Laurence Bouvard’s narration really made this book come to life for me. If you are a fan on historical fiction based in WWII, I highly recommend reading or listening to this book. The novel takes place in dual timelines 1940’s France during the German occupation and 1993 in the USA. It is a book about a mother and daughter. The mother is a resistance fighter. The daughter only finds out about her mother, at what she thought was her mother’s funeral. Jean (daughter) when given documents and a key to a book store in France, goes with her father to find out the truth behind her mother(Laurence).

Thank you #NetGalley, #BookoutureAudio, #SiobhanCurham, #TheParisNetwork and #LaurenceBouvard for the advance audio version for my honest review.

I absolutely love and devour WWII historical fiction, and maybe that was why I just didn't love this novel. If The Paris Network had been my first ever WWII read, I think I would have liked it a lot more, but after probably hundreds of reads, this one just doesn't stand out.

I read another review that said The Paris Network read like a YA historical fiction, and I agree. It skims over the atrocities of the war, and just didn't capture the severity of the situation like other novels I read.

I think I also really enjoy reading novels that are true stories of heroic acts during the war, and while Laurence resisted in a positive small way, I just didn't see her as an integral part of the resistance like I was expecting. I understand that might be the point, that not all heroines have to take grand actions that stand the test of time, but I was just expecting a bit more.

Another large reason I didn't enjoy TPN more was the audible narration. It is a tall ask to have a narrator handle American (southernish?) accents and french back and forth. But ugh as a person from the south the accents of Jeanne and her father were so bad I almost couldn't stand listening to the 1993 storyline.

My last critique would have to be the title. I just don't understand why it is called TPN. Hardly any of the novel takes place in Paris. I don't recall even hearing about a Paris network, so it left me confused and maybe that is why I expected more resistance plot?

Overall just a meh read me, but if you are looking for a relatively light WWII fiction, this might be a good read for you.

After a long hiatus from World War 2 stories I jumped back in with The Paris Network and I’m so glad I did. Written with a dual timeline the story of Laurence, a war hero, is brought to life in her words as well as her daughter’s many years later.

Using her bookstore as her home base, even as the Germans invade her hometown, Laurence enjoys prescribing passages for her friends to read to help them through hard times. As life in her town becomes locked down, Laurence risks her safety to help the Resistsnce while also befriending an American pilot.

Narrated by Laurence Bouvard, the voices were outstanding and helped provide life to the story. I highly suggest those who love historical fiction to listen to this book. Great job Siobhan Curham! Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC and chance to review.

The Paris Network is an interesting take on historic WWII fiction. It is a dual timeline story that switches back and forth between the point of views of a French bookshop owner Laurance over several years in WWII and the ex-detective Jean in 1993.

While at her mother's funeral, Jean's aunt makes a cryptic comment that leads to her father's confession that her mother was not her birth mom. Laurance, her biological mother, gave birth to her in France during the war. She and her father go on a journey to discover Laurance's story.

The switch back and forth between the two timelines is very well done. As Jean discovers new information about Laurence, the story switches to Laurance's point of view in a seamless flow.

Laurance's story is entirely believable, but also captivating, bittersweet, and inspiring. The way she was able to use her love of literature to keep up the spirits of the entire town during occupation was incredible.

As someone who has read way too many WWII historical fiction and is a little burnt out on the subject, I found this book well worth the read for its unique perspective. I've read many from the perspective of British soldiers, pilots, and spies; the people actively choosing to get involved. This one is the story of a woman living in a small French village; weary, starving, and scared while living under Nazi rule.

While our history classes focus on the imprisonment and genocide of the Jews during the war, this book also addresses the various lesser-known ways the Nazis oppressed and controlled the people in the countries they occupied. They confiscated weapons and radios. They banned, censored, and even burned any books that didn't follow their ideals. This kept people from learning, sharing, and being aware of other ways of thinking. This book even addressed the fact that, though the Jews were by and far the largest group persecuted, they were not the only ones. It specifically mentions the Nazi hatred of gay people, which few history books focus on. Because of this, I can tell that the book is well researched.

My only minor complaint about the book is that the author uses British terms in Jean's point of view. Being French, Laurence would most use British terms, so that didn't bother me. However, as Jean was raised in America by her American Father, she would never say things like "torch" instead of flashlight. These inconsistencies were a bit jarring. I would recommend the publisher go back through the book to update these parts to make the story flow better.

All in all, I think this is an excellent historical novel and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

This is an unputdownable piece of historical fiction! 1990. Jeanne inherits a bookstore in Paris. In order to discover more she and her father travel to the small French village near Paris to find it and learn what happened to her mother during nazi occupied France.
1940. Laurence Jeannes mother. She runs a bookstore in a village in France. The German invade and Laurence joins the French Resistance secretly handing out leaflets and posting them - an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Laurence becomes pregnant and has a little girl called Jeanne.
As the sweeping saga continues I enjoyed getting lost in both characters as the story rolled out. The audible was superlative bu Laurence Bouvard - hitting the right note with each emotive scene. There are times when I truly wanted to cry in a bucket at some of the heartbreaking moments. Thank you to Netgalley and to Bookouture for my gifted copy.

The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham

A new WWII story of a young bookseller that decides to help save her country. In France, Laurence owns a bookstore where she writes prescriptions for life along with the books or poems for her customers. When her town is taken by the Germans she joins a resistance movement.

Decades later in America, Jeanne discovers her mother is not in fact the woman she grew up with, but a brave French woman her Dad fell in love with during the War.

This book was lovely! Full of emotion and relationships. I loved Laurence and her little book shop, I loved how she treated her community and friends. The bravery of individuals faced with tragedy always inspires me.

This is a great story to add to your historical fiction collection!

This book is available now! Thank you @bookouture for the ebook and audiobook and for having me on this book tour!

#theparisnetwork #siobhancurham #books #netgalley #ebooks #bookouture #historicalfiction #womensfiction #mybooks #reading #readbooks #booksontour #readmore #bookreview #bookishthoughts #bookrecommendations

I have read a number of French occupation World War II books lately, and this one fits right with those. That portion of the war - the way many citizens of France quietly fought for freedom - was not something that I learned about in school. This is the first book I've read that used books to fight back.

The main character in this book is a bookstore owner, She was able to keep her store open and travel to and from Paris under the guise of purchasing new stock for the store. Through her Paris contacts, she was able to join the resistance through spreading banned books, while also physically assisting with drops of goods by allied pilots.

I love the way the main character used books as a form of medicine. She actually wrote poem and book prescriptions for townspeople with the emotional struggles that came along with war and the occupation. The author did a nice job of creating a strong female character, but she wasn't fearless. She had her flaws just like everyone else, and that was what made her feel so human.

An entertaining and compelling dual timeline WWII historical fiction book featuring a strong and brave Paris woman who helps the resistance in Pairs during WWII and a woman in the present who inherits a Paris bookshop. Full of strong female characters and intriguing family secrets. This book will keep you interested right to the end. Great on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC! Recommended for fans of Natasha Lester.

But stories always win. Stories live on far longer than any humans. I can't lose my faith in the written word. If I do that, I have nothing.

Laurence never had a talent or seamstress skill; hence, after her mother's death, she turned her family store into a town's bookstore. When Nazi-occupied France entered her city, Laurence entered France's most dangerous club - the resistance. From writing a book prescription notes to her fellow townsfolk and passing the cryptic messages to exchanging dangerous packages and sheltering English allies, Laurence has dedicated her life and soul to the French resistance. And when the time came to pay the price - she did it with her head held up high.

It has been a while since I read the book that made me very emotional. Life under Nazi occupation was hard; many people gave up and accepted their fate. I was truly amazed by Laurence's strength and will to stand against the enemy, boost people's faith, and increase the resistance against the intruder, which was simply heroic. To give up your life, your future, and your child for such a high cause is spine chilling. Great WWII novel, phenomenal ending with an emotional story of a young brave soul. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture publisher, for this beautiful yet heartbreaking story.

The story is about the invasion of France and how some chose to fight back in whatever way possible. A very powerful story and reflects true heroism. This book is well presented in two timelines, both equally fascinating with Laurent (1939) from the past and Jeanne (1993) from the present. We also get Laurent’s father, Wendell’s , side of the story for he is the common thread between the two and plays an active part in both eras. His secret life (and love) from the past unfolds before Jeanne’s eyes during their journey to France. These revelations provide her with a new respect for her father as she learns more about who he is and his part in the war. In The Paris Network we learn of the horrific effects of Hitler’s rule during World War II. Through the power of words, we are transported back in time and walk on streets that see bloodshed and death. We stand beside those who are innocent and watch them come to a terrible end. As we watch Laurent and her friends go into hiding, become part of a resistance network and try to protect what precious items they still have, we wish this was enough to save them. The remarkable strength of the human spirit and its will to be free shines like a beacon above the tragic losses. Even in the face of death, this group of resistant French citizens cling to hope and chant Liberte. Books play a huge part in The Paris Network providing code and comfort. Those who were facing persecution under the Germans, told and read stories to each other to keep hope alive. It was all they had to maintain courage and to rise above the misery that surrounded them. As our heroine, Laurent, says, 'I can’t lose my faith in the written word. If I do that, I have nothing.' Really excellent story and well presented.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publisher.

Jeanne goes to Paris searching for her unknown mother. Her father has kept her mother as a secret for years. Laurence owns a bookstore and is part of a resistance group through her books as well as giving her customers “book prescriptions”. Laurence rescues a pilot during WWII in Paris and takes the American pilot in to her home. I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. Jeanne at times seemed very naïve and didn’t understand what happened in Paris during WWII. It seemed odd to me that she was so uneducated in it. It was a heartbreaking tale that tried to pull at your heartstrings, but for me it just wasn’t there. However, the dual timelines did work beautifully in this story. This is a story of friendship, love, courage, and liberty.

Oh wow! I seriously loved this book!! It was just so amazing!!

This is a dual timeline, in 1993 in the USA we have Jeanne and her father trying to find out more information about Jeanne's mother. In the 1940's in France we have Laurence, a bookseller, working with the resistance.

My heart! I was on esge throughout this book, both in the historical timeline and in the modern(ish) times. I so desperately wanted to know what happened to Laurence. I loved the fact that books played such an integral part on Laurence's Resistance book club and messaged being passed around France in the pages of books.

I listened to the audio of this book (ear bud hidden behind my hair so my family were blissfully unaware of why they were being ignored. it was read by Laurence Bouvard who is a fantastic narrator (she narrates the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter and Lynda La Plante novels amongst many others). While I was listening to this I messaged my book club as I was so in awe. How do narrators manage to not show any emotion when reading tear jerker scenes?

This read as young adult fiction. The story itself by WW II historical fiction standards is simple and descriptively mild. Hunger and fear are stated, but not told in graphic detail. The book is primarily the intricate personal telling of a couple characters leading to the Network involvement and life afterwards.

I had problems with the educated retired American police officer and her incredibly childish dialogue. I would have preferred more of the Network narrative, and would not have missed the current timeline.

This book is just so-so for me. This is based on true events, and I do thank the author for bringing to my attention the Paris Network.

I did have the audiobook, and the narrator was okay. Also, of note, I did appreciate the book not being laden with profanity.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for accepting my request to read and review The Paris Network.

#NetGalley
#BookoutureAudio
#TheParisNetwork

There were some truly beautiful scenes in this novel. However, the level of writing was not consistent and, at times, was very repetitive. As someone who has studied history and done extensive research, especially relating to the Second World War, I was bothered by some of the anachronisms. They may not be as glaring to casual readers. I enjoyed the separate time lines, but I felt that the 1993 part of the story was not nearly as well-written as the 1940s. The ending felt rushed, especially after such a slow start to the book. Overall, I would definitely recommend this to others who enjoy historical fiction, but it is not a book I would revisit.

Notes on the narration of this audiobook: Did not enjoy the accents the narrator used for the characters. They felt over-done and were initially very annoying. If I were not planning to review this book, I may have stopped listening to the audiobook altogether because of the narrator's accents.


Here is a link to my review on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4542140274

The Paris Network is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and inspiring tale by Siobhan Curham that I highly recommend. Jean, in the 1990s, discovers the details of the life of Laurence, a bookstore owner, whose seemingly beautiful French town fell to Nazi control. Laurence helps others in her community stay positive with “book prescriptions.” As the Nazis control more and more, and the French suffer more and more, Laurence’s commitment to the French resistance grows. She finds strength to continue the resistance through books, her friends, and a little something else you will find out while reading. Laurence’s courage is inspiring and touching. Experiencing this on audio was a joy—the narrator shared the incredibly tale beautifully. Five stars.

i appreciate the store and LOVE historical fiction. This one didn't really do it for me. I wasnt feeling the characters. I want to love it. The accents were a little difficult to listen to. Yeah, i could not feel any characters.

I really enjoyed this novel. A woman finding out the woman who raised her was not her biological mother. Her father tells her the truth. Joined with her father they head to France to uncover the truth of who her mother was and discover the hero she was during the German occupation of France during WWII

The Paris Network is a brilliant tale weaved between the past and the future. It follows Laurence, a bookstore owner, in France during WWII and Jeanne, a retired police detective, living in the US in 1993. I know it sounds like a weird combination, but you quickly learn the connection and are intent on finding out more. Laurence runs a small book store in her small town where she prescribes books to lighten the heavy burden of life. When Germany occupies her small town and begins banning books, Laurence starts a secret bookclubbto help cope. They read books that are banned as a way to resist. When reading banned books doesn't seem like enough anymore, Laurence finds herself diving deeper into the resistance.
After Jeanne's mother's death and while trying to reconcile while her mother always held her at a distance, Jeanne learns about a shocking secret. She travels to France with her father to help uncover the secrets from their shared past. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars. This book gives you a perspective of what it was like to live under German occupation. The dual timelines were easy to follow. Siobhan Curham dove deep into the emotions of the characters addressing all of the difficult topics that come along with war. I was emotionally devasted for the rest of the day when I finished reading this. My only criticism is that the book was a slow starter and focused more on Laurence in the beginning. I didn't feel the connect to Laurence until her character develops more later in the book. I was missing the dual timeline aspect in the beginning of the book that made it magical later on.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an
honest review
4/5
A marvelous historic ficcion story. The story is told in 2
different timelines one in 1945 and the other in 1993.
eventhough i was a bit lost once i got hold of the
connection between timelines it was just amazing.
Laurence is a badass character with a personality pf her
own and a clear objective in life, it was quite nice to see
the romance as a secondary theme in the novel and not
as the principal. However it was a bit tedious to get
through the 1993 timeline. Definitely a read that had
brought me back to the genre.

Paris 1940. This book was inspired by true events during World War II. Laurence Sidot's family bookstore in LaVallee du Cerf, France is being used as a French Resistance location during Germany's occupation of France. A book club is formed to read and discuss the banned books. Some of the books carry coded messages. In America 1993, after her mother's death, Jeanne learns that she has inherited a bookstore in a French village from a woman named Laurence. She travels to France with her father, finds a silver pendant under the floorboard of the bookstore and learns who her mother really was. This was my first book by Siobhan Curham but won't be my last. It is a beautiful story about the power of books. The characters were very believable and well-drawn. The book held my interest from start to finish. If you love historical wartime novels, you will love this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookcouture for a copy of the audio for an honest opinion.