There are two timelines in The Paris Library; WWII and 1980s Montana. Odile is a well-drawn character and lives with her parents and brother. She accepts a position with the American Library. Odile comes across some very quirky individuals, which makes this story that much more endearing to the reader. I look forward to the author's next book. Historic fiction at its best!

A story told in two alternating time periods, WWII Paris and 1980s Montana. The book provides a slice of the unknown history of the role played by the staff of the American Library in Paris during the Second World War. It is a story about the love of books, the power of friendship, the importance of relationships, the struggles to survive adversity, the decisions one makes, and the memories one cherishes as life moves on. The author has done great research to bring this story to live. I believe the story of Odile and Lily will stay with the reader. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
This historical fiction is a sweet story that bounces between Paris during WW2 and Montana in the 1980s. This is a great book for any library/book lover. The author does a fantastic job weaving in pieces from many loved authors & entwining themes and books themselves with their dewey decimal numbers. I didn’t love the single chapters from a new narrators POV & the book is a little long, but stick with it for a satisfying ending!

The Paris Library is a novel that I highly recommend even with the abundance of choice in WWII historical fiction. The importance of the American Library and the commitment of those who worked there is a reminder of how important books are, perhaps even more so, when the world is in chaos. Readers will enjoy the many books that are named over the course of the novel. They would make for a good TBR list.

All good novels tell stories about characters. This one is peopled with those that readers will get to know with all of their strengths and flaws. Some are good, some not so good and some a mix of the two. All are brought to life.

Odile is a young woman when the story opens. She lives with her father, who is in the police, her brother, an idealist, and her mother who eventually learns that her husband is involved in an affair. Odile has always loved books and lands her dream job at the American Library. There she meets a wide ranging group of patrons and staff. Her brother’s fiance, Bitsy, also works at the library. Odile gets to know Margaret as well; she is a British ex pat and another key protagonist.

Each of these characters faces the war, issues of loyalty and friendship and disillusion. Their intertwining stories are well depicted as are the many settings in the novel.

Odile’s romantic interest for much of the book is Paul. He, too, is a policeman. Readers will follow as some of his decisions make Odile even more aware of the cruelty of war.

As is true of many novels written today, there is a dual story line. This takes place in Froid, Montana where Odile came to live. There a young girl befriends Odile and tries to figure out her own life in the aftermath of her mother’s death. There is much that Odile has to teach her young friend.

I both listened to and read this story. The narration was flawless with individuals coming to life with different voices and accents. It was a wonderful listen.

I highly recommend this book. I hope that readers will enjoy it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @atriabooks for my gifted finish copy and audio of this book.
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Historical fiction will always be my go to and this book hits me close to the heart. Since I read The Nightingale , WW2 stories , non fiction or fiction will always be a yes.
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This story was quite lengthy ,but it’s so worth it. It’s engaging and so well written . This is a story of love , courage, friendship and sadness all in one. It’s told In two different time periods, through the lens of Odile, a librarian in Paris and Lily, a high school student.
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This story can actually be two different books , I would have loved to know more about Odile’s life after Paris got liberated . My heart broke for Lilly having to navigate life without her mom. I would have loved to see things from her stepmom POV also.

I know what you're thinking — not another WWII historical fiction?! But hear me out! This story that follows two young women — one a librarian in Nazi-occupied France and the other a teen in small-town Montana — is a total love letter to books, Paris, and friendship.

Sweet, sweet Lily had no clue the impact she'd have when she knocked on her neighbor Odile's door — and how she would change both of their lives for the better. Definitely a tear-jerker (aka I definitely cried toward the end and maybe a little in the middle) but that's not entirely abnormal for any book related to the horrific war that is WWII.

The audiobook was really clutch because a. the beautiful European voices were melodic, but also b. hearing French is better than reading French, for sure.

Read if you loved Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

I kept hearing and reading wonderful reviews of Janet Skeslien Charles' new novel, The Paris Library, and knew it was one I wanted to listen to.

There's a real surge in wartime historical fiction, especially WWII. The Paris Library is that, but it's a little bit more as well. The Paris Library is also based on fact.

"...the incredible true story of the librarians who stood up to the Nazi “Book Protector..."

Janet Skeslien Charles actually worked at The American Library in Paris. The details, settings and atmosphere benefit from that first hand knowledge. I could imagine the smell of the library, the feel of a book, the taste of a café au lait, the cobbled lanes and so much more.

Charles tells her story in an absolutely perfect back and forth, past and present narrative. The bridging character is Odile, a young librarian at The American Library in 1939 and a reclusive neighbor of young Lily in 1983 Montana. The two end up bonding over their love of books and language. As a devoted reader, I loved the references to the Dewey decimal system, the turn of a phrase, choosing a book, the joy of the written word, getting lost in a tale and and so much more.

The Paris Library is a love letter to libraries and books, but it's also a story of love lost, love found and love betrayed. Romantic, familial and friendship. And betrayal, also on so many levels.

As present day readers, we are aware of history and know what is going to happen. Charles does such a great job, bringing the past to life as Odile, her family and counterparts live through this horrific time. But it is done from such a unique and more personal perspective. Charles has included actual staff of The American Library as characters in The Paris Library. Their lives are truly remarkable.

The story in 1983 Montana is just as well written. Charles has also lived in Montana, and the place and time also benefits from that personal knowledge. Lily is also an engaging character. Her story too is a tale of relationships, with love and loss on the table.

I chose to listen to The Paris Library. A cast of three brought this book to life. I was happy to have multiple readers - Nicky Diss, Sarah Feather and Esther Wane. I'm not sure who did what part, but they were all very good. The voice for Odile in France was perfect - the accent rang true and was believable. The accent stayed with her as she spoke English as well. Other characters from the Paris setting were just as well done with each character being easily identifiable. The emotion was translated from the written word to the spoken and for me, this brought the book to life. That also goes of for the voice of young Lily - believable as a teenager and capturing the ups and downs of her life. All voices were clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find listening to a book immerses me in a novel. This was very much the case with The Paris Library. The cast has done an admirable job. And I enjoyed the notes from the author as well.

An easy five star listen.