A haunting tale (or tales--the construct is of parallel stories) of quiet and persistent heroism, THE PARIS LIBRARY paints the portraits of everyday people faced with extraordinary challenges. And who can resist a book about libraries and books?

It is a story about an american library in Paris during WW2 and one of its employees' life during the mid 80's. It was good but it wasn't super enthralling. I feel that it wasn't going anywhere and never finished. It wasn't bad but something is not right.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

Parallel stories of Odile in Nazi Occupied Paris and Lily in 1983 Montana convey the power of friendship, the dangers of betrayal, and a love of literature. Odile was a lover of all things to do with libraries: the Dewey Decimal System, connecting patrons with literature, and the collegiality of fellow book-lovers. When the occupation of Paris turned the city and her life topsy-turvy, Odile persevered in her work at the library in spite of the danger and stress of worry about her friends and family. In Montana Lily is bereft after her mother's death, and her friendship with her reclusive elderly neighbor--Odile of course--becomes a source of great comfort and curiosity to her. Questions of loyalty and betrayal, which were life-threatening during wartime Paris, retain their power for a lifetime and compel feelings and actions decades later. This novel, based on the actual American Library and its brave staff who kept literature available during the Nazi Occupation of Paris, is made all the more real because of its relevance to a teenage girl in Montana in 1983.

Beautiful, moving, and a wonderful reminder that heroism and bravery come in many forms.

I greatly enjoy the heroics of more standard war fiction. Derring-do involving spies, soldiers, and the like is almost always a winner in my book, but I’m especially fascinated by a lot of the more niche heroism that shows up in World War II, often in occupied France.

The Resistance most commonly calls to mind an image of everyday citizens engaging in acts of war against the Nazis, but as this book so excellently demonstrates, fighting back against an oppressor can take many forms.

In this case our resisters are the courageous employees of the American Library in Paris, where the staff, volunteers, and subscribers risk arrest and internment because they believe in the power of books in the darkest of times.

Our brave and wonderfully imperfect heroine Odile captivates in both of the book’s timelines: As a young woman contributing to the Resistance in Paris and as an older woman mentoring a young woman who has just lost her mother.

The book broke my heart over and over, but in a way that felt deeply rewarding. And the tone as well as the conclusion of the story is ultimately one of hope and goodness.

The fact that much of the book’s content regarding the way the library functioned in the Resistance is rooted in truth made the story all the more enjoyable to read. Janet Skeslien Charles can now count me as a tremendous fan of her work.

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest opinion. Interesting story about the American Library in Paris during WWII, with a second timeline set in Montana in the 1980’s. The second timeline dragged on, seemed to take a while to get to the point.
I didn’t find out till the end that many of the people in the Paris story were based on real people who worked and visited the library, which made that timeline much more interesting.

bookshelves: bibliophilia, historical-novel, historical-research, Paris, Montana, family-dynamics, friendship, small-town, library, librarian

I felt as if I was there in the library in Paris with books and friends as war came not so slowly into lives. There were ways to serve others, patrons and soldiers and those fearfully waiting for whatever came next while hoping and praying that the journalists were wrong. And when the nazis came and books were more important than ever.
I had less luck with Odile's later life in a small town in Montana in the 1980s sharing with a young girl who buried her mother and hated that her father was able to move on.
I was riveted to this amazing account that was real human history dressed up as fiction to disguise the wrenching effects of man's thoughtlessness.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
americanlibraryinparis.org

I loved this book that told the story of a librarian during World War II. Being a librarian myself, I was fascinated with her story. I will order this book because I have several patrons that will enjoy this wonderful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. If you are a book addict this book may be for you. It told a very interesting story of The American Library in Paris during World War II. This is the first story I have seen that focused on occupied Paris during the war and really delved into how it impacted those that lived there. It took me a little bit of time to actually understand and enjoy the other point of view of the story set in the 1980s. By the end it made perfect sense, however that was the one part of the story that I did not really enjoy most of the way through reading this book. I felt like I was getting through those chapters in order for me to get back to the part of the story I was really interested in. However I overall really enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it.

When Odile joins the American Library in Paris, she is both shocked and dismayed when the Nazi's invade. Along with the rest of the staff, she does everything she can to keep the library open and to deliver books to patrons who can no longer visit the library. Odile's story alternates with the story of Lily in Montana during the 1980's. Lily, a pre-teen, befriends her lonesome neighbor Odile and slowly unravels her story.

Although I enjoyed Odile's story, I felt that Lily's voice was too young. The contrast between their points of view was a bit jolting and a bit off-putting. Perhaps the author could have used an older teenager, or left off Lily's point of view altogether. I was also annoyed that Lily's story received closure but Odile's story did not. Because of these criticisms, what could have been a great book was a bust.

As a librarian and book lover, I found this historical novel to be an educational and wonderful depiction of the American Library in Paris. Centered on the life of Odile, a librarian working there during World War II, it is a glimpse into the role the library played to help its citizens keep hope alive during the darkest of times.
The library continues to be a beacon of light today for all.

The Paris Library is a dual timeline book for the Librarian Odile. As a young woman Odile was a librarian at the American Library in Paris during WWII. In the 1980's Odile is living next door to Lily in Minnesota, where Lily hears that Odile was a war bride. The WWII timeline is the story of the people who worked, volunteered, and were patrons of the library and how the Nazi occupation affected their lives. The 1980's timeline is seen from Lily's POV and is a coming of age story of a young girl who finds companionship and guidance from Odile.

It is a well written book based on a very small community of people during WWII, the author's note at the end confirms that many of the people mentioned were real. I think the 1980s timeline kept this from being just another WWII book. I did enjoy both timelines, and you really got to know Odile. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest review of #TheParisLibrary.

I enjoyed this book overall but it went a little too slow and the book got confusing at some points. I feel like it could’ve been better but I do appreciate the book for what it is.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars. There's a lot I enjoyed about "The Paris Library": The story moved swiftly, and the American Library in Paris was depicted to vividly that I'd make a point of visiting if I ever returned to Paris. I also appreciated that Odile, one of the two narrator/protagonists, was given plenty of flaws and faults; I'm sick of WWII-era women's fiction that paints the protagonists as paragons of perfection simply because they're not going along with the Nazis.

Like a lot of the other reviewers, however, I didn't think the dual timeline/dual narrators added anything, especially since the voices of both were almost indistinguishable. Toss in a few third-person chapters to inform us of events featuring other characters, and the effect is a bit patchwork and choppy. And a few character actions seemed wildly out of character and created solely for plot reasons.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!

Navigating dual timelines, Janet Skeslien Charles weaves an engaging plot between two characters, Odile and Lily. Set in both WWII Paris and 1980s Froid, Montana, we are drawn into both their stories knowing they will soon combine, and they do in a beautiful way.

Odile begins a new job as a librarian at The American Library in Paris at the onset of WWII, and her narrative is peppered with Dewey Decimal references which could have been very odd and distracting but is in fact absolutely charming. As the employees of the library work to protect their books, and themselves, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, it is interesting to note that many of the characters in this novel are real people and many of the events also all to real.

This is a novel for all book lovers, library lovers, history lovers, and anyone who wants to get lost between the pages of an interesting story for a few hours.

Loved it!

Librarian worked at American Library in Paris learning the history, learning of hate, of working with public.
As war approaches, preparations are made for the library's materials.
WWII Paris 1939 - American Library heroic librarians with the best weapons - books!
A library is a haven for people who feel different to have a place to call home.

During harsh times, good can still be found.
Books don't betray, they don't lie or steal.

She enjoys putting Dewey Decimal Systems everything... surroundings, life, ...
(I enjoyed this and will remember this always)
Find a place in Dewey Decimal System. (Hope is 152.4)

I was sent this to review as a librarian who treasures historical fiction.
I did truly enjoy this book!!

I don't like to read -- I live to read

I enjoyed reading this. I was not aware of the American Library in Paris prior to reading this, and I particularly enjoyed how real life people were woven into the story. There are great themes about women’s rights, the grey lines of morality, and the meaning of friendship and sibling hood. It was a unique story among the vast WWII historical fiction catalog.

This novel is based on the wonderful true story of heroic librarians who worked at the American Library in Paris during the German occupation. Odile is the protagonist who, along with other librarians, risked their lives taking books to those no longer allowed in libraries, mainly Jewish people. They struggled to keep the Library open during this trying time.

The novel shifts back and forth between Odile in 1939 in Paris and Odile living in near isolation in 1983 where her next door neighbor is Lily, a lonesome teenager. Lily and Odile become friends and she slowly learns about Odile's experience in Paris. Odile gives Lily French language lessons and it was fun for me to occasionally see French words and their meaning in English. There's romance to help make Odile's life more interesting and her relationship with her brother is touching.

This is potent, sad, and inspirational historical fiction and the author has done an outstanding job incorporating characters who are based on real people. Most of them are flawed but seemed very genuine to me. The author worked at the American Library in Paris in 2010 and became acquainted with descendants of the characters. She did many years of research and it's evident throughout the novel. But all the references to the Dewey Decimal System got tiresome.

Thanks to the publisher, Atria Books, for an e-galley via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good historical fiction and then this one did not disappoint. I loved the feel of this book and the setting was absolutely perfect. You can actually imagine as you read. This would be a great book club read. I love reading about a library and this story was so good.

If you want to get book readers to read your book set it in a library or Bookshop! I know I am instantly drawn to anything that is set there and if their is a librarian or bookseller added in, I'm reading it. That's how I came upon The Paris Library. Set over dual time periods with the main character Odile, a librarian at the American Library in Paris during the war and a lonely widow in Froid, Montana in the 80s.
This was addictive, I put off household chores, bailed on a social engagement and only got out of bed to make tea. The young passionate Odile who loved the Dewey system and wanted to escape her pompous, over bearing father was flawed but lovely. The older Odile was refined and wise but you could still see hints of the younger women she was. How did someone with so much life in Paris end up in Montana? Her friendship with Lily is warm and joyful, you know how much they need each other and enjoy each other's company.
The real story is the library and the war. The subscribers are fanciful and eccentric but kindhearted and ferociously loyal. War in Paris is bleak and scary which is emphasized by the crow letters the author drops into the text. Filled with anger and hatred, they made me fear what could happen. The only relationship that didn't feel real to me was Odile and Paul. Her connection to her brother and best friends Margaret and Bitzi was overwhelming and emotional, her feelings for Paul felt forced and flat. Maybe this was more about the authors ability to write about love - it can be a tricky subject to convey.
To learn at the end that so much of the American Libraries history was based on fact was a delightful surprise. There are a lot of books set in Paris during the war but this was a fresh tale and take on what it was to live under the Nazi rule. It doesn't have the same heartache and horror as other books set during this time and I couldn't understand how so many English people could live freely in Paris during that time and not get taken away. Librarians are entrusted with precious books and history and their main concern was preserving everything and keeping the library open as a sanctuary for all. Some people reading this will think what they did was not brave like the resistance or grand like hiding Jews from the Nazis but they helped give hope and escape to people living on the front lines, people with empty bellies and people who need their soul and mind nourished too.

This book had me intrigued from the description and it did not disappoint. Told from. Two points of view years apart this is the story of world war 2 and the librarian who did all she could to protect banned literature.
I learned a lot from this book and it was a great page turning read
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this great book.