Odile Souchet loved books her entire life so when she got a job as librarian in Paris at the Paris Library, she felt she had everything. Until war breaks out.
In 1983 she ends up in Montana where the daughter of her neighbor befriends her. In fact Lily becomes obsessed finding out about Odiles life in Paris.
She learns all about betrayal and not being able to count on those you thought you could.
There is also history in this book. When Jewish people weren’t allowed to enter the library anymore, they found a way to get them books.

3.5 stars
Enjoyable and charming.

Alternating between two timelines- Paris in the 1940’s and Montana in the 1980’s, this story is of a librarian named Odile, who worked at the American Library in Paris during the World War II. While this book is considered historical fiction, the inspiration came from reality and most of the characters who worked at the American Library in Paris existed in real life.

As with most dual timelines, I tend to favor the older story line. I loved reading about Odile and her life in Paris. I am also a librarian, so I loved her passion for librarianship and wanting to memorize the Dewey Decimal System. Public libraries are so different now-a-days, it was interesting to read the comparisons. Amazing the American Library stayed open and continued to transport books during the war.

So many things I enjoyed about this book: Odile’s friendship with Lily, they brought out the best in each other. Also the importance of love and forgiveness, French history and culture. I loved that after years of learning French and wearing her beret, Lily finally got a ticket to visit Paris- but I really wanted Odile to go with her and visit Margaret and the American Library. A couple things I didn’t care for: lots of character names, sometimes it was hard to keep everyone straight. And Lily’s story line wasn’t as interesting, too much family drama. Overall entertaining, you can tell the author put in a lot of research.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Loved this book so beautifully written so involving.I will recommend this to my book club and to my book loving friends who always want to know when I read something special.#netgalley#atriabooks

Based on true stories of workers at the American Library in Paris, this book focuses on Odile Souchet. She is one of the Frenchwomen serving at the library, trying to fend off the Nazis and help the Resistance. Flash forward to Montana in 1983. Odile is a farm widow there, who mainly keeps to herself.

Lily, the teenager next door, is struggling with the loss of her mother and how to get along with her new stepmother. She meets Odile and the two become fast friends, until Lily betrays Odile.

Switching back and forth from past to present, the story unwinds to explain how Odile came to be in Montana and why she befriended Lily.

I loved this book from beginning to end. Ms. Charles tells us about a period in history that ashamed us, but should never be forgotten.

I really enjoyed this book. I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction as it read like a memoir. The story and characters were so engrossing and when I wasn't reading, I couldn't wait until I was able to get back to the book. It is a powerful reminder of how books can bring people of all ages and backgrounds together. It was also thought provoking and provided a view of how the war impacted everyone.
The minute I finished this book, I called my librarian sister and told her she needed to make sure her library ordered this book for their collection.

Paris is for lovers; lovers of books in this novel. Odile is a young librarian who is hired by the American Library in Paris just before the start of World War Two. She is in love with books and enamored with the Dewey Decimal System, classifying her experiences according to the numbers. She transitions from a lover of books to a defender of books as the war progresses, packaging books for soldiers at the front, French prisoners in the Stalags, and along with the rest of the staff, delivering books to Jewish subscribers barred from visiting the library by the Nazis. Resistance comes in many guises and Odile and the rest of the library staff defy the Nazis by spreading truth and beauty through the written word.

A secondary story takes place in the 1980s when teenage Lily befriends elderly Odile in Montana. The story shifts between time periods, and Odile and Lily learn from each other as the reader comes to understand how Odile ended up the widow of an American soldier and why she walked away from her life in Paris.

This novel highlights a chapter of life in occupied Paris that deserves more attention.

A story of finding your path in life even as the world collapses around you. Of learning when to speak and when to keep quiet and the consequences of action. Plus a celebration of libraries and the devoted librarians that will risk their lives for them.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I liked it because the characters weren’t written as perfect people. They made mistakes that made for a good story. I will recommend this book for my library!

I'm sort of torn here. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the Paris story line and everything I learned about the American Library in Paris. The characters were believable and both likable and hated at times. Charles did a great job of showing the ambiguity of surviving during that time period. As a librarian I loved seeing the resilience and determination of the library workers!

Then there was the Montana story line. I understand why it was told in this way and I appreciate the effort, but there was just something missing for me here. I can't quite put my finger on it. I did, however, love that we were able to get a glimpse of Odile's pain and regret in the end...and we found out that Lily saved her life just as much as she saved Lily's.

Overall, this was definitely worth the read and I will be recommending it in our library!

3.5 stars
The Paris Library was an enjoyable read, full of feelings, interesting characters and one of my favourite settings for a book: a library! I was happy to know that the inspiration for this novel came from reality and that most characters existed.
However, I felt something was missing and the 80's timeline with Lily didn't add much to the story in my opinion. I would have prefered if Odile's character and timeline were more developed as well as the overall struggles of surviving during World War II while being able to keep working at the American Library in Paris.

A wonderful read, especially for librarians. Based on a true story about the American Library in Paris during World War II. Reminded me a bit of Orphan Train because it wove the past with the present. There is a also a bit of mystery added, who is writing the mysterious letters about the people in the library to the police?

I highly recommend, I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! From the very beginning to the end, it was interesting and engaging. The characters are well imagined, and the pacing is spot on.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are nicely developed and the story was interesting. Well written. I will be looking for other books by this author.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This is my own opinion.

3 ½  stars – It was a slow start for me, but I couldn’t put it down after a few chapters.

Shifting between 1939 Paris and 1984 Montana, the story tells the tale of Odile Souchet. Odile works in the American Library in Paris during the World War II German invasion of France. The novel follows her relationships with family, friends, and colleagues as she struggles to keep the library and the lives of those she loves.

Pros: Well-developed characters, descriptive writing
Cons:  Too many references to the Dewey Decimal System; writing was a little cloying at times.

Recommended for those who liked All The Light We Cannot See and The Nightingale.

Amazing writing. I loved the story. The parts of the story seen from a young girls viewpoint (in Montana) were very effective.

As a librarian I do appreciate this book even more! Beautifully written book covers WWII residance story connected to librarians and power books. Although the story develops steady, it picks up fairly quickly. I could not get enough of this book! I read it in 24 hrs!!!

I enjoyed The Paris Library, although it was a little slow in the beginning, after the first couple chapters it picked up and held my attention. The story line moved smoothly and had some unexpected twists I really enjoyed. I especially enjoyed the two different viewpoints, one Odile's time working with the resistance and one from Lily many years later as she begins uncovering Odile's story from long ago. This is a great intellectual book that anyone who really takes pleasure from reading could enjoy and relate to this novel and at the same time, tells a very important story inspired from events of one of the world's darkest periods in human history.

This book was received as an ARC from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I so loved this book from beginning to end. The library was part of a resistance and books were used as weapons but books could also uncover some secrets that could make or break your well-being. That is the case for Odile as she joins the resistance fighting in World War II. Then 50 years later Lily finds the old scriptures Odile has kept during the war and later finds out Lily has a connection with Odile and realized she is more involved with this resistance than for what she knows. This was a powerful historical fiction novel that I could not get enough of. I know our community will appreciate the power in books this book demonstrated.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.