RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2021. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. She divides her time between Montana and Paris. Having learned the French language from Odile, Lily has become a Francophile and decides that she will head to the American Library upon her arrival. All Rights Reserved. Among those who do is Rmy, whoto his familys horrorjoins the French army. Instead, Odile consents to an interview for Lilys project about France. There will be spoilers so for more context about the story, check out spoiler-free review first. Odile loves her job at the Library, where she finds belonging among kindred spirits. (See my struggle to find a recipe for The Nightingale here). Im always curious about what makes the New York Times bestsellers list. When Lily's mother becomes ill, Lily grows close to her previously frosty next-door neighbor Odile, who moved to Montana as a bride immediately after the war ended. Just as Odile told Margarets secret so many years ago, Lily almost told Mary Louises boyfriend about an affair that Mary Louise had. What was the rippling impact of Remy joining the French Army? Each day, they light a stinky cheroot and debate. Options is the award-winning lifestyle pullout of The Edge Malaysia, the countrys premier business and investment weekly publication. by Janet Skeslien Charles RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2021. I think you see a gradual change in Paul as the war dragged on. Why was it important for the librarians to continue to spread the love of reading during the war? Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Worth the Wait: New Fiction From 6 Favorites, Hang the Moon Will Be Adapted for TV Series. Acting in anger, Paul beats Margaret and cuts off her hair, branding her as a harlot. As a result, Margarets husband leaves her and takes their daughter. Both her husband and son have passed away and she doesnt seem to have any connections with her past. Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit. But when did you start to suspect a darker side to Paul? How did this compare to other WWII novels you have read? Paul and the other three policemen were collaborators themselves, having done the Nazis' dirty work, no matter how much they disliked it, and then having enjoyed the spoils of the belongings of the Jews they arrested. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. History buffs will enjoy the many hints Walls sprinkles to show that Tudor England is her novels template (the Dukes marriage to his brothers widow; his banished daughter, Mary, and short-lived heir, Edward; the Kincaids counselor Cecil, etc.). Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, Q&A with Kaira Rouda, Author of The Next Wife. Odile describes them to a dying American soldier she tends to: Theres an Englishman imagine a crane wearing a paisley bow tie. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles . Based on the true World War. Her World War I veteran husband and her daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. It shows how literature can be a means of escape, a catalyst for human connection, and a moral center in grim times. He was so kind and intuitive with Odile and others. It seemed out of character to do what he did to Margaret. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Janet Skeslien Charles is an award-winning author with over a decade's worth of roaming the streets of Paris and researching in its libraries. I found the Montana parts just unnecessary! Chapter 3 - Paul comes to lunch - aperitif of sherry and vermouth, potato-leek soup, pork roast and rosemary . I think this story could have been first rate if we had just had ONE chronological timeline instead of the two. Lily has to deal not only with loss but with learning how she fits into a new family. The Paris Library. This work of historical fiction, based on a true story, highlights courage, the importance of keeping intellectual curiosity alive, and the meaning and value of friendship. Lily helps Odile overcome her guilt and regain a sense of belonging with others. Later, Odile returns to her fathers office twice to steal some of these letters and spare a few people. In fact, her way of coping with strong emotions is to immediately relate her feelings to a book and its Dewey Decimal number. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. The author has actually worked there in recent years and learned first-hand about the efforts of librarians and volunteers not only to keep it open during the German occupation of Paris, but to smuggle books to Jews and to allied forces on the front. 823. If you'd like me to review your book, contact me! Based on a true World War II story about the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris (ALP), this book tells an unforgettable tale of romance, friendship and family in the most unusual of situations. It follows Odile Souchet, who secures a position at the circulation desk of the American Library in Paris just as the war breaks out. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. So that was a bit of a disappointment to me. Fellow employees and clients of the private lending library are her closest confidantes, and she feels a frisson of pride at violating Nazi edicts, as she packs books to send to British and Jewish colleagues who are banned from the library building. When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendshipand business partnershipis born. Well, in terms of the American Library in Paris (The Paris Library of the title), there is. The Paris Library is superbly researched and has a plot twist at the end that I didnt expect. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. American Library in Paris director Dorothy Reeder in her office in 1937. One day in the City of Light. There she meets an American soldier, agrees to marry him, and leaves Paris without ever seeing her family and friends again. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. It has been called a coming of age book, but in many regards, it is more. by Hard Times. A Season in Hell by Rimbaud. Fallouts are heart-rending, and are written into the story with tenderness and affection. He was doing the Nazi's dirty work. by Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. What did you like more and what did you like less about this novel. Why do you think Odile continued to wear the red belt 40 years later? When Paris is liberated, Paul and another police officer encounter Margaret on the street. The totality of the ALPs anti-Nazi efforts seems to involve delivering books. Book Summary. Fellow employees and clients of the private lending library are her closest confidants. She learned about the history of the American Library in Paris while working there as the programs manager. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Charles herself actually lived in Paris for over a decade and even worked at The American Library in Paris, which is certainly evident when you follow her detailed descriptions of this building and the different kinds of people who occupied it. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. I get what the author was trying to convey but I didnt think it was executed in the best way. I know historical fiction genre loves the dual timeline style but it really isn't always necessary. Additionally, Odile motivates Lily to stand up for herself and insist on achieving her goal to attend college. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves. This anger alarms Odile though her love for him is undaunted. Few in Paris recognize the looming threat of war. Perhaps because of that, I avoid books about this time, though there have certainly been a plethora of them in recent years. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry As a Parisian, an ardent bookworm, and a longtime fan of the American Library in Paris, I devouredThe Paris Libraryin one hungry gulp. Movie star in the 40's. Bouquiniste - booksellers along the Seine River in Paris. Surprisingly, its not little Froid, Montana, that ends up being a letdown, but rather the Nazi Occupation and the ALPs Resistance work. Margaret is arrested as an enemy alien, but a sympathetic German releases herand then becomes her lover. Odile often reminisces about food from France or makes dishes for Lily. Shortly after his fourth marriage, the Duke dies unexpectedly. Enter your email to receive Bookclubs' newsletter with reading recommendations and the most popular book club books each month. In February of 1939, Odile interviews for her dream job at the American Library. What is real, and what is mystery? The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War IIan experience Eva remembers welland the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?. A story of love, friendship, and betrayal, The Paris Library describes Odiles developing love for Paul, a police officer of low rank. She loves everything about books and libraries. A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we arefamily, friends, and favorite authorsThe Paris Libraryshows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places. I also loved all of the mentions of Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God in the novel, a personal favorite of mine! This 1954 classic by a precocious 18-year-old takes us to the sun-drenched Riviera, where lazy and selfish 17-year-old Ccile is holidaying with her widowed father and his latest girlfriend. The friendship between the two has grown so strong that Odile wants Margaret to be her matron of honor when she marries Paul, who has proposed to her. Odile personally delivers books to Professor Cohen. Odiles husband and son are deceased. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. My verdict with The Paris Libraryits a decent story but I thought it was lacking in some areas. Did you ever have someone outside of your family who helped guide you through a difficult time and learn to appreciate your family, despite their flaws? And his French frienda walrus with a bushy mustache. Bhd. When she decides to write a report on France, she visits the only French person she knowsher lonely neighbor, Odile. Discuss the dual timeline. Tough and independent, Sallie refuses to let womanhood limit her ambitions as she earns the nickname Queen of the Kincaid Rumrunners. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | Nonfiction books describing Late Stage/End Stage capitalism. There is a comforting element to the expectedness of the plot and odd familiarity of the characters, which is common with historical books. I thought this one was decent overall but I had some issues with it. Miss Reeder, an American, vows to stay in Paris to direct the Library but must leave when Americas entry into the war becomes imminent. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. Retrieve credentials. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. In a moment of anger, Odile reveals Margarets secret to Paul but immediately regrets doing so. After a scold at the Library informs on Professor Cohen, its Paul who arrests her. Television buffs will smile at the Kincaids resemblance to the Roys of Succession. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbors mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them. How Odile ends up in the US unfolds over the course of the book. Again, I thought it was fine overall but I kept wanting to go back to the WWII storyline. British literature.). A novel tailor-made for those who cherish books and libraries. RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2022. Honestly, at times I wondered if Id stumbled onto a YA novel. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. Although Lily doesnt know it, Odile is about to kill herself when Lily knocks on her door the first time. The novel is a dual timeline story and the second timeline follows Lily, a young girl in 1980s Montana who is now the neighbor of Odile Souchet. Unsurprisingly, Odiles life is much more interesting than Lilys. Odile initially blames Bitsi, Rmys love and her friend, for his decision but later repairs the friendship. What did you think of this decision by Odile to leave everything behind? But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Professor Cohen, who is Jewish, is another who sees war coming. Have you read The Paris Library? Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who risked their lives during the Nazis war on words, The Paris Library by award-winning novelist Janet Skeslien Charles is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places. Margaret blames her for divulging the secret and never wants to see her again. In the first, book-obsessed teenager Odile Souchet tackles her new job at the ALP amid a thriving community of students, writers and avid readers. Structurally, the novel sometimes sags: Charles tends to move into the points of view of secondary characters, which leads to some repetition. If you'd like me to review your book, contact me! [I'm wondering about what happened to the character of Paul? Were you surprised to learn what Odile was doing the day that Lily barged in to ask about her report on France? Theyre all here, and theyre universal, nest-ce pas? In 1939, Odile's life is practically perfect. As Lily learns more about Odile and they begin to share a love of language and books, she faces her own trials, but Odile is careful to guide Lily away from the same mistakes that have haunted her since the war. Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers is a dream come true. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Giving her a belt, Margaret tells Odile to remember the meaning of friendship when she wears it. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. The story is told via two parallel narratives. Who was your favorite secondary character? You can order the book on Amazon here. I hope that you will download the book club reading guide. Very distracting.
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