If you have never read a book by Kristin Harmel, get your hands on at least one of them, she has several. You will not be disappointed! Her talent is creating these interesting, detailed, sweeping historical stories that pull you in immediately. I cannot get enough of her novels. The Paris Daughter is her latest book.

Synopsis:

Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.

When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.

More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.

This was just published, go get it!

The Paris Daughter by Kristen Harmel was both a very moving and captivating book. I have read and enjoyed many of her previously written books over the years. Her books never seem to disappoint me and The Paris Daughter was no exception. Her research for The Paris Daughter was impeccable and her writing was impressive. It was well plotted and her choice of characters, both in minor roles and in more prominent roles, were well developed and believable. The backdrop for The Paris Daughter was Paris shortly before the onset of World War II, during the war and then after the war was over. It also took place in New York City after the war was over and through 1960. The Paris Daughter explored the very difficult choices and decisions three incredibly strong and courageous mothers were forced to make during World War II.

American born artist, Elise LeClair had met her husband Oliver in New York in 1935. Oliver was an accomplished and very well known French artist. He and Elise fell in love, married and moved to Paris. Oliver had encouraged Elise to pursue her artistic talents of sculpting by working with wood as her medium. Elise became a skilled woodworking artist but her husband Oliver LeClair outshined her in every way imaginable and tended to belittle her work. Their marriage was far from perfect but Elise loved Oliver despite his dark side. In the fall of 1939, Elise, then several months pregnant with her and Oliver’s baby, made her way to Bois de Boulogne located in the western part of Paris. In the confines of the park she believed she had anonymity from anyone that could associate her with her famous husband. As Elise sat on a bench sketching, she began to feel sharp pains in her belly. When Elise fell to the ground, Juliette Foulan, an American mother of two boys and also quite pregnant with her third child, came to her rescue. Juliette insisted that Elise come with her to her home/bookstore so that a doctor could treat her. It turned out that Elise was only suffering from false labor pains. Elise and Juliette discovered that not only were they both Americans married to French husbands but both of their children were due to be born in January. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that blossomed between Elise and Juliette. Both Elise and Juliette were blessed with healthy beautiful daughters in January. Juliette gave birth to Lucie and Elise to Mathilde. Their two daughters became best of friends. Mathilde and Lucie became as close as sisters.

After the German occupation, Oliver became more and more involved with the Communist Party. Elise was worried about his outspoken political views. She was afraid for her and Mathilde’s safety. Nothing Elise said quieted her husband’s outspoken opposition, though. Oliver’s actions finally got him killed. When Elise learned about Oliver’s arrest and death she was advised by Oliver’s art dealer to flee Paris. He warned her that she would have to flee alone. The Germans were looking for Oliver’s widow and his child. Elise protested that she had never been involved in her husband’s political activities. The Germans would not care. Elise was about to have to make the most difficult decision of her life. She wanted to take Mathilde with her and protect her the way only a mother could. Elise knew, though, if she tried to take Mathilde with her, they would both die. To protect her daughter and give her the opportunity to live she would ask Juliette and her husband Paul to keep her safe until she could return. That was the hardest thing Elise ever had to do. She knew that Juliette and Paul would love and protect her daughter and keep her safe. With a heavy heart and eyes that brimmed with tears, Elise left Mathilde with the Foulan’s and escaped Paris to the town of Aurignon. When Elise arrived in Aurignon, she went to the church and was helped by Pere Clement. For two years, Elise lived in the town and helped Jewish refugee children evade deportation and discovery by the Nazis. After Paris was liberated, Elise returned to Paris. She had missed and thought about Mathilde every second she was separated from her. Now, finally, Elise would be reunited with her daughter and her best friend, Juliette. When Elise found her way to the bookstore, she discovered that it was replaced into a pile of rubble. The bookstore had been hit in an allied attack. The allies had intended to hit the Renault plant but they had hit the street where the bookstore once stood. Elise had come back to Paris to discover that the bookstore no longer existed and that Juliette had vanished. Had Mathilde survived? Elise’s worst nightmare was coming to fruition.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel was heartbreaking and up-lifting. I had trouble putting this book down. In her author’s note, Kristin Harmel, did an excellent job explaining what events she included in The Paris Daughter that actually occurred and who she interviewed to authenticate certain aspects of the characters’ stories she included. The ending was both satisfying and tied everything together nicely. The Paris Daughter explored above all else Mother/daughter relationships and the sacrifices mothers were forced to make to protect their children. It also portrayed the themes of survival, pain, love, marriage, family, friendships, art and resilience. I can’t even contemplate the heartbreak Elise and Ruth Levy (a Jewish widowed mother of two children) must have felt when they were forced to hand their children over to others to protect them. No mother should ever have to make a decision as difficult as that. Books like The Paris Daughter as so important to read so we never allow history to repeat itself. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Galleries Books for allowing me to read this ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read countless WWII novels in my lifetime and have read other Kristin Harmel novels as well. This book specifically centers less on WWII as a whole and more on the innerworkings of three distinct families touching on three common threads of the time (a Jewish mother separated from her children, an artist's wife forced to run due to her husband's political actions, and a bookseller who connects them both). While this book is deeply emotional and I did resonate with the daughters' stories, the book itself dragged on far too long only to end in a too-easy and not-well-developed "twist." Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Thank you for my advanced copy! Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to be able to read and review this one early!

The Paris Daughter is about two women, Elise and Juliette, who become friends shortly before war reaches them in Paris. When the Elise becomes a target of the Nazi occupation, she leaves her daughter in Juliette’s care while she flees, hoping this choice will mean safety for both of them. The story follows their lives apart as they experience the war in different ways before flashing forward to the end of the war when Elise returns to Paris to reunite with her daughter. When she arrives, she finds Juliette’s home and bookstore destroyed and the family nowhere to be found. Elise then embarks on a new journey to find her daughter and Juliette’s family while also searching for ways to help others along the way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It started out a little slower than I expected, but life is also really busy right now so that could be why I had a hard time getting into it. I loved everything about the middle 200ish pages of the book. It was intense and emotional and I was desperate for Elise and Mathilde to be reunited. I was enjoying it so much (even after the slow start) that I was contemplating a 5⭐️ rating, but the ending felt a little too coincidental and even a little predictable so I knocked my rating down a bit. It’s still definitely worth the read!

What an incredible, beautiful, and heartbreaking story! This book tells the story of three separate mothers trying to do their best to survive and keep their children safe during WWII in France. The more WWII historical fiction I read, the more I learn about just how terrible it was for civilians, and this was no exception. This book reminded me so much of The Nightingale, and I don’t know that there’s a book that’s made me this emotional as a mother since reading that book.

I don’t want to say much to avoid spoiling anything as I went in blind, but be prepared to cry, and definitely look up triggers if you’re concerned.

And lastly, one of my favorite things about a well researched historical fiction is the author’s note. I love reading about how she weaves reality with fiction, and how true events come to pass in this fictional story.

All the stars!!
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Happy Pub Day to The Paris Daughter. I absolutely love Kristin Harmel and her historical fiction is some of my absolute favorite! The Paris Daughter was a beautiful read and a strong book about resilience and motherhood.

The first part of her book is set in 1939 Paris as two young mothers Elise & Juliette become friends at the start of the war. As the years go on and Elise becomes a target for the Germans age makes the tough decision to leave her daughter with Juliette and her family. When the war ended she goes back to Paris to find Juliette's bookshop bombed and no trace of get best friend's family. Twenty years later she travels to NYC to find out what really happened to her daughter...

While partially set during WWII, this book is more about motherhood, family and choices than a World War II historical fiction but I do love the nod to my favorite KH book, The Book of Lost Names in the story.

I loved this one, and it really makes you think about the choices we make. Plus I learned more about two topics in history from this book. Also the author's note was fantastic as always.

Paris, 1939: With war lingering two young mothers become friends.
Elise LeClair and Juliette Foulon become friends as they meet at a park. They are both soon-to-be mothers and bond over their pregnancy. Juliette already has two children and one on the way. Elise is a first-time mother.

Juliette owns a bookshop, Libraire des Reves and it has become a comforting place for families. With the German occupation, Elise makes the ultimate sacrifice. Many Jewish residents are sending their children away as they are disappearing. Elise entrusts her daughter who is now three with Juliette. Elise’s husband politics make them a target. Elise must do what she needs to do to keep her daughter safe. When the neighborhood is bombed life changes for everyone.

When the war ends, Elise wants to reunite with her little daughter. Sadly she finds out the bookshop was destroyed in the war. What could have happened to Juliette and her daughter. There is no news about Juliette and Elise is determined to find out what happened! Her search leads her to the United States.

Does New York have the answers Elise is looking for? Will she find her daughter?

This novel explores relationships between friends, mothers, children and the sacrifices one makes. I can always count on a lovely and emotional novel by Harmel. She is an auto-buy for me and I enjoy her as part of the Friends and Fiction group. My first novel by her was The Room on Rue Amelie and knew I had to read whatever she wrote.

Kristin Harmel is a go-to author for me. I have loved all of the books I've read that she's written that are set in France. Most take place before and during WWII. While the setting of this novel starts around 1940, it takes us all the way to 1960. Ms. Harmel researches her novels meticulously, and this one is no different. Most of the events in the story are fictionalized depictions of real happenings, and for me, this may be related to one of it's downfalls. There are too many of them. So many, in fact, that the events seemed implausible enough after a while to take me out of the story. Still, this author's writing style is seamless, and she was able to take me through the emotions I needed to feel for each of the characters as their arcs progressed. Very few do that better than she does. Even though I felt I knew what the outcome would be from the outset, I enjoyed the journey. And the ending itself turned out to be a bit unpredictable for me. I will continue to eagerly read any of her upcoming releases just because I love her writing style and attention to historical detail. Just a little bit of a ding on this review for cramming so much into one story. Thank you to #NetGalley and Gallery Books for my early copy.

This book is so much more than I expected! I have read some of Kristin’s other books, so I knew the writing would be phenomenal. This book was no exception! It was heartbreaking and raw, entwined with beautiful art and tragic history. As a mother with two young daughters, I imagined what I would have done in their situations, and cried throughout this book. I also loved the descriptions of woodworking and painting and could see the impeccable research shining through in the best way. This is an absolute triumph Kristin! A must read and a new favorite book!

A powerful story from Kristin Harmel about WWII and the occupation of France particularly the effect upon the lives of civilians. Two women bond a friendship over their children which intensifies during the early days of the Occupation. The resilience of motherhood as told through this timeframe: could you leave your child behind in order to save its life and your own with the thought of reuniting afterwards and entrust that life to another mother? A different slant to the war as witnessed through the story of civilians trying to survive while the world is crushing down upon them. The depths people went through to survive during and after the war from Europe to the US with a primary emphasis on a bookstore was such an intense read but I so recommend this to any reader but particularly to ones interested in historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of this book; the review is my personal reflection.

I haven’t read a Kristin Harmel book I didn’t like — and this one does not disappoint! An emotional story about motherhood during one of the most inhumane times in history. Two American woman, Elise and Juliette, found love abroad marrying Frenchman. Diving into each of their stories, we see that their marriages are very juxtaposing to one another. Fate leads these women to cross paths in a park when Elise is having practice contractions and Juliette, a mother of three, takes her to her bookstore and calls a doctor. These two become fast friends deepening their bond when they both give birth to baby girls around the same time. Their girls grow up alongside one another developing a sister-like bond. One day Elise is forced into a difficult decision to flee for her safety and leaves her daughter Mathilde in the trusted care of Juliette’s family as her best chance to survive the war.

I found this story to dive deep into the unique perspective of mothers during WWII and the tough decisions they had to make for their children in hopes to keep them safe from the destruction of war. We also see the emotional struggle post war of what the journey was like to seek out your children not necessarily knowing where they ended up and the grief for families who were unable to locate loved ones. Through this powerful story we understand how powerful words are when we can share someone’s last moments to provide closure for a loved one.

Phenomenal! This book tore my heart up and then put it piece by piece together. Being a mother during WWII meant not only keeping yourself alive but also keeping your children alive. This means leaving your children behind to be kept safe or sending them away to keep them safe. The Paris Daughter is the story of a woman who made the choice to leave her daughter with her best friend while she feels the Nazi’s. While gone the unthinkable happens, the place where she left her daughter to be kept safe is bombed.



A mother’s love is an amazing thing, and this was proven many times in this book. I was in awe of all the mothers in this book. The choices they had to make just to keep their families safe made my heart ache for them. Whether they choose to leave the children, send them away, or keep them with them there was no guarantee that they would all be together at the end of the war. I believe there was no right answer and each mother had to make their own decision.

The Paris Daughter is a story of the strength of a mother’s love, families, and mother/daughter relationships. This book had me turning pages and devouring the words just to see what was going to happen next.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

On June 6, 1944, the D-day took place as allied forces landed in Normandy, which changed the trajectory of the world war 2. And, on this historical day, comes a novel by one of my favorite historical fiction authors of all time - @kristinharmel who has also written other popular novels like The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars, both of which were my favorite novels on WWII of all times. I was so excited to get an early approval for this novel, and jumped with joy in the most happiest sense to get an opportunity to read her latest gem.

This historical fiction novel is a tale of two mothers, Elise and Juliette, who are faced with unimaginable choices as they face Nazi occupation. Set in 1939 Paris, Elise becomes a target of the Nazi prejudice, she entrusts her daughter to Juliette. As the war rages on, her home and surroundings are destroyed. As the events unfold, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter only to be in for a shock and unexpected loss of both Juliette and her own child. The search for her child takes Elise to New York.

As with her novels, Kristin Harmel’s intensive research on her subjects remains important and evident in the novel. Her novel is immersive, heart breaking, and a reminder that often healing from after effects of trauma caused by wars and genocides is an unimaginable feat. The novel, furthermore, by being released today honors the events that occurred in France years ago. Moreover, it is heartening to see women’s fiction focusing on the theme of motherhood by so many authors this year.

The Paris Daughter is also a sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love.

Thank you @kristenharmel and @gallerybooks for the gifted e-arc and my bookish friends for the gifted arc.

#DDay #KristenHarmel #TheParisDaughter #GalleryBooks

The Paris Daughter
Author: Kristin Harmel
Release Date: June 06, 2023
Gallery Books
Historical Fiction

Kristin Harmel has written another masterful historical fiction book. The Paris Daughter is beautifully presented, with a story of motherhood and moving foward from the past. It will remain in your heart.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

Elise has become a target of the Germans. To keep her daughter safe, she leaves her with Juliette. Juliette and Elise have become very good friends over the years. So, Elise knows her daughter is safe. But, nothing prepares either of these ladies for a bomb which kills Juliette’s husband, 2 sons and Elise’s daughter.

With the war finally over, Elise heads straight to Juliette’s bookshop only to discover her worst fears. Her loss almost unhinges her. She eventually reclaims her apartment and tries to move on with life after the war. When she hears about Juliette living in NYC, Elise heads to find her. Elise wants to know about her daughter’s last days.

Talk about a lot of moving parts. This book is so well written and powerful in so many ways. I love how this author weaves all these tales together at the end to create an incredible story about love, loss and resilience.

I have been a fan of this author for years and this is by far, hands down, her best book yet! I love getting completely consumed by a book and this one did it! Talk about a WOW read!

Need an all around fantastic story…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Paris Daughter had me from the beginning. I'm a fan of WWII historical fiction and this was awesome.

Olivier and Elise have a daughter named Mathilde. The are both artists and Olivier is targeted due to his political beliefs. They had planned for Elise to flee if need be leaving Mathilde with friends so that she could be safe.

Elise returns at the end of the war only to discover that tragedy has hit the friends she left Mathilde with and she finds out that only her friend & her biological daughter has survived meaning that Mathilde has died. Elise tries to come to terms with what has happened while also wanting to find her friend, Juliette, so that she can hear from her exactly what happened the day her daughter died to give herself some peace of mind.

Unbeknownst to Elise at the time, Juliette has moved to the states with her daughter where she has recreated the exact bookshop they had in France that was eventually destroyed. She seems stuck in the past and angry and her daughter is not happy either feeling like her mom may blame her for the rest of their family being dead.

A mutual friend of theirs stumbles across the bookshop and lets Elise know she should come and speak to Juliette now that they have found her. Once she arrives in the states, there is more drama surrounding her and her husband's art work that was thought to have been stolen by the Nazi's.

Even though I figured out the main twist in the book maybe 1/2 way through, it did not change my interest in the book nor did it ruin anything for me. This was a great read for me all the way around.

Elise LeClair had no idea how different her life would be from the one she anticipated as she left New York to take up residence with her new husband in Paris. Juliette Foulon had no idea how entangled their lives would become when she came to Elise's aid as Elise experienced false labor in the park near Juliette's bookshop. Of course, war makes lives totally unpredictable. It also forces people to make impossible decisions that will forever change the course of their lives.

Kristin Harmel has once again blessed her readers with a work of great depth. While she explores the horrors of war, Harmel highlights the resilience of the human spirit, the ability to continue living one day at a time during the toughest of times, and the huge capacity people have to love and to forgive. She also recognizes brokenness resulting in the absence of any forward momentum. Readers explore these things right alongside her as they too become entangled in both Elise and Juliette's lives, extricating themselves only after the last page has been turned leaving them grateful for this latest offering from Kristin Harmel. I am also grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Paris Daughter from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I was so fortunate to receive an arc of this book and I enjoyed this storyline so much … The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is a poignant story that any reader can be lost in. This was a true gift to be able to enjoy this journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Paris 1939 - Elise and Juliette are young mothers who become fast friends when they meet in a park. From there, their friendship grows as they meet weekly at the bookshop Juliette owns with her husband. Their daughters, Lucie and Mathilde are the best of friends. Until Elise’s husband is arrested and interrogated by the Germans. Elise received word that she’s wanted by the Germans to answer questions they have. Leaving her daughter with Juliette and her husband, Elise goes on the run, hoping to outrun the Germans.

Several years later, Elise returns to Paris to find the bookshop destroyed, not knowing what happened to Juliette or her daughter. Elise has questions on what happened and where Juliette or Mathilde are.

This book was a good read and I enjoyed reading both Juliette and Elise’s stories. There was a mystery undertone of the story and I figured out what was going on about midway through. The pain that was felt by both Juliette and Elise got me and there were tears shed. If you’ve like Kristin’s previous books, this is a must read.

Absolutely stunning book!

The story is set in wartime, just before and during the German occupation of France. However, unlike some books in this genre, it goes beyond the war, and delves into the aftermath of the lives forever changed, some 20 years later.

Juliette and Elise begin as friends, both mothers with young children, trying to survive. There was no one Elise would trust with her young daughter, Mathilde, other than Juliette, so when Elise had to flee Paris, she begged Juliette to take care of Mathilde, and she did, until a day came that no one had control over.

For the next 20 years, Juliette lives with the pain of that day. If it were today, she'd be tagged with PTSD. But in those days, before the phrase was popular, she suffered alone. Instead of cherishing her daughter Lucie, she scorned her at every opportunity, mad that she survived while others did not. One day it all comes to the surface when Elise comes back, demanding answers. The answers she gets are more than she expected.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.