The Paris Library is such a memorable story! Set in France after the German invasion during WWII, American Odile gets a job at the library in Paris. I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint! It goes between the 40's in Paris and the 80's in Montana. It's filled with complex and developed relationships and strong themes of friendship, loyalty, and loss. Beautifully written book, and I was so sad when it ended as I had grown so attached to these wonderful characters!

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A pretty cover with Paris and Library in the title. I felt like this book was made just for me. I am a sucker for books set in Paris and for any story that revolves around a library. (my happy place!) I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this title. I loved this book from the first place all the way through to the very last period. I never wanted it to end. I was completely swept up into the story and was experiencing it all along with the characters. I loved the various narratives that allowed you to see from different character's perspectives as well as from different decades. We have Odile and Margaret in the past in Paris during the War and then Odile and young Lily decades later in Montana. I loved how their stories wove together to tell the complete tale, taking us along to figure it all out together. It was beautifully written and a complete pleasure to read. I cannot wait to recommend this to friends when it is published. A complete win in my opinion.

Based on a true story this historical fiction novel is told in an often repeated format between two timelines. Set in 1940’s World War ll Paris and small town America in the 1980’s we are shown a different perspective of the war and it’s lasting effects through the life of a young Parisian librarian named Odile and the courage of librarians providing books to subscribers in spite of the Nazis. America in the 1980’s brings Lily, a young teenaged neighbor to Odile’s door because she wants to interview the reclusive older woman for a school project. The two form an unexpected friendship. As Lily learns French from Odile there are also lessons of family, friendships, trust, secrets and hurt and the consequences of life’s decisions. This book is a welcome change from the more graphic, descriptive World War II stories yet still depicts the reality of war. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to all of my friends and family.

I have been patiently waiting to read this book since I first read the synopsis. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Wow. This book was stunning. It was written in such a beautiful way. The characters are ones that you love, hate and can relate to. The story is one that any true bibliophile could relate to. It’s a story of love, friendship, fear, desperation, struggle and war.

I can’t begin to imagine what it was like to live in Paris during the Nazi occupation, but this book made it very easy to. The fact that is based on true events makes this story even more heartfelt and remarkable.

I have a confession to make. I’m a sucker for a good historical fiction story. I’ve always been drawn to the era of World War II, possibly because my grandfather was in the war. But I love knowing that people can face a tyrant and still come out with a good life. This book made me feel all the emotions as I followed the story. I would definitely recommend it to those wanting a good historical book.

Janet Skeslien Charles' "The Paris Library" is an incredible story about a young woman's love for books against the powerful backdrop of Nazi occuped Paris during World War 2.
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Odile's passion for literature defines every aspect of her life, so as soon as she is old enough, she applies for a job at the American Library in Paris. There, she finds her true calling in life and makes friends that will change her world forever. With the war looming overhead, Odile learns about love, hatred, loss, and true friendship.
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I need to start by saying that I love this book. To say that Charles' writing is beautiful would be an understatement. Her descriptions, words of advice, and lessons spoke to me in a way that made me want to read the page again, then highlight it for good measure. I think many of us bookstagrammers can truly appreciate Odile's passion for books and love for the library.
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This novel does not only focus on Odile as a young woman during the war, but also as an older widow living in Froid, Montana. She develops a lovely friendship with Lily, a curious little girl next door who wants to learn all about Odile and Paris. I loved these chapters as well.
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That being said, this book took me FOREVER to finish. I did not put it down to read something in between. I read it every day for a little while, but it just felt like a very long story. I don't know if I love or hate that, but I'm leaning towards love. Considering the fact that I felt the need to reread certain pages 5 times because I liked them so much, it makes sense that this book would take a long time to finish. Just keep in mind that this book is a slow burn, and it deserves the time it takes to read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately, I got this arc after the publishing date and have already read a hard copy. Thank you anyway.

I really enjoyed reading this story of Odile and the American Library in Paris! It was very interesting to learn how the people working at the library tried to get books to its patrons during World War II and to protect the great books of the library. The story of Odile an her family showed such courage and heartache. A great read! 5 out of 5 stars!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review.

The Paris Library begins in 1939 when France is on the brink of war. A group of librarians find solace in their library while Nazi soldiers walk the streets arresting people. The story alternates between 1940s Paris and 1980s Montana, following the life of Odile and capturing how tragedy has shaped her present day outlook on life. Lily enters Odile’s life and begins challenging some of her long-held beliefs about love and friendship.

This story is about love, loss, and betrayal. The author does a superb job of developing the characters and illustrating their love for one another. I felt as if each of the characters became my best friend as well.

This story is unique in that it follows the lives of several librarians and depicts how their lives and the library were affected by WWII.

Many thank to Janet Skeslien Charles, Atria Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of The Paris Library. This novel was captivating from start to finish. The story, based on real accounts of the employees of the American Library in Paris during World War II, was interesting and the characters well-drawn and real. I can’t wait to recommend this novel to others, as it is one of my favorite books so far this year!

I thought the book was quite clever in using the Dewey Decimal System to describe thoughts and feelings that the main character was experiencing throughout the WW2 era in Paris, France. I also loved the literary quotes referencing the characters thoughts about the war.
I appreciated learning about The American Library and the work that the librarians contributed to helping Parisians in WW2 including smuggling books to Jewish subscribers that were banned from the library.
My main criticism is the dual story line, but this is a personal as often times I find that the dual story lines don't contribute that much to the main story and that the main story can be told without the dual story.
3.5 stars

I finished The Paris Library with a smile on my face. Janet Skeslien Charles did a great job of wrapping up the end of a dual story timeline. In my opinion, the writing was exceptional. The imagery in the beginning made me feel as if I were right in the middle of Paris. Following the main character, Odile, as she walks the streets.

Odile is a book lover, whose dream it is to work in a library. She gets a job at The American Library in Paris and soon learns about war, friendships, love, loss, tragedy. As France becomes occupied by the Nazis, life must go on for Parisiennes.

Lily is Odile’s young next door neighbor in present day Montana. They form such an extraordinary friendship. A bond forms between the 2 of them at a time when they both needed it most.

I loved the book and will definitely recommend it to my friends.

Paris 1939 to 1944: Odile loves her city, her twin brother, her beau, Paul, and most of all, books! She applies for a position at the American Library in Paris where we are introduced to an array of characters. She becomes extremely close with Margaret, a British woman who volunteers at the library, and they become the best of friends. As WW2 rages, and Germany takes control of France, Jews and "enemy aliens" were no longer allowed to come to the library. Odile and her friends risk their lives to secretly deliver books to them.

Froid, Montana 1983-1989 : Lily is a young high school girl growing up in a small town. When tragedy strikes and her life completely changes, she finds comfort learning French at the home of her neighbor, Odile. As they grow close, Odile realizes that they have a lot more in common than she thought.

This is a story about, love, loss, jealousy, and betrayal.

I enjoyed both Lily and Odile's stories. It was nice to read a different perspective of WW2. My only issue was that I wished there was at least one or two more chapters, I wanted an epilogue or something for a bit more closure. I wish we had been told what happened when Odile left Paris and all the people there. I wondered about her parents, Bitsi, Paul, and Professor Cohen. The author's note at the end helped a bit as a lot of the characters were based on actual people, and we get to learn what became of them.
Overall it was a great book, it just left me wanting a bit more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

I love historical fiction books that are based on true events;I love books about books and libraries; I also love dual timeline books. This book had it all. This was a lovely book. It’s so interesting to read of this library, during the time of the World War II. There are so many historical fiction books from that time frame and it was nice to read one that was a little bit different.

The library is the centre of the community, in those days especially, people went there for more than books, they went for news, for gossip, for friendship and comradery. For Odile, the library was all of these it was a place she felt safe, a place she felt important and a place she felt needed. I loved her story, this will be a book you think about long after you read it. In the present, in Montana in the 1980s, it is a story of an unlikely friendship between teen Lilly and her French neighbour, Odile. Lilly thinks Odile is fascinating and wants to know everything about her, especially how she came to be in Montana. The past is 1940s Paris, at the American Library, where we follow Odile and her co-workers at the library.

I loved this story, it was heartwarming and heartbreaking, I loved all the reference to the Dewey decimal system, I could almost smell the books. When I was young, there was nowhere I lived more than the library. This book was well researched and well done.

This was a long read but was so worth it. The chapters go back and forth between Paris in 1939 and Montana during 1983. Odile, one of the main characters, is a book obsessed young woman who works at the American Library in Paris. Throughout the book you will be introduced to Odile’s co-workers who become some of her closest friends. War is declared and Odile and her friends go through lots of trials and tribulations together. Miss Reeder, An American librarian, involves her co-workers, including Odile, in a program to deliver books to service men and later to Jewish readers who were not allowed to enter the library. In Montana during 1983, Odile is neighbors with a curious young girl named Lily. Odile and Lily become friends quickly. Odile agreed to give Lily lessons in French which causes Lily to become very curious about Odile and her past. Lily goes to great measures to try and discover Odile’s hidden secrets which sometimes gets her into trouble. I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of the book. I give this book 4.5 stars.

Why ruin a great story with unnecessary sex? I wanted to like this book but the inclusion of sex scenes caused me to not enjoy this read.

The Paris Library tells two stories--the first is the story of Odile, a young librarian living in Paris during the occupation. The second is the story of Lily, a girl growing up in the 80s after losing her mother and befriending the mysterious French woman in her town. The stories intertwine as Odile and Lily both grow up. Odile works at the American Library in Paris and shares a deep love of books with a loveable cast of oddballs and outcasts at the library. The story follows her life through the occupation and how her choices and her life were affected.

I enjoyed Odile's story and a look at the occupation in Paris. Life didn't stop for the French; they had to muddle through for years while their beloved sons and husbands were at war. I didn't care for Lily's half of the story--I would have preferred more time dedicated to Odile. The best part of this book was the love of books that pervaded the entire book as Odile fought to share books with her friends and neighbors.

I really enjoyed this dual timeline story of Paris in 1940s and Montana 1980s. What I appreciated most was learning what the people that worked in the Paris library did to get books out to people when the Nazis came to town and took over. Being a lover of books, reading how they hid certain books and writings so they would not be destroyed or stolen and how they would sneak books out of the library to their patrons.
The storyline of a teenager befriending and elderly neighbor was so sweet. I'll be purchasing this book, and recommending it to our Book Club!
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles was an absolutely heart-warming, real, and page-turner of a story! I enjoyed reading about Odile and her determination to work at the American Library in Paris during the war. I loved the cast of characters, each one unique and special in their own way.

Odile became such a role model for Lilly, in such a crucial time in her life. Their relationship was so tender and honest, I loved reading the chapters that focused on them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I don't know that Americans will ever be tired of World War II stories. It was the last time we could be certain our enemy was actually a threat. So mixing World War II with a library and its books seems like a perfect formula for a bestseller. What booklover doesn't love reading books about books? The juxtaposition of Odile in 1940s Paris and later in 1980s Montana from the viewpoint of teenaged Lily was wonderfully constructed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and getting lost in this world and its characters.