The Paris Library is a story that covers two timelines. Lily is a teenager living in a small town in Montana. She is intrigued by her older women neighbor who is different- stylish, exotic, and ,mysterious. As Lily finds a way to start making a relationship with Oldie, the stories weave back and forth from Montana in the 1980s, to Oldie's past in Paris as WWII breaks out. Oldie had one dream- to work in the American Library in Paris. She pushed back on the pressures of her family to work at the library, to discover that it contained more than just books, but also friendships and bonds that would help her survive the war. She even unexpectedly finds love. So why does Oldie now live in a small town in Montana and hasn't been back to Paris since leaving? You'll have to ready to find out!

This was an entertaining and relatively quick read. I found when it transitioned from one time line to other thinking "No, not yet!" as I quickly became captivated with both stories. One underlying theme of this book is highlighting the struggles of women and the double standards to which they are often held. I think it is so important to continue to shed light on the bias that has existed throughout time and continues to exist today. Also, this book is based on true stories which is important to note!

Overall, if you like reading about libraries, or characters who love books, or WWII historical fiction, I recommend this one. Thank you to Janey Skeslien Charles, NetGalley, and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. It was a wonderful read. This book is set in Paris during World War II. The American Library in Paris is practically a character itself. I want to read more by this author and I certainly want to research the American Library some more as well. A five star read!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on the history of the American library in Paris during World War II. The story is told in two timelines, and as with most books, one is usually more compelling. It is, as the name of the book suggests, the story in 1939 Paris. The story of 1983 Montana seems a frame around Odile's story of the war, providing context and closure.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/03/the-paris-library.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

A wonderful historical book about the American Library in Paris.
I found it fascinating that they kept the library open during the German invasion of France. Kept it open despite the danger it placed themselves in.
This is definitely a different take on WWII than I have read before so I found that an interesting read.


Pub Date: 09 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this free egalley. "In the darkness of war, the light of books." This historical fiction is based on the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris during WWII. I loved the author's note at the end detailing the real life people who risked their lives to bring books to everyone and keep the library open during Germany's occupation of France. I enjoyed the back and forth timeline of Odile in the 1940s and then with Lilly in the 1980s. Clever how Odile would reference a topic and then immediately follow it up with its number in the Dewey Decimal system. I am glad that I ended up picking this up in audio from my library because I would never have pronounced all the French words correctly and they were a great addition to the story. A book about books is always a good choice.

Always a fan of libraries I was thrilled to read about a wonderful library that brought joy to so many people. I love that this book was set during WWII. It only added more fascination. I also love that this book was a fast and pleasant read. I never found myself bored during any chapter of this book. Would highly recommend.

Paris 1939, Odile, is young woman who dreams of working in the American Library in Paris.. Odile gets her wish as war breaks out and the Nazis move into to Paris.

Montana 1983 , Lily a lonely teenager who finds a new friend when a school assignment leads her to interview her reclusive neighbor.

This is a interesting story about war, censorship, hatred, friendship and the resilience. The characters are complicated, well developed and perfectly imperfect. I am a big fan of historical fiction, and this novel did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

{The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles~
Paris 1939, a young woman named Odile has just landed her ideal job as a librarian at the American Library. Her parents are unfortunately not thrilled by her new found independence but Odile is not your typical girl, she not only loves to read but lives and breathes the written word. Her dedication and passion is noticed by all and she soon becomes an asset to the library. When the Germans arrive to take over Paris, their reputation precedes them and the librarians fear the American Library will be next in the path of destruction. In an effort to fight back they deliver books to those who have been deemed unworthy and provide a glimpse of happiness.
A small town in Montana 1983, a young girl named Lily studies her elderly neighbor from a distance, admiring the woman’s clothing, mannerisms and habits. She wonders just who this Mrs. Gustafson is and how she came to be in a small town in Montana, so far from France. Divine intervention arrives in an assignment from school, and Lily quickly becomes a friend to Odile Gustafson.
I forget that news didn’t always travel at the speed of light, in the past everyone didn’t know what was going on at the other side of the world and during WWII there were many people who weren’t aware of the whole truth. The story moves from past to present and truly allows the reader to bond with the characters. Though Odile had many admirable qualities she also suffered from naïveté and wasn’t the most perceptive, but she was loyal and loved to help others. The book itself was very well written, informative and provided a different insight. I personally enjoyed Odile’s bizarre fascination with the Dewey Decimal System. An overall great read!

Wanted to like this but found the premise unexciting, the two sides of the story pretty disjointed and the characters lackluster.

I liked what I had read but had a hard time getting invested. Didn’t finish it. I might pick it up again someday, but for now I need to stop reading it about 1/3 in.

The Paris Library takes place primarily at The American Public Library in Paris, and includes the real people who were employed during the WWII time period. This book features two stories, side by side. One is about Odile Souchet, a librarian in 1939 Paris and covers her experiences in Paris during Hitler’s occupation in the library and helping at the war hospital. The other is about Lily, a 7th grader in 1983 who becomes interested in learning more about her reclusive neighbor, Odie, who now lives in Montana. She decides she wants to interview Odie for a school project.
During the occupation, Hitler’s rules prevented Jewish patrons from using the library, so those in charge secretly delivered books to them, at great risk to themselves. The novel describes in depth the horrors of the occupation and how Odie eventually makes her life in Montana. Odie’s chapters were well researched and compelling. Lily’s chapters were weaker but their friendship was well developed. Thanks to Atria Books for allowing me to read and give an honest review.

We start this novel off in Paris 1939, meeting Odile, a young Parisian woman who is in love with the Dewy Decimal system. Odile loves her family, her country and working at the American library. Living in uncertain times, she worries about her brother Remy who joins the army, and about her beloved patrons at the library.

Then we visit Montana 1983 , Lily is a teenager who feels alone in the world. She is interested in her mysterious neighbor Odile, a woman who doesn't quite seem to fit in, much like herself. Lily decides to do a school project on this neighbor to get closer to who this woman is.

I am always a huge fan of historical fiction, but this novel I thought was just good. As always I enjoyed the alternating timelines and liked the past time line the best. The library pulled me into this book and I craved more about the library and the people within it. There were times I felt really pulled into the story but then I would drift back out of it. Overall I liked the premise of this story, and as a whole the book was just good

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Historical Fiction is a hit or miss for me.. in this case it was a success.

I absolutely loved the setting of this story and the way the author described the war. I felt a connection with the main character because her life was just so interesting. I never felt bored and had a great time with this!

4.5 stars.
A story about Occupied Paris during WWII, and the staff of the American Library in Paris who resisted the Nazis and helped provide library materials to those in hiding, understanding the power not just of the written word, but also the community that libraries help foster. As one can guess, there are definitely situations that are referenced that are difficult to read, and the ending doesn’t tie everything up perfectly with a little bow.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This review is late because life tends to interfere at times. I do love this book and once I got into it, could not put it down! Did not mind the going back and forth between each character because it still flowed with the story being told.
I tend to like historical fiction and about a library with a librarian is a plus for me. Not going to give you the summary of the plot here. There are other reviews that do that. I just ask for you to give it a try and see for yourself how wonderful it is☺️

This story is set in Paris and the American library there. it presents ordinary people who become unlikely heroes
in this tremulous time in history. The characters are well developed and sympathetic. The story is a fast read, and gives a new perspective on hardships during the war.
Recommended read

I love this book even more than I thought I would. I do wish there were more parts about the main characters time in Paris as those were my favorite parts. I also would have liked to know if the noises in the attic of the library were actually people that the librarians were hiding. As far as the library jargon that was all spot on especially all the Dewey Decimal numbers. The main characters love of books and her work in the library made her really relatable. And then at the very end of the book when we flashback to the day Lily knocked on Odile's door had me ugly crying. What a beautiful ending.

An enjoyable historical fiction novel about the American Library.

What I liked: the dual timeline, Odeli in 1939 to 1944 and the other, Lily in 1983-1989, at times.

I did find confusion with the Montana timeline at times, it seemed slightly disconnected and slowed the storyline at times.

Great quote: "... a library without members is a cemetery of books... Books are like people; without contact, they cease to exist."

This is a fascinating historical nonfiction account of a part of history I knew nothing about. I loved the characters and their interactions with one another. The story of the American Libraries in Europe during WW2 is something I had never learned about, and this book was a fun way to dig into that park of history. This is a terrific book for anyone who loves books, libraries, or just wants a good read.

3.5 stars! This was a beautifully written story. I loved the dual timelines and the characters were very well developed. I loved Odile! The love of books was an added bonus that I’m sure all book lovers will appreciate. The story was a bit slow for me but it kept my interest until the very end. If you like historical fiction novels, I recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.