Thanks to Gallery Books for the copy of this book!

As Germany is beginning to invade France, Elise and Juliette become friends. When Elise needs to flee the country, she leaves her daughter with Juliette. But when she returns after the War, the bookshop is no longer there, and Elise goes on a search to find out what happened to her daughter.

I love how Kristin included the years before and after the WWII in this story, and the NYC setting while searching for her daughter. It wasn't extremely history-heavy, but more focused on a mother's love and longing for her daughter. Kristin also knows how to pack an emotional punch into a story, and this definitely pulls at the heartstrings! It's very predictable, but interesting to see how the story plays out.

Brilliance.

Kristin Harmel once again brings her very best in this tale of two women. Two friends. And, their two daughters. This beautiful piece of historical fiction is rich in description and in research. The reader is brought into Paris during the war and are lead to wonder what lengths you would go to in order to help survive the war. What of your family? What if your friends? It’s the story of perseverance and resilience. And at its core, it’s the story of love and hope. This is one that you must put to the top of your TBR list. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this beautiful read.

It's 1939, and Elise and Juliette are both young American women who have married Frenchmen and now live in Paris. They meet by chance one day in the park and become close friends. As WWII progresses and Paris is under German occupation, Elise's husband puts their family in danger by working with the resistance. Eventually, Elise must flee Paris to save herself, but since traveling with her daughter will put them both at risk, she asks Juliette and her husband to take the young girl in. But when the war is finally over and Elise returns to Paris for her daughter, she discovers Juliette's home has been destroyed and that most of the family perished when it was hit by a bomb. The story spans almost two decades, following the two women through the war and the paths they take after, as Elise tries to find Juliette but Juliette tries to bury her grief by leaving France for New York. A story of mothers' love, friendship, resilience and grief. Harmel is a master at drawing you to the characters and into their story from page one and weaving a tale that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Two American expat women meet in Paris during WWII and their lives become forever intertwined. It's 1939. Elise LeClair, a sculptor married to French artist Olivier, is pregnant with their first child and is concerned about her husband's activities with the French communist party. She meets Juliette Foulon, who runs the local bookstore, and she is also expecting another child with husband Paul. Elise gives birth to daughter Mathilde and Juliette has daughter Lucie. Once the Germans invade Paris, Olivier's activities put his wife and child in grave danger. Elise is forced to flee to the countryside, leaving Mathilde behind for safety with Juliette, Paul and their children. Their friend Ruth Levy also makes the heartbreaking decision to send her son and daughter away to safety with new identities as she fears she will be sent to a concentration camp. After the war ends, Elise returns to Paris where there is vast destruction, and nothing is the same. Juliette moves to New York City and Elise eventually is able to track her down.

There is so much more about The Paris Daughter that makes this another winning book for author Kristin Harmel, but sometimes the less said the better. Harmel has created rich and complex characters who represent all the many people who had to face unimaginable decisions and then, if they survived, had to deal with a wide range of conflicted feelings. I found the post-war part of the book especially interesting as it shows how the trauma of war continued. Excellent research as always by an author who tells important stories in a way that is both entertaining and moving. Historical fiction fans, add this to your must-read list.

The Paris Daughter might be my favorite Kristin Harmel book yet. I was drawn into the worlds of Juliette, Elise, and Ruth immediately. I loved the way in which Harmel intertwined their lives, woven from friendships formed before the war. While a historical fiction novel set in WWII, I liked that the focus wasn't solely on the war. We got to know them before, during, and after. The beauty of friendships is really highlighted in The Paris Daughter. There was a refrain in the book about how we are always who we are. Of course their lives were forever altered by the war and the things that happened to them but they were essentially themselves. I did guess as to where the book was going early on but I read it fully immersed, often checking my pulse, because my heart was racing and I just needed everything to work out. Read with tissues handy because The Paris Daughter will rip your heart out over and over again. My only complaint is that I needed another glimpse into the future once everything was resolved. "Under these stars, fate will bring you home."

To set the scene, it is Paris, 1939. Elise and Juliette have been best friends ever since they met while they were both pregnant with their daughters, and their due dates were the same month. The girls, Mathilde & Lucie, became best friends, and even looked so much alike they could be sisters. Then the German occupation begins, and because of Elise's husband's ties to a radical group, for which he was tortured and executed, they now have Elise on their radar. She does the only thing she can think to do, in order to keep Mathilde safe - she leaves her with Juliette and her family until it is safe to come home again. More than a year later, once the war is over, she returns, only to find her friend's bookstore reduced to rubble, and Juliette nowhere to be found. When she questions some of the neighbors, they tell her the only survivors were Juliette and her daughter Lucie. Elise searches for Juliette and finally finds her in New York City. She goes to see her in order to find out what happened, and hopefully make peace with the decision she had to make and what she lost in the process

This book was so good. It was absolutely heart wrenching, and although at times it was difficult to read, at the same time, I was so engrossed I didn't want to put it down. I have read most of the books this author has written, and she has a distinct talent for making you feel like you are truly there, watching it all unfold. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then this needs to be at the top of your TBR pile!

Kristin Harmel’s Forest of Vanishing Stars was one of my favorite books so I was looking forward to reading The Paris Daughter. Once again she has written a story that captures the horror of war and the sacrifices that must be made. Elise is an American living with her artist husband in Paris. She is also an artist, but her talents are overshadowed by her husband’s works. Pregnant with their first child, she meets Juliette in a nearby park. Juliette is also an American married to a French bookseller. She is pregnant with her third child and the two become close friends. Their two daughters are close in age and also become friends as they grow. When the Germans arrive in Paris, Elise’s husband is arrested and killed for his activities with the resistance. Constant Blouet, an art dealer representing her husband, warns Elise that the Germans are also looking for her and arranges papers for her escape. In order to give her daughter Mathilda a chance to live, she asks Juliette to take her in. It is an emotional separation, but necessary since the Germans would be looking for a woman traveling with a child.

Elise returns to Paris after the war to find her daughter. She finds Juliette’s bookstore is a bombed pile of rubble. Juliette survived the bombing with her daughter Lucie, but she has now left Paris. Bouet had watched over her apartment in her absence, but he has also left France. His associate helps Elise return to her home, where she finds all of her possessions and artwork have been taken. Living with the grief of losing her family, she returns to her art of wood carving to support herself. Years later she learns that Juliette returned to America. On a visit to New York she visits her, but their reunion is not what she anticipated. Elise is not the only one struggling with her loss. Juliette is living in the past and it is taking a toll on her relationship with her daughter.

Harmel explores how far a mother will go to save her child and the fear that accompanies that decision. Her scenes in Paris allow you to feel the terror as bombs rain down on the city and destroy the bookstore and Juliette’s family as they try to protect the children. During the dark days of war, Harmel shows the resilience of the human spirit and the ability to survive. Her story is one that will bring you to tears. Her final scenes bring Elise and Juliette’s stories to a beautiful end that make The Paris Daughter highly recommended.

3.5
I know I am going to be in the minority here but this one was fine for me - I liked it, but I can't say it was great. I can't really put my finger on it, I just couldn't connect to the characters in a meaningful way and the way the timelines jumped didn't do a lot of r me either. I did really feel for the whole question of - what would you do to ensure your child's safety, which is what kept me going. But ultimately it wasn't my favorite from Harmel.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is a wonderful read looking at World War Two through the lens of three mothers in Paris. The novel is one of those great novels that force you to examine the reality of having to leave your children in another’s care in hopes that your leaving allows them to be safe. For parents all over the world what a choice to have to make.

Elise and Juliette met one day in the park. Elise didn’t know what was wrong with her, but Juliette recognized it immediately and got her help. This was the start of a great friendship between the two women. A friendship that would be tested during the war.

Elise’s husband was a fascist putting her into a dangerous situation with the German invaders. In order to save her life and that of her daughter, Elise leaves her daughter with Juliette and her family. Juliette takes in the child, but with some hesitation. Elise flees for her safety.

After the war, she returns to find her daughter, but the bookstore where Juliette, her husband and her children lived was destroyed and children had perished. Devastated, she tries to start all over again. She continually looks for her daughter and takes in two other children and helps them find their mother. It is on a journey to the US to meet Juliette and find out about her daughter’s life and death when more is opened up to her. Elise now has other decisions to make.

This novel is so well written that you feel like you are on Elise’s journey. The conflicts of losing a child and finding a way forward is heartbreaking for her. I admired how the story unfolded and led to so many problems and solutions. The novel is a wonderful read full of emotions, descriptions and heartfelt truths about how hard life can be, while how meaningful it can be made to be.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is a good read.

I loved The Book of Lost Names, so I couldn’t wait to start reading The Paris Daughter. Sadly, I found myself plugging through the first third of the book. I even wondered if I would be able to finish it, especially when I had so many other books waiting to be read.

After checking reviews, this reaction has definitely put me in the minority. But I can’t rate a book on only the last half. And the first third to half of the book presented nothing to encourage me to keep turning pages.

This unimaginable tale of motherly love and the atrocities of war was hard to comprehend. At times the last half of the book was painful to read. But Harmel's extraordinary talent shines through as she depicts accompanying emotions that had to be experienced.

Because so many others have enjoyed this book, I recommend you give it a try. However, for me, it got off to a poor start and didn’t end up being one of my favorite books. In retrospect, I think I would have been happier listening to the audiobook

Kristin Harmel,wrote a top notch book.
Many themes are prevalent: loss, survival, denial, love, and anguish.
WWII caused many parents to leave their children or send them away for their own safety. I didn’t foresee the harbinger in the book that changed everything.
I did have a suspicion about a major plot twist and I surmised correctly.
Neither Elise nor Juliette can forget and each are only existing, not really living.
The end is poignant, but each woman finally gets what she wants.
Harmel give an instructive author’s note at the end.

The Paris Daughter is an excellent historical fiction book that takes place during WWII. It is the story of two mothers, Elise and Juliette, that are friends who live in war torn France. Both mothers are faced with complex decisions that lead to difficult times.

The story takes us through the years allowing us to feel the consequences of their decisions. There are some twists and turns along the way as you read this book. This has been one of my favorite books this year. Kristin Harmel has written another winner!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

What a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I knew going in that this story would break my heart at some point, Kristin Harmel is a master at that. By the end of the book she has pieced it back together in some way, regardless of the ending. This book was no different.

I loved getting to know the LeClairs and the Foulons before the war was underway. The friendship between Elise LeClair and Juliette Foulon was beautiful and sacrificial and something special.

As the war was underway and is often the case during that time, impossible choices had to me made. Elise’s choice for the chance for her and her daughter both to survive was heartbreaking. When Elise returns at the end of the war to find no sign of Juliette, I found myself wondering how she would go on, what she would do next.

I had a pretty good idea of what the twist to the story would be. So many things supported it before it was revealed.

However, how it played out still took me a little by surprise. Grief and loss can do things to people, things they even they aren’t aware of until much later. The emotions of Juliette and Elise were so real to me, so raw. I felt like I was in the story with them.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this book is definitely worth the read.

Kristin Harmel is an auto-read author for me and I am so thankful Gallery approved me for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

Harmel’s newest book follows two mothers of young daughters in Paris, Elise and Juliette. When the war begins and Elise becomes a target of the Germans, she must make the impossible decision to leave her daughter with Juliette while she goes into hiding. What happens next is years of war and mystery that years these two friends and their worlds apart.

To be honest, this was not my favorite Harmel book. It was good but not as emotionally all in compassing as usual. I also predicted the end of it pretty early. The story is divided into multiple parts and jumps forwards years between each. I thought how the story came together at the end was interesting and odd but it did work out. If you’ve liked Harmel’s other books, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one.

Another beautifully written story that will stay with you. A story of finding friendships during World War II and trying to lead as normal a life for the children as one can. But when mothers must make the impossible decision to separate from their children to hopefully save their lives, your heart breaks for them. The story is about survival, friendships, learning to continue to live, keeping promises and forgiveness. Truly a heart wrenching story, have tissues handy. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheParisDaughter

I’ve read a few other books by Kristin Harmel and have always enjoyed the stories she crafts. This one was no different. A good story and character development. The ending seemed a bit rushed and the events of the final pages seemed a little out there, but overall this was a good read. Quick, hard to put down.

I’d definitely recommend this to others who enjoy historical fiction.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh, only Kristin Harmel can have me BAWLING within the first 100 pages of a book. Holy emotions in this book! The first 3/4 of this book tore out my heart and broke it. What a nightmare for these parents to be in. I could not put it down from beginning to end. The last 1/4 of this book felt so disjointed from the first part of the book, though. I thought it was longer than it needed to be and it ended so abruptly 😩😩 I wanted so much more of that twist at the end.

I will say that while this is a book that takes place during WW2 the primary focus is actually motherhood and the sacrifices made for their children. There’s nothing like a mother’s love and I felt all of that throughout this entire book.

Side note - I loved the little Easter egg that related to The Book of Lost Names.

During the war in Paris, women have to make impossible choices, like sending their children away so that they might be safe. These decisions have life-long repercussions for Juliette and Elise, as we follow their stories after the war both in Paris and New York, as they try to go on. But there are secrets and heart breaks and life is complicated. But it can also be beautiful. Kristin Harmel weaves another amazing novel!

Exquisitely rendered in heartbreaking twists and turns. This book wrung out my heart and filled it anew. A real triumph of a story!

Elise and Juliette are expectant mothers who meet and become fast friends in the shadows of Nazi occupation. When Elise’s husband’s politics forces her into hiding, she leaves her daughter with Juliette, knowing her best friend will protect the little girl with her life.

But during a war, there’s no such thing as safety, and by the time Paris is liberated, both women have lost everything.

What makes a good mother? Is it the woman who leaves her child with strangers or the woman who keeps them close? How does a mother survive when her children are gone? These are some of the questions The Paris Daughter tries to answer. I’d say more, but it would spoil the book.

I will tell you that the actual plot is pretty predictable. You won’t be surprised by any of the twists. However, that doesn’t matter. I still inhaled my advanced readers’ copy. The emotion of Juliette’s and Elise’s stories makes it impossible to break away.