I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: infant loss

A chance meeting leads to a friendship that will change lives. Elise and Juliette meet when they are both pregnant - Elise with her first, Juliette with her 4th, though one of her children passed away as an infant. The babies are born just as the war is breaking out in France. Elise's daughter, Mathilde, and Juliette's daughter, Lucie, also become best friends. They are also friend with Ruth, a Jewish widow with two children of her own.

As the war rages on each of these women face incredibly difficult decisions and lose so much of themselves and their lives. The book focuses more on the women and less on the war, and we see the ramifications of years of war and loss played out into the 1960s.

A beautiful and heartbreaking portrayal of friendship, love, loss, and human emotion, I loved this book by Kristin Harmel!

A beautifully written tale of two mothers and the lengths they will go to protect their children. Harmel writes deeply moving and well-researched historical fiction that will resonate with readers. The story of friendship, fate, and the all-encompasssing love of a mother will stick with you long after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. It is released on June 6, 2023.

The Paris Daughter is a WWII novel but it is different than most. Kristin Harmel has the ability to draw you into her story and make you fall in love with her characters. In this book we will discover the lengths that a mother will go for her children. It is heartbreaking in so many ways. I was only 30 percent into the book and I was already in tears. It never ceases to amaze me that humans can be so cruel to one another but also that they can on the other hand be so loving and selfless and kind. This book shows all of that and more. We see the resiliency of children and how they can adapt so easily. This book had a bit of twist in it because one woman's grief is so great that she loses herself completely. The mental anguish took over her life. Yet, despite the hardship and despair there is always hope.
I am so glad I read this book. I highly recommend it.

There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love. This is proven over and over in The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel. A young Elise and Juliette meet in 1939, both pregnant and both living under the cloud of the Nazi occupation of Paris. Both ladies give birth to girls, Lucie and Mathilde. Elise and Juliette and their girls spends lots of time together and promise each other always to be there for each other. It is a bond that is tested when Elise’s husband is arrested by the Nazis. Suspension falls on Elise and she must escape Paris. She leaves her daughter with Juliette in order to keep her safe. Thus begins a journey for both Elise and Juliette which will lead them both to situations they never expected. After the war, they must come to terms with their decisions and the impact of these decisions on their families. A good book, which I would recommend. A heartwarming story with the characters going through great emotional stress and turmoil.

Lots of twists and turns in this novel, kept the story very interesting. Kristen Harmel is a favorite author and this one did not disappoint! War, motherhood, disaster, rebuilding your life are all prominent themes. I liked that much of the book took place post war. So interesting to read about how people rebuild their lives, or in some cases just couldn't move along. Very heartbreaking and heartwarming too!

Elise and Juliette are both pregnant when they meet and become fast friends in 1939 Paris. As the war progresses, Elise’s artist husband Olivier becomes more and more involved in radical activities. When he is eventually arrested, Elise is forced to flee Paris, leaving her young daughter Mathilde with Juliette’s family. Juliette cares for Mathilde as one of her own, alongside two sons and her own tiny daughter Lucie. When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, all of their lives will be forever changed.

The Paris Daughter is heartbreaking and beautifully written. Kristin Harmel has an incredible gift for bringing the World War II era to life with her words. WWII historical fiction is hot at the moment, but this book is special because the story is focused on the postwar era as much as the horrors of the early 1940s. While the prose is exquisite, ultimately this book did not resonate with me. I couldn’t connect to the characters, especially Juliette’s complete decades-long immersion in her grief and the way she treated others as a result. The “twists” are telegraphed a mile away, making the pacing a struggle at times. I also found Lucie’s many vivid memories of her childhood in Paris to be rather unrealistic given that Juliette and Lucie left Paris when Lucie was only three years old.

My opinion is in a tiny minority as most readers loved this novel, so don’t let my review sway you from reading this book! Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

The setting: Paris, 1939: Two pregnant women, Elise and Juliette, become fast friends the day they meet... Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, [and] she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter {Mathilde], playmate to Juliette’s own little girl [Lucie]." A bomb destroys Juliette's bookstore and takes the lives of her husband, two young sons, and Mathilde. "More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise [who has left Paris fearing for her safety due to her husband's political activism] 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." Add in Ruth Levy--taken to the camps because of the Holocaust and her two children and their paths, and the story covers more Holocaust and WWII territory.

I have read and enjoyed other Kristin Harmel books, most notably The Forest of Vanishing Stars so I was looking forward to reading her latest novel.

HOWEVER, I found this book overly melodramatic, boring, repetitive, and ultimately predictable. I slogged through it and forced myself to finish. From the start there were hints that this book would not be for me. I had many "oy" moments and wondering will this part derail it for me? Or, is there a chance for improvement? Never resonated. Perhaps the book should have been titled The Paris Daughters [plural] because it really revolved around Lucie and Mathilde. No spoiler from me, but really?! And the end/last page--threw me over the edge.

2.5, NOT rounding up because, to me, 3 stars means good/read! IN THE DISTINCT MINORITY.

The Paris Daughter is another wonderful and moving book. By Kristin Hamel. With the world in chaos, families are torn apart. The book is well constructed making it easy to follow Elise and Juliette, mothers trying to keep their children safe. The love, losses, and tensions are palpable. The story holds the reader well past the last page.

Add this to the list of books I’ve read and loved from Kristin Harmel. The author does not disappoint in getting me to feel many emotions. WWII tore many families apart. The sacrifices people made for their loved ones are as much heartwarming as they are heartbreaking. This historical fiction piece brings to light some of those things with its tale of two families making such sacrifices for each other during this time period.
Elise is a young woodcarving artist from America. She falls in love with a French painter, Olivier, whom she marries, and they move to France. While pregnant, Elise meets and befriends another young woman, Juliette. During WWII, Elise develops a strong bond with Juliette and her husband Paul and their children. Lucie, their daughter, is the same age as Elise’s daughter Mathilde. The girls form a loving friendship. When Olivier makes some decisions that put his family in grave danger Elise knows that she must escape the area. To take Mathilde with her could put the two of them at a huge risk of being caught and severely punished by the Germans. Elise realizes she must make the heart -wrenching decision to leave her daughter behind. She pleads with Juliette and Paul to take in and care for her daughter and they agree to do so. I can’t imagine how difficult this choice was for either family: Elise, having to let go of Mathilde to try to protect her and Juliette and Paul for making a decision that could put their own family in danger. Without revealing too much, I will just say that some sad events follow, as it is inevitable with a story during wartime. Fast forward a bit and the war has
ended. Elise comes home to find Juliette and her family, including Mathilde, gone. She is heartbroken. We find that Juliette, dealing with her own sorrows, has gone to America and cannot let go of the past. We soon fast forward again to a couple of decades or so later to see how things turn out for both of these women.
The book so carefully weaves together the story of the two mothers, both trying to move on past the sad events and losses they have faced. Kristin Harmel writes beautifully, evoking emotion and going into such detail that the reader is pulled easily into the story. I appreciate the research she did (as she always does), to bring these stories to light and make readers aware that our actions can have terrible consequences if we are not careful.

Thank you to Netgalley: I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I read this a while ago but I really enjoyed the locations written about as well as the multi dimensional relationships. It was written well and I’d definitely recommend it.

At the heart of this moving tale are two mothers who have endured tragedy due to the war. Motherhood is not an easy role. A mother will go to great lengths to protect her children while worrying if she is making the right choices. Exploring the plight of these two women, Harmel’s writing brings the characters and setting to life. After reading the author’s note, I know this is because Harmel takes the time to thoroughly research historical events and weaves historical facts into her fictional stories. I was moved to tears multiple times, but especially at the conclusion, I truly wasn’t ready for the story to end. A definite must read for fans of historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*****Publishing June 6, 2023*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From the writing to the characters to the story, this book will captivate you from the start!

Elise LeClair felt so invisible to her very successful artist husband, Oliver. Elise was an artist in woodworking, while her husband was a painter. She was 4 months pregnant with their first child. But the outside world didn’t know Oliver’s dark side, which didn’t make their marriage easy.

Juliette is an American who is married to a Frenchman and helps run her husband’s family’s bookstore. She had a devastating past of losing a child.

Juliette Foulan first met Elise when Elise fell down while on her walk due to false contractions. Juliette came to her rescue. They became fast friends as they had a lot in common, including both being due in January.

When war rages in Paris, Elise is forced to leave her daughter behind with Juliette and to leave Paris because of her husband’s involvement. Elise ends up in Aurignon at a farmhouse where they take care of children who were sent away in order to protect them. Will her job of taking care of the children make the time go by or will it cause Elise to miss her daughter more? Will she be able to reunite with her daughter after the war? What will life bring for Elise and Juliette?

Kristin Harmel writes a well researched book that doesn’t sugar coat the horrors, heartbreaks and realities of what life was like before, during, and after World War II. This story gave insights into how hard life really was during the war, the difficult decisions that were made, and the risks that were taken. A heart wrenching story of the hardships of motherhood, marriage, and family life during this time period. It’s a story that will leave a lasting impression! If you love Historical Fiction, then definitely add this book to your TBR list!

Thanks to Gallery Books, I was provided an ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trauma and Twists of fate!

The fate of three women, three friends and their children, in a Paris under German occupation, is both heartbreaking and alarming.
The three women meet through happenstance when Elise and Juliette are pregnant. They go on to be good friends.
Elise LeClair, an American artist and wood carver married to feted artist Oliver, with “the brush of Picasso with the looks of Clark Gable”. Oliver’s also a communist, and an outspoken anti Nazi. They become the parents of the delightful baby Matilde.
Juliette Foulon, with her husband own a fabulous Parisian bookshop, La Librairie des Rêves. Juliette has two children. Lucie will be the third.
The third woman, Ruth Levy, a Jewish widow with two children, Georges and Suzanne.
When Oliver is taken by the Gestapo, Elise is forced to flee Paris leaving Matilde with Juliette.
Ruth meanwhile makes the difficult choice to have her children sent to safety. Later she’s taken to the concentration camps.
Juliette and her husband Paul stay in Paris with their children and Matilde. They suffered under the bombing. Tragedy strikes.
All three women came together because of their love of reading and children of similar ages. They supported each other. Each suffers during the war years, in different ways, and the consequences are terrible for all three.
I had predicted what was going to happen towards the end because everything was pointing that way. This after all is not a crime/mystery novel per se, except it is criminal what happened to all three women. I must admit to a lack of sympathy for Juliette, yet quite honestly her mental health had been affected alarmingly. In many ways her subsequent actions are understandable. Her bizarre behaviour in New York, rebuilding faithfully an identical bookshop to that of her Paris life, is a red flag that no-one cared enough to notice. That too is an indictment.
It’s when Ruth and Elise meet again in New York and confront Juliette that so many things become clear.
A sensational story of lives intertwined, of war and fear, and of loss. I was captivated by the drama, the sadness and the waste. The redemption will come but we’re not privy to that, only to a sense of new hope beckoning.

A Gallery Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This was my first Kristen Harmel book & it did not disappoint. I was immediately hooked. This was a heart wrenching WWII story about family, and the bond between a mother and her child, and friendships. It shows how far people will be pushed in times of war. This book was so moving.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my third book by Kristin Harmel and I think it was the best! The Paris Daughter is a compelling story about strength, sacrifice, grief, and friendship. Set partly in Paris during WW2, Elise, the widow of a famous French artist with ties to communism, must make the difficult decision to leave her young daughter, Mathilde, with her best friend, Juliette, as she is at risk of being caught by the Germans and this is the only way to save her daughter. But when a bomb kills Juliette's own family plus Mathilde, Juliette and her own daughter Lucie manage to survive. Juliette holds Elise responsible for the death of her family and, even years later, after remarrying and moving to New York, remains bitter over the sacrifice that Elise made.

Harmel did a fantastic job with character development and really brought about the grief that both Juliette and Elise feel to life. This is a fantastic historical fiction read that I highly recommend!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced digital copy. This review is voluntary and honest.

I received a digital ARC from Gallery Books via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I do not have enough words to explain how beautiful this story is. I read a lot of books, and I tend to feel the emotions along with the characters. I had the same experience with this novel, only more so than usual. There are portions of this novel where the reader learns things before the character(s), and my heart broke every time for both Juliette and Elise. There was no picking sides; I felt for both women.

5 stars

I just cannot get enough of Kristin Harmel's work. Though I came into this novel a huge fan, I'm concluding it with even more enthusiasm for this author whose historical fiction is vivid and somehow simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful every time.

Readers meet Elise and Juliette when they are both pregnant and living with their husbands in Paris (after starting life in America). Having lost a child herself, Juliette is particularly sensitive to Elise's physical distress in a park, and she can't help but see her new friend through to good health. Though the incident seems small, it bonds the two women - and their families - for the rest of their lives.

These characters are at first living an almost idyllic existence, but their lives change as the war gets very close to home. This new circumstance ruptures their lives and results in the restructuring of various family dynamics with no certainty about who will survive let alone be reunited. Readers follow these characters as their lives repeatedly intertwine and diverge, as they experience unimaginable tragedies and traumas, and as they alternately tether themselves to the past and strive to make sense of their existences through a variety of means (a favorite of which is Elise's stunning relationship to her art).

Every time I get lucky enough to land a new novel by this author, I know that two things are true; it'll break my heart and it'll fill me with joy. This newest effort is no exception. Incoming fans and those new to Harmel should prepare for an emotional rollercoaster that is sure to make them build empathy for those who suffered and access a sense of possibility in what the future can hold. Expect to see this one on the best of lists...

This book is being reviewed for the Historical Novels Review Magazine. A full review will be available after August 1, publication.

I have enjoyed Kristin Harmel’s books in the past and her latest was also very good. I really like her writing style and strong characters. This story was moving and heart wrenching on so many levels and reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy and grief. Highly recommended! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably my favorite Kristen Harmel book to date. Impeccably researched as is her style, the reader is transported to Paris, a special bookshop and the power of motherhood, friendship and love.

In 1939 Paris there are rumors of war. For two new friends, Elise and Juliette, their main concern is their family. Neither believes that the impending war will have drastic effects on their lives. Both women are Americans who have married Frenchmen and neither wants to return to America despite the danger. But life takes a dramatic turn and they are forced to make decisions they never dreamed. The ending totally surprised me. Recommended for all public libraries.