Historical Fiction Review: THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles 
Published by Atria Books on February 9, 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I’m a huge fan of WWII historical fiction and I’ve read a lot of it over the years. For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for books that bring a fresh perspective or a story that I haven’t heard yet, and that it exactly what Janet Skeslien Charles does with her new novel, The Paris Library. Based on a true story, The Paris Library shines a light on a part of the French Resistance movement that I was not familiar with, that of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris (ALP). While the Nazis occupied and terrorized their city, the men and women of the ALP risked everything to keep the library open at all costs, even sneaking books across Paris to their beloved Jewish patrons who were barred from entering the building. For these librarians and their book loving patrons, books were both an escape and a symbol of hope and so the librarians wanted to do their part to keep hope alive no matter how dark life seemed.
One of the things I enjoyed most about The Paris Library was how the story unfolded. We are presented with a dual timeline, one in the 1980s that follows Lily, an awkward and lonely high school student living in a small town in Montana. Lily becomes intrigued by her neighbor, an elderly woman named Odile who keeps to herself and has an air of mystery about her. All anyone really knows about her is that she’s originally from France. Lily decides she wants to get to know Odile better and so, under the guise that she’s doing a school project on Paris, she approaches Odile and requests to interview her. A lovely friendship develops over time between Lily and Odile, and it is through this interview that we are introduced to Odile and the second timeline, which reveals that as a young woman, Odile worked as a librarian at the ALP and was a very active member of the Resistance.
While I loved watching the relationship blossom between Lily and Odile because Odile becomes almost like a second mom to Lily, I was of course most drawn to the incredible story that takes place during WWII. The author had me fully invested in the lives of Odile and her fellow librarians. I loved how committed they were to their cause, as well as how devoted they were to each other and to their patrons. I never would have guessed that there was an actual Resistance movement within the walls of a library and was glued to the pages each time the librarians faced danger or the risk of betrayal since one never knew who might be a Nazi collaborator. Even though the WWII timeline was the most engaging of the two, the author still manages to make the 1980s timeline compelling in the sense that there is some mystery surrounding Odile and why she keeps to herself and why she has never returned to Paris, not even once, after all these years. I loved the scrappy and determined Odile of WWII so much that I really wanted to know what had happened to send her to live in isolation in Montana of all places.
The Paris Library is a beautiful story of friendship, family, resistance, and resilience. If you’re looking for a WWII historical fiction that brings something new to the table, I highly recommend The Paris Library.
About Janet Skeslien Charles
Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of Moonlight in Odessa and The Paris Library. Her shorter work has appeared in revues such as Slice and Montana Noir. She learned about the history of the American Library in Paris while working there as the programs manager. She divides her time between Montana and Paris.
Reviews: THE PROJECT and THE UNWILLING
I know I said last week that we would be trying to do Thriller Thursday a couple of times a month, but even though I’ve had hardly any thriller review books for the past few months, somehow I ended up with two of them with February 2nd publication dates. So I’ll be sharing those two ARC reviews today and Sharon will be back next week to share even more thrillers with you. Thanks so much to all who gave her such a warm welcome last week. It was much appreciated. 🙂
The Project Goodreads Author: Courtney Summers
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Nineteen year old Lo Denham has been alone for most of her life. Her parents died in a car accident when she was younger and her older sister, Bea, chose to abandon Lo to become a member of a special group called the Unity Project, a group known for their religious background and for their community outreach efforts. Lo is suspicious about the Project. Why would joining such a group make her sister choose to cut all ties with the only family she has left? Lo becomes obsessed with learning as much as she can about the Project. As an aspiring writer, it is Lo’s goal to write an exposé on what she thinks the Project is…a cult. When she meets and interviews the members of the Project and the founder, however, Lo gets way more than she bargained for and it becomes clear she’s in over her head in her pursuit of the truth.
I don’t really want to say anything else about the plot itself because I think following Lo’s journey and seeing it unfold without spoilers is the best way to fully appreciate it. The Project is also hard to classify but it’s not exactly what I would consider a thriller. There is definitely an element of mystery to it, but by and large, the story is an exploration of just how easy it is to get lured in by a cult. It explores how a persuasive cult leader can get under your skin, by giving you precisely what you need emotionally and by making you feel seen. This aspect of the book hit me hard because it’s so relevant today with groups like Q Anon. You wonder how in the world someone can fall for something like that, but with The Project, Courtney Summers shows just how vulnerable we all can be. The Project is a dark read and a sad, heartbreaking one at times, but a powerful read just the same. 4 STARS
The Unwilling Goodreads Author: John Hart
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I’m a huge fan of John Hart’s novels. I love them because even though they’re thrillers, they’re always so much more than that. The Unwilling is the sixth book I’ve read from Hart, and yes, it’s a thriller, but it’s also a coming of age story, as well as a story about a family torn apart by war.
Set during the Vietnam War, The Unwilling follows the French family. They’ve lost two sons to the war, Robert, who was actually killed in action and Jason, who turned to heroin and ended up in prison. Their youngest son, Gibby, is all Mr. and Mrs. French have left, and they are terrified of losing him too. When Jason gets out of prison, they’re determined to keep him away from Gibby. Gibby can’t resist the allure of hanging out with his big brother though and so he sneaks out to see Jason and to meet up with some girls. When one of the girls turned up dead soon after and Jason is named as the prime suspect, both Gibby and Jason find themselves knee deep in a bad situation that could cost them both their lives.
I loved so many things about this book! First, I just became so attached to the French family. It was so heartbreaking to think of all the losses they have suffered and their grief is just so palpable throughout the story. I was especially heartbroken for the father. As a police detective, he’s in an impossible spot. He wants to believe his son is innocent but has to admit that he’s not sure, primarily because of his son’s past misdeeds. He loves Jason but he is also desperate to protect what’s left of his family.
I also really adored Gibby. Much of the story comes to us from Gibby’s perspective and it is through him that we get the coming of age element in the story. Gibby is torn between not wanting to upset his parents and wanting to break free from this sheltered bubble they have him living in. He wants to have a relationship with his brother, he wants to date girls, he just wants to grow up and is frustrated at every turn by his parents. I was really rooting for Gibby to come into his own and was really impressed by his growth as the story progressed, especially when he decides he’s going to prove his brother is innocent. I admired his determination, loyalty, and bravery.
The thriller aspect of the story as it relates to the murder is amazing too. I don’t want to give anything away with respect to that, but wow, what a dark and twisted tale it is. Also, be forewarned that Hart’s descriptions of the violent acts in the novel are vivid and gruesome. I know I won’t be forgetting the images I read about anytime soon!
If you’re interested in a riveting thriller as well as a heartbreaking story about the effects of war on a family, definitely check out John Hart’s The Unwilling. 4.5 STARS.
Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books Older Than Me That I Want to Read
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Books Written Before I Was Born. This was actually a really hard topic for me because up until about ten years ago, I was very much into reading classics. I guess it was an extension of my college and grad school studies but I read most of the well known classics and then branched out and read a lot of more obscure titles as well. That said, I was still able to come up with 10 titles that were published before I was born that I haven’t read yet but would like to at some point.
* * * * *
10 Books Older Than Me That I Want to Read
1. THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Agatha Christie
Even though I selected this title, I’d actually really like to read everything by Agatha Christie. So far I’ve only read And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express and I loved both of them.
2. I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith
I’m always up for a good coming of age story and this one has received lots of high marks from reviewers I trust.
3. REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier
As much as I enjoy Gothic stories, I’m surprised I haven’t gotten around to this one yet.
4. THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo
I actually haven’t read the books or seen the films.
5. THE HEART OF THE MATTER by Graham Greene
I took a course on 20th Century British Literature when I was in grad school and we read several of Greene’s novels. I really enjoyed his writing style and read a couple more of his after I graduated. Somehow I never got around to this one though, even though it’s probably one of his better known novels.
6. THE BIBLE
This might seem like an odd choice, but I’ve honestly never been a big Bible reader. I remember reading a few passages here and there back when I used to attend Sunday School but that’s about it. I remember wanting to take a course called “The Bible as Literature” when I was in college but it was so popular that in all four years, I was never able to get into the class. One of these days I would like to do some kind of a Bible study, whether it’s as literature or a more traditional study.
This is another where I’ve read various passages here and there, usually in order to understand references to it in other works of literature. One of these days I would like to read it in its entirety, mainly just so I can say I did it, haha.
8. FRANNY AND ZOOEY by J.D. Salinger
I’ve re and re-read The Catcher in the Rye but somehow Franny and Zooey slipped through the cracks and I have yet to read it.
9. THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins
Like Rebecca, I’m actually surprised I haven’t picked this one up yet since I usually love those 19th century gothic reads. I remember this one being mentioned a lot in class and that all of my professors loved it so someday I’d like to read it.
10. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO by Boris Pasternak
I think the only reason I haven’t read this yet is because the subject matter sounds a bit daunting with its extensive focus on Russian history, particularly the Russian Revolution.
* * * * *