Kristin Harmel is magical when it comes to historical fiction, and THE PARIS DAUGHTER did not disappoint. I have read books about people helping Jews escape France during WWII, and I have read stories about women who helped Jewish children find safety, but none that explores it quite like Harmel has here. The love of these two mothers for their children - one who stays in Paris and tries to protect them, and the mother who leaves her daughter with her best friend while she escapes - the best chance for them both to survive - is beautifully expressed.

They both face struggles post-war, and the pain is palpable. The books is full of twists, some which i suspected early on, and one that I think I was so caught up in the drama and emotion that I did not see coming. This is a story of motherhood, friendship, love, and enduring hardship, beautifully written.

Harmel's author notes at the end add more to the story, so don't skip them.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel was an emotional journey into an impossibly difficult period in history. Both mothers - Elise and Juliette - want only the best for their children, but during World War II, there were few good options. Elise leaves her young daughter in her friend Juliette's care thinking it will be the safer choice, but she is later devastated by the consequences.

I appreciate the author's writing as emotional and somewhat suspenseful. The characters were developed clearly for the most part, but I was disappointed and a little puzzled by the change in Juliette. The way she handled her grief didn't seem to match the way she was described earlier in the book, and it conflicted with the deep friendship she supposedly had with Elise. The ending was a little too neat and tidy for my liking, but the research notes at the end were thorough and helped to explain some of the plot points.

I will give this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical women's fiction.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This story is told in third person and follows Juliette and Elise beginning in 1939 Paris and covers various parts of their lives including tragedies in WWII with a focus on the aftermath and rebuilding their lives and concludes in 1960 New York City.

I found the beginning to be a little slow to grab my interest, but I think that was a “me thing” since I’m not one to be interested in the subjects of motherhood and parenting. I think others will be grabbed immediately. I will say that as an outside observer, I am always amazed at how much people judge others’ choices as parents. There is a recurring theme with the mothers and whether it is better to protect your children yourself or send them away in the hopes of keeping them safe from danger.

Juliette and Elise become friends by circumstance and lead lives that are quite different even though they are both Americans living in Paris. I enjoyed their contrasting situations that switch back and forth throughout the story. Juliette and her French husband own a book shop and work together as a team, while Elise is married to a prominent French artist and is accepted into his circles as his wife but not as an artist in her own right. I’ll admit it was frustrating watching her husband and friends brush off her sculpting as dabbling and this takes a toll on her self-esteem, which provides for an interesting turn of events after the war as she tries to rebuild her life from scratch.

I enjoyed this story especially as it goes into the ways both women choose to rebuild their lives (or not) after the war. A lot of the WWII fiction that I’ve read end with that hopeful note for the future, but this one addresses the difficulties of moving on both emotionally and physically. It was both heartbreaking and devastating while still hopeful. I was moved to tears multiple times and impressed with the refreshing honesty of the portrayal of love and loss, especially the resentments that it brings whether rational or not.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

I requested this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and then I saw that Kristin Harmel was coming to M. Judson in Greenville, SC for books over drinks, so I signed up to go in person & get a physical book. I’m so glad I went to the event, got to meet Kristin, and hear her discuss her characters, her process for writing, and answer questions. This book was my first read by her & I loved it. I love HF novels & my friend Hannah recommended I read her novels. I’m so glad I did because I was in awe at how Kristin writes really likable and unlikeable characters that feel real. You can feel their emotion, their reactions, and visualize how they would look if you were seeing it take place in real life. This novel dives into grief, reliving the past, and unresolved feelings towards others that deep seated grief tries to twist.

When WWII strikes Paris and Hitler’s army takes over, many French people are in hiding, running, or trying to help their Jewish children survive. When two great friends must make good on their promise to each other for survival, it comes down to how much does your word really mean. Having to choose between leaving your children behind for their best chance at survival and questioning every day whether they live or not is one of the main themes in this book that grips each female main character differently.

All in all, I would 100% recommend this book!

After hearing the author at an event a few weeks ago, I flew through the digital review copy I had on my e-reader. The mystery that's set up in this WWII era novel may seem easy to solve but I really admire the way the author gets us there The entire ending was not what expected, for me, I'm really glad to have a new historical fiction title to put into the hands of readers at the library.

3.5 ⭐️‘s
Always a fan of Harmel’s work, I liked this one as well, but not as much as her previous novels. The characters came across a bit too flat and didn’t feel authentic. It was quite easy to figure out where Harmel was taking us and it came together quite neatly in the end. While I felt that the plot was forced, Harmel does have a way of hooking the reader until the very end. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I’ve been a huge fan of Kristin Harmel since The Room on Rue Amelie. Once again she has created a beautiful story set in my beloved France. The Paris Daughter eloquently tells the story of the mother daughter bond and the incredible trauma War places on relationships.

I loved every thing about this book from the gorgeous cover, to the well developed characters and intriguing story. Highly recommend reading this lovely novel.

Thank you Galley Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I received this e-book ARC through Net Galley from Gallery Books in exchange for a truthful review.

Historical fiction set in WWII and the succeeding decades after the war, a story of artists, expats, protecting children and motherly love.
I figured out the plot twists in this one pretty quickly, but it was still satisfying to see them play out as I wanted.
A few nods to the author's prior WWII historical fiction novel, The Book of Lost Names.

If Kristin Harmel writes it, I’m going to read it. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I could have read this book in one sitting. It’s heartbreaking, moving and inspiring. It also shows how deep and enduring a mother's love is. Thank you for the ARC NetGalley, this is a beautiful book.

I have fallen in love with Kristen Harmel’s books. She is one of the authors that I immediately add her book to my “have to buy now” list as soon as I know she has a new one being released. The Paris Daughter did not disappoint. I was hooked from the minute I opened the book and read the first page. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and when it involves WWII, I am excited to read it.

This is such an emotional read. A story of a mother’s love, relationships, trauma, redemption, forgiveness, hope, and betrayal. My heart just filled with joy at the friendship Elsie and Juliette developed and the friendship of their daughters as well. But my heart also ached at the way the atrocities of WWII changed their lives … destroying their families and the relationships around them. It was interesting to see how each character responded to the destruction of the war. I’m not sure how I would have handled the same situations. The characters were so richly developed that you become attached to them and are invested in what happens to each one. I could not put the book down once I started it. I will just say that there were many nights that I was up late reading one more chapter! I had dark spots under my eyes from little sleep and a lot of tears.

The author did an amazing amount of research for this book. Her notes at the end are very interesting and worth reading after you have finished the book. It was a book that I will not soon forget. And I strongly encourage you to put it at the top of your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I really liked this one but not surprising because I have yet to be disappointed by this author. I did find it slightly predictable though.

There isn't a book Kristin has written that I haven't found myself enjoying. There are so many books written during this time period, but Kristin has a way of bringing this period alive with written word and telling a story in a new and exciting way. The characters become real and you can feel their emotions and their struggles. I felt a range of emotions while reading The Paris Daughter - from sad with tears to happiness with a smile.

This is absolutely a book you'll want to read if you enjoy historical fiction.

Kristin Harmel has done it again! I read this book in one day and the emotional rollercoaster she took me on was beyond! While I did see the big twist coming, it was still so satisfying and emotional gratifying.

While reading, the two female main characters started to grate on me a bit. Both were stuck in the past, albeit in different ways - but I just wanted to shake them and help them snap out of it. However, it wasn't so grating that I didn't enjoy the book or wasn't invested in the plot.

I will forever read anything by Kristin Harmel - she is a true storyteller and it is so clear the amount of effort, research, and dedication she puts into her novels.

Elise and Juliette are two Americans living in Paris in 1939. Juliette runs a bookstore and is married to a Parisian. Elise is married to an artist with socialist leanings. They bond when they both have daughters just before the Germans invade. When Elise’s husband’s actions put her life and her daughter’s in danger, she leaves her daughter with Juliette and flees to southern France. When the war ends, Elise returns to Paris but finds the bookstore in rubble and Juliette has left for America. Kristin Harmel does a wonderful job of describing life in Paris and America both before and after the war. Her characters make hard decisions to save the lives of their families. This is wonderful historical fiction and I highly recommend it.

This is the second historical fiction book that I have read by Kristin Harmel. I am not generally a reader of historical fiction so this type of novel is outside of my comfort zone. That said, I really did enjoy this story and all the emotions it made me feel. Such research must have been done to weave truth into the fiction. A remarkable novel that I highly recommend.

Get your tissues ready 🤧🥺 (especially if you’re a mama!) because THE PARIS DAUGHTER by Kristin Harmel will have you invested into the lives of it’s characters! ❤️‍🩹

GENRE: Historical Fiction
MY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
Tysm @gallerybooks for my #gifted copy!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Mother/daughter stories 👩‍👧
▫️Emotional reads
▫️WWII novels that incorporate many real-life events
▫️Art galleries 🎨
▫️Characters that stay with you
▫️Paris, France 🇫🇷

MY THOUGHTS:
If you are a mother and his fic book lover, I encourage you to read this book! ❤️ It was a breathtaking story about what a mother will do to protect her children in a time of crisis. At times reading this, I could literally FEEL the agony and pain coming from these characters. 😩 I will always be a fan of a book that makes me feel something emotionally. Aren’t we all?! 🙋‍♀️ It had more of a slow-moving pace, but I felt captivated the entire read. I remember setting this book down to do some chores and as I was vacuuming, I was legit thinking about these characters 😂👏 Kinda funny but truly goes to show how well Kristin Harmal can gracefully craft up a story. Lastly, the amount of research this book took… whew! There’s a reason not all authors can have success with historical fiction. If you’re already a big KH fan, you’ll be very happy with her newest work! 📖

RATING EXPLAINED:
This book was predicable pretty early on, which is FINE. A good book does not need a big twist to be good (especially in this genre). The thing with this story that tested my patience a bit (lol) was waiting until the 90-95% mark for the big event to happen! The ending was SO GOOD, but once the “thing” happened, the book was BOOM over. I was like oh?? I wanted more!!! Me wanting more though just goes to show how much I enjoyed this book! 😊

DETAILS:
▫️Published: 6/6/23
▫️Pages: 384

Kristin Harmel's novels of WWII are always a go to for me. Although this is set against the backdrop of WWII - with Elise needing to leave her daughter in the care of her friend Juliette as she leaves France to elude the Germans - I feel this could have been in any era. This is a beautiful story of motherhood, friendship, loss and resilience. I loved it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Full disclosure: I have read all of this author’s books and have enjoyed them all. So grateful to the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book is written in true Harmel form. I couldn’t put the book down! A historical fiction with so much research that it feels authentic and realistic. The character development is outstanding.

Elise was an artist, wood sculptor who marries a famous painter, Olivier LeClair. Elise befriends Juliette, who owns a Paris bookstore with her husband, Paul. The two families’ daughters became very close friends. Germany makes its way across France and the story shifts. Jewish Ruth Levy and her two children are separated trying to survive. These three families are integrated throughout the book. What makes this book different from other WWII books is the interrelationships between the three families, before, during and post-war. Hope, guilt, sadness, loss, coping, suspense, cruelty, greed, and surprise are all in this story. Art is integral to the story and, through it, produces many surprises are in store.

The book is well written that it gripped my emotions, heart wrenching at times. As a reader I felt like I was there! It is so descriptive I felt the anguish of the characters. Well done!

The Paris Daughter is an incredibly moving book. It put me right into my feels...in a good way. I was resistant to read yet another sad WW2/Holocaust book but this is so much more than what I thought it would be. It's a story of mothering, grace, despair and hope. It was hard to read at times but so worth it. This is a really great story-thank you Kristin Harmel for putting it out into the world. Thanks also to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.