both females have gone through significant losses and the book slowly unfolds how their relationship is significant to the other.

The author's note at the end of the book highlights which characters at the ALP were real and extends their non-fiction story. The true stories are fascinating and well-researched but the fictional story left me wanting to know more about Odile and less about Lily.

I received an ARC of The Paris Library in exchange for an honest review. This is a story that takes place during WWII. However, this is different from other books about WWII. The Paris Library is about the American Library in Paris and efforts made by the employees to save the library and its books during WWII. Many of the characters in the story were based on actual employees of the library during that time. Odile is hired as a librarian and when war breaks out, does her best to save as many books as possible from being seized by the Nazi's. There is also a love story about Odile and her boyfriend Paul. Then like most WWII novels, there is a second story, which takes place in Froid, Montana, in the 1980s. In Montana, Lily is a teenager struggling with many of the same issues that Odile battled. The description of the book describes it as an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family and the power of literature of bring us together.

Set in two different time periods, we follow Odile as she navigates the war, love and friendships and then as she meets Lily 40+ years later and how their story intertwines. Their relationship is unique, sad and filled with hope.

I have been hesitant to read WWII historical novels as it seems like we have an abundance of them recently. But I really enjoyed the unique perspective of this one and especially loved the library and the characters we find there. I also loved reading how the author learned about the history of the library and people who ran it during WWII.
I felt there were some moments that seemed to drag on, while others I wished were explained a little more. Overall, I thought it was well done and a great read!

There are scenes of war-time abuse and some sexual innuendos to be aware of.
I will post on my social media sites closer to publication date and update my review here

I used to sleep with books (and the occasional stuffed animal). Give me a historical fiction book that involves a library and people who love books and I am a happy camper. Throw in multiple POV and timelines and goodbye weekend!!! This book was a delightful weekend read with some serious notes in it.
Janet Skeslien Charles "The Paris Library" centers on the American Library in Paris. Google it. I want to go,. The library, it's employees, and it's subscribers pay the price for Paris being overrun by the Nazis during WWII. We meet Odile Souchet in 1939 as she prepares to get a job at the library and WWII is still not quite on Paris's doorstep. We meet her friends and family and her coworkers who become family. We see Parisians struggle to fit into the Paris that is no longer HOME and that they must fight to return it to it's glory.
We also meet Lily who is a young girl in 1980s Montana. Her life has progressed as any normal middle American girl would expect until tragedy stricks. Odile is her neighbor with secrets. Lily must come to grips with the tragedy and figure out how to move on in life. Odile is a lifeline.
The book is primarily in the late 30s-40s Paris with chapters of Lily's life mixed in. We see how Odile became the way she is and how much she lost to find 'freedom'.
This book touches on the average citizens and what they did or did not do to survive the Nazis. It shows how friends can become family and how family can save or betray you. It reminds how books can provide soo much in times of need. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

The American Library in Paris 1939 then to a small town in Montana 1983.

Odile is a librarian at the American Library in Paris as the war breaks out. Lily is a teenager in Montana whose mother passed and is having trouble at school.

Both women find solace in each other after Lily finally meets her elegant neighbor from Paris.

THE PARIS LIBRARY moves back and forth and allows us to see into the lives of both characters.

Odile has the perfect job until it was necessary to provide books in secret.

Lily has the perfect life - well almost perfect - until her mother dies, but Odile helped her through this time and Lily helped Odile to not be so alone.

I enjoyed how the staff at the library was like a family itself and how the library delivered books to soldiers and others who couldn’t enter or were forbidden to enter the library. I never knew this happened.

Both Lily and Odile were very likeable characters. I truly enjoyed watching Lily grow up.

THE PARIS LIBRARY will appeal to all bookworms, romantics, and historical fiction fans.

It is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, and despite the heartaches most of the characters were lighthearted and positive.

Once you get to know the characters, you will cry with them, wish them well, and not want them to leave you alone as you close the last page.

This book is about friendship, the love of books and libraries, regrets, giving advice, and forgiveness.

Ms. Skeslien Charles' research is impeccable. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! This was a fun read and one that I read through in one sitting. Get ready for a perfect time-hopping adventure that is going to keep you riveted from page one!

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

Having recently finished “The Paris Library” by Janet Skeslien Charles, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and Atria Books!

It took a bit to warm up to this dual timeline novel, but eventually I was wrapped up in the revelations regarding events that occurred at The American Library in Paris during WWII. Even though the Nazis did all they could to eradicate the cultures of certain countries, courageous staff did their best to resist and defy “The Book-Gestapo” by delivering books to the soldiers in field hospitals, and eventually subscribers no longer allowed access to the library they loved. Thousands of books were donated with the help of many dedicated volunteers.

When discovering new knowledge while reading historical fiction I am sometimes silent in “my head and heart” as I soak in things I feel I should have known. Why didn’t I know about “crow letters?” Letters denouncing neighbors, spying on colleagues, friends and even family! So many lives were lost or changed because of them. War brings out the worst in people, but as Ms. Charles’ story reminded me; there is always hope when there are quiet heroes among us.

Based on a true World War II story, the author ticked all the boxes. She painstakingly gathered and sorted fascinating historical data, seamlessly weaving in memorable characters and strong women, transforming what could have been a dry story into something special.

3.5 Stars

Ok, my feelings on this one are more intense than I expected them to be. Ultimately I think this is a testament to the writing that I cared so much about what happened to these characters. If I was fatigued with WWII historical fiction, this one undid that fatigue with its unique insight into the American Library of Paris during WWII. I loved that this story was a testament to the value of books, especially in the darkest of times.

That all said, my jaw dropped at the end of this one and not necessarily in the most positive of ways. If there is a complaint to be made against this one, it is the fact that there are parts of it that feel very rushed and no more so than at the end! I still have so many questions!! This book maybe needed to be just a little bit longer because there are several loose ends here and I am needing answers. Did I mention that I have questions! I was tossing and turning in bed thinking about this book with questions like "Wait, what? And how?!" I finally had to take a melatonin and be done with it because these questions I guess are never going to get answered.

Despite my very obvious frustrations, up until the end I was surprised with how much I was enjoying this read. Like I had said, I thought I was tired of WWII fiction, but I really loved the insights and the research that was done with this one. I also did care about the characters of Odile and Lily. I loved their friendship and there were just so many quotatable passages about books and their value. As an obvious bibliophile, I loved this.

If it were not for these rushed plot points, I would have been all about this one. I still highly recommend this one if you are a lover of historical fiction and/or books about books. There is much in this one to please here if you fall in either category or both.

The Paris Library is truly an unforgettable story. My favorite books are usually told in dual timelines. This story is without a doubt, my new favorite. If you are a lover of books and libraries, you must read, The Paris Library. I was completely spirited with abounding emotions. I laughed, cried, cheered, was enraged at injustice, and was thoroughly in my element with the librarians. I wanted-so much-to have tea with them and discuss literature and humanity. I wanted to be in their world surrounded with so many wonderful stories.

Not all is wonderful because of the war and personal struggles. That is what happens in life and this story portrays that in such a way, you realize that we all can learn from each other. Even so, it carries the narrative to great heights, shows you how deeply impacted the librarians were during the dark time of Word War II, and the lengths they went to keep reading alive.

I actually leaned about a few authors and books I am not familiar with and want to read them because of the people’s experience with them in this book.

The author’s style of writing appealed to me and there are countless of passages that I marked so that I can make a record of them in my journal. That is how much this story affected me.

Stories like this are what brings us together and forever changes our impressions on life and humanity.

A must read!

The Paris Library is a historical fiction novel that is based on the real life resistance efforts of the librarians of the American Library in Paris during World War II and the Nazi occupation of France. I found this to be a fresh perspective as there are so many novels covering this time period. It was also a love letter to libraries, librarians, and books. It was right up my alley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library is powerful historical fiction based upon actual accounts and characters who worked in the American Library in Paris during World War II. It focuses on Odile Souchet, who in 1939 finds employment at the American Library, but it told through two parallel stories: one in Paris during the war and the German occupation, and the other in the early 1980s in Montana, where Odile — now a widow — befriends a lonely teenager named Lily, who eventually discovers Odile’s history.

The novel is not only beautifully written, but also complex and thoughtful. It gives the reader great insight into the Library and its people who risked their lives to help others during the war while delving into themes of loss, healing, hope and the power of friendship. I especially liked that unlike other WW II novels, it did not dwell on the events and horrors of the war but instead highlighted the characters who had to deal with the effects of the war and its aftermath. In that respect, it is an illuminating glimpse into an aspect of WW II history that most likely few people know about. All in all, this was a great and inspiring read.

I absolutely love historical fiction and when I was given the opportunity to review this book I was beyond excited. The novel focuses on the American Library in Paris and those that made sure it remained open during German occupation, often to those individuals own risk. We follow Lily a teenager who lives in Montana and Odile who mentors Lily but whom also was in Paris in 1939. While the war was discussed the main focus of this book was truly the joy and wonder books bring as well as a love story.. The author Janet Skeslien Charles worked at the American Library in Paris and based this narrative on historical research and was inspired by the librarians she knew there. Beautifully written!

How do I eloquently express how much I loved this book? It was magical in many ways. I love historical fiction, and this book really had everything I wanted. The dual timelines were presented perfectly, and it was all about the importance of books and reading. I recommend this book to so many people. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This book had love, war, betrayal, sadness, heartwarming-ness, sad tears, and all the happy tears!

First, this book is beautifully written, with great character development. I must admit that I liked the setting and time period in Paris better than the setting in the States in the 1980s, but that's probably just a personal preference. I will be requesting that my library order this book, and I look forward to telling our patrons about it.

I love historical fiction, and I love a strong leading lady. Because WW2 historical fiction has been done both so often and so well, I tend to be a little hesitant coming into new stories in the period. The fact that this book centered around the importance of books and the value of having a shared history and space of new thoughts and ideas helped pull me right into the story. I enjoyed the writing and the character development; the book zips right along and is easy to get sucked into.

This is historical fiction at its best. Set in both WWII in the American Library in Paris, France and in the 1980s in Montana in the U.S., this is a compelling story of two women, Odile and Lily, who find solace in books and in the connections formed by their shared love of reading. We first meet Odile who is a young librarian in Paris and who, along with those who work and visit the library, use books to share hope and comfort during the German occupation of Paris. The clandestine sharing of books by these librarians is based on true events and offers a glimpse at the many different ways people sought to defy the Nazis. In the 1980s, we meet an older Odile who is closed off emotionally but who slowly comes back to life through her relationship with Lily, a young girl navigating many of the same challenges about love, loyalty, trust and relationships that Odile experienced as a young woman. Both storylines are equally compelling and both characters are very engaging.

I loved the many different aspects of this story - history, books and libraries and how they connect us, the book quotes sprinkled throughout, family relationships and learning about who we want to be - and they were wonderfully woven together to tell a beautiful story. It was an absolute pleasure reading this. Highly recommended!! Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Note: will post this on my social media accounts, Goodreads, etc. on Februay 2, 2021 when this book is published.

The Paris Library is historical fiction with a lot of heart. The book is told from two points of view: (i) Odile, a Parisian in the WW2 era whose dream job working in the American Library in Paris proves to be unexpectedly dangerous; and (ii) Lily, a teenager living in Montana in the 1980s who leans on her worldly but mysterious neighbor when tragedy strikes.

The book is an easy read, with the two storylines easily distinguishable. Readers who love libraries will quickly be absorbed by the descriptions of the inner workings of the American Library. While the early pacing is slow and some scenes could be trimmed in the first half of the novel, it picks up and reaches a surprising climax. Unfortunately, the WW2 storyline is not fully resolved with questions remaining. Nevertheless, both main characters are likable women whose happiness the reader will root for.

The epilogue provides interesting historical context in which the reader learns that many of the characters were based on actual people.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written historic fiction where the author has taken known facts and written a story that could very easily be close to the truth. Based on her research, Ms. Charles created her characters based on what she knew and what she envisioned during WWII, an amazingly destructive time in the history of Paris. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The constant friendly bickering between employees, the solid support they provide for one another, and sadly, betrayal are all strong emotions that breathe life into these characters. Interestingly the author actually worked at the American Library in Paris where she learned firsthand of events suffered by the staff and patrons during the German occupation.
This is a well-researched and enjoyable story with the beautiful backdrop of Paris and its history.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The release date is February 9, 2021.