Call number
FIC CHA
Collections
Genres
Publication
Atria (2022), 384 pages
Description
"Paris, 1939. Young, ambitious, and tempestuous, Odile Souchet has it all: Paul, her handsome police officer beau; Margaret, her best friend from England; her adored twin brother Remy; and a dream job at the American Library in Paris, working alongside the library's legendary director, Dorothy Reeder. But when World War II breaks out, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear - including her beloved library. After the invasion, as the Nazis declare a war on words and darkness falls over the City of Light, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books. They risk their lives again and again to help their fellow Jewish readers. When the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983. Odile's solitary existence in gossipy small-town Montana is unexpectedly interrupted by Lily, her neighbor, a lonely teenager longing for adventure. As Lily uncovers more about Odile's mysterious past, they find they share a love of language, the same longings, the same lethal jealousy. Odile helps Lily navigate the troubled waters of adolescence by always recommending just the right book at the right time, never suspecting that Lily will be the one to help her reckon with her own terrible secret. Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris, The Paris Library explores the geography of resentment, the consequences of terrible choices made, and how extraordinary heroism can be found in the quietest of places"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kiaya40
I love, love, loved this book. It's one of those great stories that transports you and takes you away into the world of the book. It was a great story of a Paris librarian in Paris working in an American library and about how books and libraries/librarians help people and can make big differences
It goes back and forth between present-day and past telling the story of a Paris librarian who now lives in America telling her backstory and how she helps and becomes friends with a teenage girl going through rough times with her family in the present day.
It's a great, magical read that you get lost easily in and it surprised me with how much I loved it and how great it was and now I have a big book hangover - go read it!
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in our lives and how this library/group of librarians helped. It goes back and forth between present-day and past telling the story of a Paris librarian who now lives in America telling her backstory and how she helps and becomes friends with a teenage girl going through rough times with her family in the present day.
It's a great, magical read that you get lost easily in and it surprised me with how much I loved it and how great it was and now I have a big book hangover - go read it!
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LibraryThing member techeditor
I read THE PARIS LIBRARY because it is historical fiction, but I thought it would be written for an adult. It seemed, however, to be a lower reading level, closer to what I would have liked when I was in the eighth or ninth grade.
Some chapters of this book are about 1939 Paris; the other chapters
In 1939 Paris is young Odile, who works at the American Library in Paris. This part is boring mainly because it is so, so slow. We hear about every little bit of her life and are left to wonder, when will something happen, for too long.
The Montana chapters are told from the perspective of Lily, a junior-high-school-age girl, who becomes a friend of her next-door neighbor, Odiłe, now an older woman. These chapters, too, are slow and made me wonder, what is their purpose, for too long.
I cannot recommend this book to most adult readers. However, I do recommend it for some teenagers.
I won this book from Atria Books.
Some chapters of this book are about 1939 Paris; the other chapters
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are about 1983 Montana. I found both to be boring.In 1939 Paris is young Odile, who works at the American Library in Paris. This part is boring mainly because it is so, so slow. We hear about every little bit of her life and are left to wonder, when will something happen, for too long.
The Montana chapters are told from the perspective of Lily, a junior-high-school-age girl, who becomes a friend of her next-door neighbor, Odiłe, now an older woman. These chapters, too, are slow and made me wonder, what is their purpose, for too long.
I cannot recommend this book to most adult readers. However, I do recommend it for some teenagers.
I won this book from Atria Books.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
The American Library in Paris 1939 then to a small town in Montana 1983.
Odile is a librarian at the American Library in Paris as the war breaks out. Lily is a teenager in Montana whose mother passed and is having trouble at school.
Both women find solace in each other after Lily finally meets her
THE PARIS LIBRARY moves back and forth and allows us to see into the lives of both characters.
Odile has the perfect job until it was necessary to provide books in secret.
Lily has the perfect life - well almost perfect - until her mother dies, but Odile helped her through this time and Lily helped Odile to not be so alone.
I enjoyed how the staff at the library was like a family itself and how the library delivered books to soldiers and others who couldn’t enter or were forbidden to enter the library. I never knew this happened.
Both Lily and Odile were very likeable characters. I truly enjoyed watching Lily grow up.
THE PARIS LIBRARY will appeal to all bookworms, romantics, and historical fiction fans.
It is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, and despite the heartaches most of the characters were lighthearted and positive.
Once you get to know the characters, you will cry with them, wish them well, and not want them to leave you alone as you close the last page.
This book is about friendship, the love of books and libraries, regrets, giving advice, and forgiveness.
Ms. Skeslien Charles' research is impeccable. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Odile is a librarian at the American Library in Paris as the war breaks out. Lily is a teenager in Montana whose mother passed and is having trouble at school.
Both women find solace in each other after Lily finally meets her
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elegant neighbor from Paris.THE PARIS LIBRARY moves back and forth and allows us to see into the lives of both characters.
Odile has the perfect job until it was necessary to provide books in secret.
Lily has the perfect life - well almost perfect - until her mother dies, but Odile helped her through this time and Lily helped Odile to not be so alone.
I enjoyed how the staff at the library was like a family itself and how the library delivered books to soldiers and others who couldn’t enter or were forbidden to enter the library. I never knew this happened.
Both Lily and Odile were very likeable characters. I truly enjoyed watching Lily grow up.
THE PARIS LIBRARY will appeal to all bookworms, romantics, and historical fiction fans.
It is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, and despite the heartaches most of the characters were lighthearted and positive.
Once you get to know the characters, you will cry with them, wish them well, and not want them to leave you alone as you close the last page.
This book is about friendship, the love of books and libraries, regrets, giving advice, and forgiveness.
Ms. Skeslien Charles' research is impeccable. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member jetangen4571
bookshelves: bibliophilia, historical-novel, historical-research, Paris, Montana, family-dynamics, friendship, small-town, library, librarian
I felt as if I was there in the library in Paris with books and friends as war came not so slowly into lives. There were ways to serve others, patrons and
I had less luck with Odile's later life in a small town in Montana in the 1980s sharing with a young girl who buried her mother and hated that her father was able to move on.
I was riveted to this amazing account that was real human history dressed up as fiction to disguise the wrenching effects of man's thoughtlessness.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
americanlibraryinparis.org
I felt as if I was there in the library in Paris with books and friends as war came not so slowly into lives. There were ways to serve others, patrons and
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soldiers and those fearfully waiting for whatever came next while hoping and praying that the journalists were wrong. And when the nazis came and books were more important than ever.I had less luck with Odile's later life in a small town in Montana in the 1980s sharing with a young girl who buried her mother and hated that her father was able to move on.
I was riveted to this amazing account that was real human history dressed up as fiction to disguise the wrenching effects of man's thoughtlessness.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
americanlibraryinparis.org
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LibraryThing member sleahey
Parallel stories of Odile in Nazi Occupied Paris and Lily in 1983 Montana convey the power of friendship, the dangers of betrayal, and a love of literature. Odile was a lover of all things to do with libraries: the Dewey Decimal System, connecting patrons with literature, and the collegiality of
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fellow book-lovers. When the occupation of Paris turned the city and her life topsy-turvy, Odile persevered in her work at the library in spite of the danger and stress of worry about her friends and family. In Montana Lily is bereft after her mother's death, and her friendship with her reclusive elderly neighbor--Odile of course--becomes a source of great comfort and curiosity to her. Questions of loyalty and betrayal, which were life-threatening during wartime Paris, retain their power for a lifetime and compel feelings and actions decades later. This novel, based on the actual American Library and its brave staff who kept literature available during the Nazi Occupation of Paris, is made all the more real because of its relevance to a teenage girl in Montana in 1983. Show Less
LibraryThing member katurner
just finished reading it, was great
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
“‘Libraries are lungs,’ she scrawled, her pen barely able to keep up with her ideas, ‘books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating, to keep the brain imagining, to keep hope alive. Subscribers depend on us for news, for community. Soldiers need books, need to know their friends
Inspired by true events, The Paris Library is an engaging historical novel by Janet Skeslien Charles.
A dual timeline introduces Odile Souchet, who is thrilled when she gains her dream job at The American Library in Paris in February of 1939. Under the direction of the aptly named Ms. Reeder, the library provides an extensive range of reading material in English and French to their subscribers, and as war begins, becomes a haven for the community. Forty years later a thirteen year old girl, Lily, living in small town Montana, introduces herself to her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Gustafson, marvelling at her extensive library and her ‘tres chic’ French accent. The two form an unusual bond, united by their dreams and their regrets.
The story of Odile in Paris is the more fascinating of the two, especially as it’s based in truth - The American Library was founded in 1920, and still exists today. In this novel, as WWII breaks out and the Germans make their way towards Paris, Ms. Reeder is determined that the library will remain open to serve the community. This not only includes welcoming patrons to the reading room, but also sending donated books and periodicals to French, British and Czech troops (about 20,000 tonnes in the autumn of 1940). Even when Paris is occupied by the Nazi’s, the library remains open, the librarian risking their lives by smuggling books to their Jewish patrons.
Populated by a delightful collection of multicultural characters, whose personalities are based on the actual library staff during that period, I enjoyed spending time with Odile among the stacks, easily imagining the good natured bickering of the regular patrons, and the camaraderie of the librarians.
Odile is a young, rather naive young woman, who lives at home with her middle class parents, and twin brother Rémy who is studying law. Her father, a police commissioner, is opposed to Odile working, preferring she find a husband. As the rumours of war become reality, Odile finds herself challenged by life under the Nazi regime - protecting the library, parting with her brother when he enlists, and losing everything when she makes a tragic error in judgement.
As the second timeline unfolds from 1983, we eventually discover how Odile ended up in Montana living next door to the teenage Lily. Facing challenges of her own Lily finds comfort and friendship with Odile, who tries to pass on the lessons she has learned. While I didn’t mind reading about Lily, I think I would have preferred that the author had simply chosen to concentrate on the American Library and Odile’s experience in Paris.
Book lovers will be drawn to this title, and won’t be disappointed. The history is interesting, the characters appealing, and the story engaging.
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at the Library care. Our work is too important to stop now.’”Inspired by true events, The Paris Library is an engaging historical novel by Janet Skeslien Charles.
A dual timeline introduces Odile Souchet, who is thrilled when she gains her dream job at The American Library in Paris in February of 1939. Under the direction of the aptly named Ms. Reeder, the library provides an extensive range of reading material in English and French to their subscribers, and as war begins, becomes a haven for the community. Forty years later a thirteen year old girl, Lily, living in small town Montana, introduces herself to her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Gustafson, marvelling at her extensive library and her ‘tres chic’ French accent. The two form an unusual bond, united by their dreams and their regrets.
The story of Odile in Paris is the more fascinating of the two, especially as it’s based in truth - The American Library was founded in 1920, and still exists today. In this novel, as WWII breaks out and the Germans make their way towards Paris, Ms. Reeder is determined that the library will remain open to serve the community. This not only includes welcoming patrons to the reading room, but also sending donated books and periodicals to French, British and Czech troops (about 20,000 tonnes in the autumn of 1940). Even when Paris is occupied by the Nazi’s, the library remains open, the librarian risking their lives by smuggling books to their Jewish patrons.
Populated by a delightful collection of multicultural characters, whose personalities are based on the actual library staff during that period, I enjoyed spending time with Odile among the stacks, easily imagining the good natured bickering of the regular patrons, and the camaraderie of the librarians.
Odile is a young, rather naive young woman, who lives at home with her middle class parents, and twin brother Rémy who is studying law. Her father, a police commissioner, is opposed to Odile working, preferring she find a husband. As the rumours of war become reality, Odile finds herself challenged by life under the Nazi regime - protecting the library, parting with her brother when he enlists, and losing everything when she makes a tragic error in judgement.
As the second timeline unfolds from 1983, we eventually discover how Odile ended up in Montana living next door to the teenage Lily. Facing challenges of her own Lily finds comfort and friendship with Odile, who tries to pass on the lessons she has learned. While I didn’t mind reading about Lily, I think I would have preferred that the author had simply chosen to concentrate on the American Library and Odile’s experience in Paris.
Book lovers will be drawn to this title, and won’t be disappointed. The history is interesting, the characters appealing, and the story engaging.
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LibraryThing member carole888fort
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a memorable account of life during World War II in Paris after the German invasion. In 1939 Odile is thrilled to be hired at the American Library in Paris (ALP). Her love of the written word soon makes her an important and respected member of staff. As
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the German soldiers take control, the library is in danger of being closed permanently, like so many others. This is the story of how library staff coped with years of foreign dominance while serving their subscribers. They were years of hardship, fear, terror, prejudice and survival of the human spirit. But it was also a time of love, friendship and kindness. These are the heroic lives of the librarians during a terrible time. To this day, the American Library in Paris is still thriving, in part due to these courageous people. This is a well-researched and fascinating look at the dedication needed to stand against the Nazis and save an important and beloved library. The author worked at the ALP in 2010, which accounts for the atmospheric retelling. Highly recommended. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Young Odile lands her dream job at the American Library in Paris in the late 1930s, just before the German occupation. Lily is a Montana tween whose elderly neighbor helps her navigate the grief of her mother’s untimely death through a friendship formed through French lessons. Odile’s fate and
The historical portion of the novel includes real people who worked at the American Library before and during World War II. The characterization struck me as a bit two dimensional, more as idealized types than real people. Lily’s story was the bigger draw for me. I empathized with her predicament, and the 1980s setting evoked so many memories that I felt myself transported back in time. Lily’s voice is the stronger of the two, perhaps because she is based on the author’s lived experience while Odile is based on history she’s read about and heard about but didn’t live through.
This review is based on an electronic advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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the fate of the American Library during the war years alternates with Lily’s story as she adjusts to life with a young stepmother and younger siblings.The historical portion of the novel includes real people who worked at the American Library before and during World War II. The characterization struck me as a bit two dimensional, more as idealized types than real people. Lily’s story was the bigger draw for me. I empathized with her predicament, and the 1980s setting evoked so many memories that I felt myself transported back in time. Lily’s voice is the stronger of the two, perhaps because she is based on the author’s lived experience while Odile is based on history she’s read about and heard about but didn’t live through.
This review is based on an electronic advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
When Odile joins the American Library in Paris, she is both shocked and dismayed when the Nazi's invade. Along with the rest of the staff, she does everything she can to keep the library open and to deliver books to patrons who can no longer visit the library. Odile's story alternates with the
Although I enjoyed Odile's story, I felt that Lily's voice was too young. The contrast between their points of view was a bit jolting and a bit off-putting. Perhaps the author could have used an older teenager, or left off Lily's point of view altogether. I was also annoyed that Lily's story received closure but Odile's story did not. Because of these criticisms, what could have been a great book was a bust.
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story of Lily in Montana during the 1980's. Lily, a pre-teen, befriends her lonesome neighbor Odile and slowly unravels her story.Although I enjoyed Odile's story, I felt that Lily's voice was too young. The contrast between their points of view was a bit jolting and a bit off-putting. Perhaps the author could have used an older teenager, or left off Lily's point of view altogether. I was also annoyed that Lily's story received closure but Odile's story did not. Because of these criticisms, what could have been a great book was a bust.
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LibraryThing member alekee
As we start this story, France like most countries do not want to go back to war, they are still stinging from WWI, and naive to think they are too strong for Germany to bother.
We follow a young woman as she begins her life journey, and her hearts desire to become a Liberian, and starting at the
Lifelong friendships, and betrayal, love and jealousy, sharing and greed, all forms of human emotions, and all played out in this page turning read.
We put faces to this journey, and sometimes what you think is very wrong, and bombshells drop, most I never saw coming, but you will be walking in these characters shoes!
I am glad I decided to read this one!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
We follow a young woman as she begins her life journey, and her hearts desire to become a Liberian, and starting at the
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American Library in Paris. Yes, this book is based on true stories. Lifelong friendships, and betrayal, love and jealousy, sharing and greed, all forms of human emotions, and all played out in this page turning read.
We put faces to this journey, and sometimes what you think is very wrong, and bombshells drop, most I never saw coming, but you will be walking in these characters shoes!
I am glad I decided to read this one!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
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LibraryThing member reb922
When Lily uses a school project to fund out about her mysterious French neighbor both of their lives change. Odile helps Lily through family challenges and Lily helps Odile come to terms with her past. Odile and her love of books led her to work in the American Library in Paris during WWII and Nazi
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occupation. Odile and her book obsession lead her to help keep the library open and their readers in books but she is very naive and not fully informed about the horror going on around her. It was an interesting novel and I enjoyed the present and past stories being told. This was another interesting story about Paris during the war however it did not go that deep into what was really going on in Paris which I thought was a bit odd since the main character had a relationship with two police officers carrying out some unsavory tasks. I did find it interesting to see a glimpse in to this English speaking community brought together by their love of books. Thanks NetGalley for a review copy of this novel! Show Less
LibraryThing member kimkimkim
The American Library – February 1939 -home to many; not just scholars and readers but friends, collaborators, lost souls, and non-repentant strong-willed women. It becomes the most important part of Odile Souchet’s life. Her true home is among the musty books and crisp newspaper pages in the
Montana, Spring 1985 – day by day, minute by minute a young girl is losing her mother. She needs help, someone to care and understand the devastation wrought by the death parent betrayal by the remainder. She becomes a Francophile and forms a relationship with the solitary neighbor, known as the war bride, who will give her French lessons. She will teach young Lily so much more.
I found great depth in this book. I was so engrossed that I never stopped to take notes and write down my thoughts which would have made for a better review but a lesser reading experience. The story is compelling. It does not shy from selfish and bad choices and the harm caused to those in the way. It explains but does not forgive or offer an easy escape. It imposes consequences. It finds reason at times where there appears to be none. It offers thought.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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American Library. She has studied the Dewey Decimal System and knows the numbers which represent the subjects, which represent the books. This becomes a clever distraction in the descriptions of her day-to-day existence as she is learning about herself and life in Nazi occupied Paris. She is at times meek, self-conscious, insecure, questioning, naïve, brash, impetuous, and ultimately a phantom. She has found home, she has made friends, she has discovered love, she destroys it all.Montana, Spring 1985 – day by day, minute by minute a young girl is losing her mother. She needs help, someone to care and understand the devastation wrought by the death parent betrayal by the remainder. She becomes a Francophile and forms a relationship with the solitary neighbor, known as the war bride, who will give her French lessons. She will teach young Lily so much more.
I found great depth in this book. I was so engrossed that I never stopped to take notes and write down my thoughts which would have made for a better review but a lesser reading experience. The story is compelling. It does not shy from selfish and bad choices and the harm caused to those in the way. It explains but does not forgive or offer an easy escape. It imposes consequences. It finds reason at times where there appears to be none. It offers thought.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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LibraryThing member tamidale
Set during World War II, this novel takes place at the American Library in Paris and focuses on how the Nazi occupation affected the library and it’s employees and patrons.
The story centers around the life of Odile Souchet, who is hired at the library right before the war breaks out in France.
A second timeline takes place in Montana during the 1980’s, when teenage Lily, befriends her elderly neighbor, who just happens to be named Odile. As Lily and Odile grow closer, the two timelines join together to give readers the story of Odile’s life in Paris, why she is reluctant to go back and why she has lost touch with those she cared for deeply during that time of her life.
Throughout the story there are many life lessons, as well as an historical account of how life was for the citizens of Paris during the war.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
The story centers around the life of Odile Souchet, who is hired at the library right before the war breaks out in France.
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Her life is immediately complicated when her twin brother joins the military. As the war progresses, the library makes the necessary changes to stay in compliance with the new regime, sometimes at peril to their own lives.A second timeline takes place in Montana during the 1980’s, when teenage Lily, befriends her elderly neighbor, who just happens to be named Odile. As Lily and Odile grow closer, the two timelines join together to give readers the story of Odile’s life in Paris, why she is reluctant to go back and why she has lost touch with those she cared for deeply during that time of her life.
Throughout the story there are many life lessons, as well as an historical account of how life was for the citizens of Paris during the war.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
The Paris Library is a beautifully written book based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who defied the Nazis by continuing to provide subscribers as well as soldiers as many books as they possibly could no matter what restrictions the Nazis
The story is told in two timelines: Odile as a young Parisian woman in 1939 and as an older woman living in Montana in 1983. In many ways, I thought the second timeline was unnecessary other than to show Odile attempting to rescue a young girl who was on the same path that Odile traveled so many years ago-- and of course for the complete unveiling of Odile's past.
Odile drew me right into the story. I could smell the books on the shelves of the American Library in Paris. I could hear the two old friends' daily arguments in the periodicals room. And I felt no shock when the "crow letters" began arriving at Nazi headquarters informing them that the librarians were hiding forbidden literature and providing reading material to Jews.
As beautifully written as The Paris Library is-- and there are many passages that illuminated my imagination-- I had a difficult time immersing myself fully into the story. As much as sentences like "Her bookshelves ran over, so her vanity table was a mixture of pink blush and Dorothy Parker, mascara and Montaigne" warmed my heart, and facts such as Zora Neale Hurston being Odile's favorite living writer made her come alive to me, part of me still held back.
Why? It has more to do with me as a person than it has to do with the story. The overarching theme of The Paris Library is jealousy, and I've always had trouble warming up to people or characters who live by that emotion. Since my reaction to this novel is so subjective, take my opinion with a grain of salt and give it a try. It is a rich and multi-layered tale.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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placed upon them. As Odile learned after a short time working there, "The Library was more than bricks and books; its mortar was people who cared." In fact, the library itself is a powerful character in the book, and its employees and regular visitors become important members of this literary family.The story is told in two timelines: Odile as a young Parisian woman in 1939 and as an older woman living in Montana in 1983. In many ways, I thought the second timeline was unnecessary other than to show Odile attempting to rescue a young girl who was on the same path that Odile traveled so many years ago-- and of course for the complete unveiling of Odile's past.
Odile drew me right into the story. I could smell the books on the shelves of the American Library in Paris. I could hear the two old friends' daily arguments in the periodicals room. And I felt no shock when the "crow letters" began arriving at Nazi headquarters informing them that the librarians were hiding forbidden literature and providing reading material to Jews.
As beautifully written as The Paris Library is-- and there are many passages that illuminated my imagination-- I had a difficult time immersing myself fully into the story. As much as sentences like "Her bookshelves ran over, so her vanity table was a mixture of pink blush and Dorothy Parker, mascara and Montaigne" warmed my heart, and facts such as Zora Neale Hurston being Odile's favorite living writer made her come alive to me, part of me still held back.
Why? It has more to do with me as a person than it has to do with the story. The overarching theme of The Paris Library is jealousy, and I've always had trouble warming up to people or characters who live by that emotion. Since my reaction to this novel is so subjective, take my opinion with a grain of salt and give it a try. It is a rich and multi-layered tale.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
I wish I had read the author’s notes first so I would have understood that many of the characters were real and courageous champions of reading. Told in alternating chapters, we first meet Odile, who gets her dream job in the American Library of Paris (ALP). Her father, police captain, keeps
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trying to match her with policemen in his force and finally succeeds in a match when Odile is attracted to Paul, who approves of her independent spirit. And then the Nazis occupy Paris and life changes. Moving to a small town in Montana in 1988, teenaged Lily befriends her elderly neighbor, Odile who helps her through the maze of her mother’s death, her father’s remarriage, and the insecurities of adolescence. Moving back and forth in time, the reader will cheer for the inner strength of characters and the determination of library staff to save the library. Reader will also come to understand the compromises Paris citizens had to make to survive. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
I love books where I learn something new, so I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I had not heard of the American Library before, but this novel enlightened me. Many of the characters are real people, which adds an element of realism. I enjoyed the way the author had the main character, Odile, in 2
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different time periods, going back and forth between WWII in Paris and the mid-80s in Montana. In both places, Odile made an impact on the people around her. I also like how the author used Dewey decimal system numbers throughout the book. That was clever! Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
This is a new take on WWII. I have read quite a few of these novels lately. This one is a little different. It involves a library! This story is narrated by two voices and in two different time periods.
Lily is a teenager in the 1980s. She reaches out to her French neighbor, Odile, for a report
I loved all the book references. Plus the history surrounding Paris and this library during the war is very uniquely done.
Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Lily is a teenager in the 1980s. She reaches out to her French neighbor, Odile, for a report
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about Paris. There is so much going on in Lily’s life that she ends up depending on Odile for a multitude of things. Odile becomes a guiding force in Lilly’s life. And Lily helps Odile realize there is much more in life than her past!I loved all the book references. Plus the history surrounding Paris and this library during the war is very uniquely done.
Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
I confess: I'm a librarian and I love books, so any novel with themes on those topics is easy for me to love. This one, set in WWII Paris, is centered around the American Library, which was able to remain open throughout the war. Open, however, did not mean business as usual, since the library
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could not allow some books to circulate or some people to use the library's services. Like many book about WWII, this book has plenty of heartbreaking scenes - when a Jewish subscriber is arrested, when a character is shot by the Nazis in front of his own child, when a library volunteer is brutal beaten due to the suspicion of collaboration. Also running through this book is the theme of friendship, particularly female friendship, and the duty of keeping secrets to keep friends safe. The enemies are not always where one expects them in this book, which makes for a suspenseful and gut-wrenching read at times. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
I kept hearing and reading wonderful reviews of Janet Skeslien Charles' new novel, The Paris Library, and knew it was one I wanted to listen to.
There's a real surge in wartime historical fiction, especially WWII. The Paris Library is that, but it's a little bit more as well. The Paris Library is
"...the incredible true story of the librarians who stood up to the Nazi “Book Protector..."
Janet Skeslien Charles actually worked at The American Library in Paris. The details, settings and atmosphere benefit from that first hand knowledge. I could imagine the smell of the library, the feel of a book, the taste of a café au lait, the cobbled lanes and so much more.
Charles tells her story in an absolutely perfect back and forth, past and present narrative. The bridging character is Odile, a young librarian at The American Library in 1939 and a reclusive neighbor of young Lily in 1983 Montana. The two end up bonding over their love of books and language. As a devoted reader, I loved the references to the Dewey decimal system, the turn of a phrase, choosing a book, the joy of the written word, getting lost in a tale and and so much more.
The Paris Library is a love letter to libraries and books, but it's also a story of love lost, love found and love betrayed. Romantic, familial and friendship. And betrayal, also on so many levels.
As present day readers, we are aware of history and know what is going to happen. Charles does such a great job, bringing the past to life as Odile, her family and counterparts live through this horrific time. But it is done from such a unique and more personal perspective. Charles has included actual staff of The American Library as characters in The Paris Library. Their lives are truly remarkable.
The story in 1983 Montana is just as well written. Charles has also lived in Montana, and the place and time also benefits from that personal knowledge. Lily is also an engaging character. Her story too is a tale of relationships, with love and loss on the table.
I chose to listen to The Paris Library. A cast of three brought this book to life. I was happy to have multiple readers - Nicky Diss, Sarah Feather and Esther Wane. I'm not sure who did what part, but they were all very good. The voice for Odile in France was perfect - the accent rang true and was believable. The accent stayed with her as she spoke English as well. Other characters from the Paris setting were just as well done with each character being easily identifiable. The emotion was translated from the written word to the spoken and for me, this brought the book to life. That also goes of for the voice of young Lily - believable as a teenager and capturing the ups and downs of her life. All voices were clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find listening to a book immerses me in a novel. This was very much the case with The Paris Library. The cast has done an admirable job. And I enjoyed the notes from the author as well.
An easy five star listen.
There's a real surge in wartime historical fiction, especially WWII. The Paris Library is that, but it's a little bit more as well. The Paris Library is
Show More
also based on fact. "...the incredible true story of the librarians who stood up to the Nazi “Book Protector..."
Janet Skeslien Charles actually worked at The American Library in Paris. The details, settings and atmosphere benefit from that first hand knowledge. I could imagine the smell of the library, the feel of a book, the taste of a café au lait, the cobbled lanes and so much more.
Charles tells her story in an absolutely perfect back and forth, past and present narrative. The bridging character is Odile, a young librarian at The American Library in 1939 and a reclusive neighbor of young Lily in 1983 Montana. The two end up bonding over their love of books and language. As a devoted reader, I loved the references to the Dewey decimal system, the turn of a phrase, choosing a book, the joy of the written word, getting lost in a tale and and so much more.
The Paris Library is a love letter to libraries and books, but it's also a story of love lost, love found and love betrayed. Romantic, familial and friendship. And betrayal, also on so many levels.
As present day readers, we are aware of history and know what is going to happen. Charles does such a great job, bringing the past to life as Odile, her family and counterparts live through this horrific time. But it is done from such a unique and more personal perspective. Charles has included actual staff of The American Library as characters in The Paris Library. Their lives are truly remarkable.
The story in 1983 Montana is just as well written. Charles has also lived in Montana, and the place and time also benefits from that personal knowledge. Lily is also an engaging character. Her story too is a tale of relationships, with love and loss on the table.
I chose to listen to The Paris Library. A cast of three brought this book to life. I was happy to have multiple readers - Nicky Diss, Sarah Feather and Esther Wane. I'm not sure who did what part, but they were all very good. The voice for Odile in France was perfect - the accent rang true and was believable. The accent stayed with her as she spoke English as well. Other characters from the Paris setting were just as well done with each character being easily identifiable. The emotion was translated from the written word to the spoken and for me, this brought the book to life. That also goes of for the voice of young Lily - believable as a teenager and capturing the ups and downs of her life. All voices were clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find listening to a book immerses me in a novel. This was very much the case with The Paris Library. The cast has done an admirable job. And I enjoyed the notes from the author as well.
An easy five star listen.
Show Less
LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader
"Paris, 1939. Odile Souchet is obsessed with books and the Dewey Decimal System, which makes order out of chaos."
I had read no further of the blurb when I added this novel to my to-read list. As a retired librarian and daughter of a WWII veteran I was engrossed in the storyline and my heart was
As the relationship grows between Odile and Lily the story of Odile's life is told which at times is heartbreaking, at times inspirational, at times filled by work commitments, at times solitary. Isn't that true of all of our lives? As Lily is on the cusp of decisions that will affect the rest of her life she has the unique benefit of Odile's friendship.
The story is breathtakingly mesmerizing and beautifully written. Due to my own bereavement I was deeply touched by the author's words, "GRIEF IS A sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn’t so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I’d be back to the beginning, fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow."
I would also like to encourage every reader of this novel to ensure that time is taken to read the "Author's Note" as the note provides a glimpse of the in-depth research and care the author took to bring this extraordinary novel to life. The highest compliment that I can share about this novel is that I would not hesitate to read this novel again at some future time. It is rare for me to feel that desire as I want the rapture of as many reading experiences as possible and there are only so many novels one can read in a lifetime. The novel also refreshes a travel dream that I've often had while reading that I will title "Wouldn't it be wonderful? Wouldn't it be wonderful if one could travel around the world visiting libraries not only in the major cities but in small towns too?"
A quote from the novel describes it best, “But seriously, why books. Because no other thing possesses that mystical faculty to make people see with other people’s eyes. The Library is a bridge of books between cultures.”
I had read no further of the blurb when I added this novel to my to-read list. As a retired librarian and daughter of a WWII veteran I was engrossed in the storyline and my heart was
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captured by the friendship between Odile Souchet, a former librarian at The American Library in Paris during WWII now widowed and next-door neighbor to a family with a young girl named Lily in Froid, Montana, 1983-1988.As the relationship grows between Odile and Lily the story of Odile's life is told which at times is heartbreaking, at times inspirational, at times filled by work commitments, at times solitary. Isn't that true of all of our lives? As Lily is on the cusp of decisions that will affect the rest of her life she has the unique benefit of Odile's friendship.
The story is breathtakingly mesmerizing and beautifully written. Due to my own bereavement I was deeply touched by the author's words, "GRIEF IS A sea made of your own tears. Salty swells cover the dark depths you must swim at your own pace. It takes time to build stamina. Some days, my arms sliced through the water, and I felt things would be okay, the shore wasn’t so far off. Then one memory, one moment would nearly drown me, and I’d be back to the beginning, fighting to stay above the waves, exhausted, sinking in my own sorrow."
I would also like to encourage every reader of this novel to ensure that time is taken to read the "Author's Note" as the note provides a glimpse of the in-depth research and care the author took to bring this extraordinary novel to life. The highest compliment that I can share about this novel is that I would not hesitate to read this novel again at some future time. It is rare for me to feel that desire as I want the rapture of as many reading experiences as possible and there are only so many novels one can read in a lifetime. The novel also refreshes a travel dream that I've often had while reading that I will title "Wouldn't it be wonderful? Wouldn't it be wonderful if one could travel around the world visiting libraries not only in the major cities but in small towns too?"
A quote from the novel describes it best, “But seriously, why books. Because no other thing possesses that mystical faculty to make people see with other people’s eyes. The Library is a bridge of books between cultures.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Paris Library, Janet Skeslien Charles, author; Nicky Diss, Sarah Feathers, Esther Wane, narrators.
This is not your typical book about the times that frame The Holocaust. It concentrates on the plight of the Germans and the foreigners who suddenly found themselves persona non grata in a city
Odile lives in Paris, at a time when women are thought to only have a place in the home, when women are only expected to be wives and mothers. Her parents are strict and rigid with rules they expect her to follow. They want her to marry, but Odile wants to work. She fell in love with The American Library in Paris, which was introduced to her by a favorite Aunt Carol, who is no longer a part of her life. She was ostracized because of her failed marriage. Odile applies for a job at the library which connects her to the memories of her aunt. When she gets the job as a librarian, she is thrilled. The library is viewed as a community resource that unites the people and encourages learning and relationships. When Hitler’s rules prevent some patrons from using the library, those in charge want to continue to make it the haven it always was, and they organize shipments of books to the soldiers training for the coming war. When Hitler’s rules forbade certain citizens from using the library, the librarians secretly delivered books to them, at great risk to themselves.
Lily lives in Froid, Montana, where Odile Gustafson is now living. Neither she nor Odile have many friends. Both are lonely. She devises a plan to find out more about Odile by interviewing her for a school report. Both females are headstrong and their immaturity and naïveté, sometimes led them to make very foolish decisions, without complete information, leading to errors in judgment and unintended consequences.
One day, Lily approaches Odile’s door. When she knocks, no one answers. Rudely, when she finds the door unlocked, she enters. After the encounter is resolved, she asks her if she can interview her and a relationship grows between Odile and Lily. When her mom falls ill, Odile steps in. When her father remarries, Odile’s shoulder is there to lean on. Odile and Lily save each other from their fears and sadness, and they explore their selfishness together. In a sense, although separated by decades in years, they come of age together, too.
The book exposes the sins we are all capable of committing because of misunderstandings, rash judgments or petty jealousy and greed, especially during times of great stress. Both Odile and Lily often let their selfishness get the better of them. Their behavior was sometimes reprehensible. The book examines what are we capable of when we are angry, why we make foolish choices, how we judge others and allow false conclusions to inflict harm to others. What would the reader be capable of doing in order to survive or extract vengeance? Could we control our baser instincts or would we sink to the level of our barbaric enemies?
Reading about the library and the way it functioned was very interesting because today libraries are completely automated. Some personal relationships develop, but the lifestyle of the library and the patron doesn’t encourage it as much. Activities are more organized and do not grow out of a spontaneous need for information or a quiet place to work and do research, often getting personalized help. In Odile’s time, The Dewey Decimal System and card catalogues were the means by which books were arranged, shelved and borrowed. Librarians researched questions that patrons brought to them, and often, warm relationships between librarians and subscriber's developed. There were no computers and everything was done by hand and by individuals.
The well researched book, as a part of history, is a five, but it descended into the realm of romance more strongly and that made it a four, for me.
This is not your typical book about the times that frame The Holocaust. It concentrates on the plight of the Germans and the foreigners who suddenly found themselves persona non grata in a city
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they loved, Paris. It revolves around The American Public Library there, and the real people who were employed during that time are featured in this novel. When the war came, it brought out the best and the worst in people, and the library was a microcosm of that world. This book features two stories, side by side. One is about Odile Souchet. It begins in 1939 and covers her experiences in Paris during Hitler’s reign of terror. The other is about Lily, in 1983. She is a 7th grader, and she is obsessed with her reclusive, elderly neighbor, Odile, who now lives in America.Odile lives in Paris, at a time when women are thought to only have a place in the home, when women are only expected to be wives and mothers. Her parents are strict and rigid with rules they expect her to follow. They want her to marry, but Odile wants to work. She fell in love with The American Library in Paris, which was introduced to her by a favorite Aunt Carol, who is no longer a part of her life. She was ostracized because of her failed marriage. Odile applies for a job at the library which connects her to the memories of her aunt. When she gets the job as a librarian, she is thrilled. The library is viewed as a community resource that unites the people and encourages learning and relationships. When Hitler’s rules prevent some patrons from using the library, those in charge want to continue to make it the haven it always was, and they organize shipments of books to the soldiers training for the coming war. When Hitler’s rules forbade certain citizens from using the library, the librarians secretly delivered books to them, at great risk to themselves.
Lily lives in Froid, Montana, where Odile Gustafson is now living. Neither she nor Odile have many friends. Both are lonely. She devises a plan to find out more about Odile by interviewing her for a school report. Both females are headstrong and their immaturity and naïveté, sometimes led them to make very foolish decisions, without complete information, leading to errors in judgment and unintended consequences.
One day, Lily approaches Odile’s door. When she knocks, no one answers. Rudely, when she finds the door unlocked, she enters. After the encounter is resolved, she asks her if she can interview her and a relationship grows between Odile and Lily. When her mom falls ill, Odile steps in. When her father remarries, Odile’s shoulder is there to lean on. Odile and Lily save each other from their fears and sadness, and they explore their selfishness together. In a sense, although separated by decades in years, they come of age together, too.
The book exposes the sins we are all capable of committing because of misunderstandings, rash judgments or petty jealousy and greed, especially during times of great stress. Both Odile and Lily often let their selfishness get the better of them. Their behavior was sometimes reprehensible. The book examines what are we capable of when we are angry, why we make foolish choices, how we judge others and allow false conclusions to inflict harm to others. What would the reader be capable of doing in order to survive or extract vengeance? Could we control our baser instincts or would we sink to the level of our barbaric enemies?
Reading about the library and the way it functioned was very interesting because today libraries are completely automated. Some personal relationships develop, but the lifestyle of the library and the patron doesn’t encourage it as much. Activities are more organized and do not grow out of a spontaneous need for information or a quiet place to work and do research, often getting personalized help. In Odile’s time, The Dewey Decimal System and card catalogues were the means by which books were arranged, shelved and borrowed. Librarians researched questions that patrons brought to them, and often, warm relationships between librarians and subscriber's developed. There were no computers and everything was done by hand and by individuals.
The well researched book, as a part of history, is a five, but it descended into the realm of romance more strongly and that made it a four, for me.
Show Less
LibraryThing member janismack
Story of the American Library in Paris during the second world war. The people that worked at the library kept it open and delivered books to subscribers that needed the comfort of books. We follow Odile during the war and 50 years later in Texas.
LibraryThing member yourotherleft
We meet Odile Souchet in two stages of life, first in 1939 in Paris, where she has just accepted her dream job at the the American Library in Paris and again in 1980s Montana where a lonely girl named Lily wonders what brought her unusual neighbor to her tiny country town all the way from France.
As the war wears on, Odile finds that she doesn't know anyone as well as she thought she did, including herself. Slowly Odile's eyes are opened to the cold realities of the wartime world even as her blinders to her own privilege fall away. Unfortunately, when stubborn, outspoken Odile, causes irreparable harm with just a few thoughtless words, her life takes on an unexpected trajectory.
In more modern day Montana, Lily endures a tragedy at home and takes refuge in her newfound friendship with the town's outsider, Odile. Together the two will finish the learning the same lessons that Odile began to learn in wartime Paris. Together they'll learn the power of forgiveness and what it means to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes.
Admittedly, I've been a little tired of the dual narrative historical fiction with a modern day perspective thrown in, but I warmed to it over the course of the book. What's remarkable about this plot device in The Paris Library is that the modern day perspective really pulls its own weight and doesn't become an interlude to hurry away from to get back to the historical story. Lily is an honest, genuine character and her budding friendship with and curiosity about Odile provides a generous framework for the historical story.
Charles beautifully brings to life her Paris Library characters who are based on the real people who heroically kept the library open through the years of the occupation. She excellently captures their comradery and the magic of the place Odile loves so much. Odile herself is a bewilderingly naive character that it took me a little work to like, but as the story proceeds, her coming of age, while slow, is ultimately believable.
The Paris Library should satisfy World War II fiction lovers and book lovers alike.
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Young Odile is emotional and impetuous and entirely unprepared for the years of war and occupation that soon overtake her beloved Paris. Even as she clings to normalcy at the library, where she befriends a rich and quirky cast of characters, her world is changing. Determined to keep providing books to soldiers and Parisians alike, the staff of the library bands together to stay open, daring even to deliver books to their Jewish subscribers who have been ordered by the occupying Nazis not to enter.As the war wears on, Odile finds that she doesn't know anyone as well as she thought she did, including herself. Slowly Odile's eyes are opened to the cold realities of the wartime world even as her blinders to her own privilege fall away. Unfortunately, when stubborn, outspoken Odile, causes irreparable harm with just a few thoughtless words, her life takes on an unexpected trajectory.
In more modern day Montana, Lily endures a tragedy at home and takes refuge in her newfound friendship with the town's outsider, Odile. Together the two will finish the learning the same lessons that Odile began to learn in wartime Paris. Together they'll learn the power of forgiveness and what it means to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes.
Admittedly, I've been a little tired of the dual narrative historical fiction with a modern day perspective thrown in, but I warmed to it over the course of the book. What's remarkable about this plot device in The Paris Library is that the modern day perspective really pulls its own weight and doesn't become an interlude to hurry away from to get back to the historical story. Lily is an honest, genuine character and her budding friendship with and curiosity about Odile provides a generous framework for the historical story.
Charles beautifully brings to life her Paris Library characters who are based on the real people who heroically kept the library open through the years of the occupation. She excellently captures their comradery and the magic of the place Odile loves so much. Odile herself is a bewilderingly naive character that it took me a little work to like, but as the story proceeds, her coming of age, while slow, is ultimately believable.
The Paris Library should satisfy World War II fiction lovers and book lovers alike.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nancyjcbs
The Paris Library is based on a true institution and experiences of its librarians. The American Library in Paris is a subscribers' library for both French and English readers. It continues to operate and contains the largest collection of English written works in mainland Europe. The main
Most of Odile's story is told during that turbulent time. Fifty years later she is a widow in Montana and mentors a teenaged girl who lives next door. Lily's story is moving and her life is enhanced by her friendship with Odile.
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character, Odile, worked in the library during the time of the Nazi occupation. That was a difficult time because of the international staff; many of whom became the enemy under Nazi rule.Most of Odile's story is told during that turbulent time. Fifty years later she is a widow in Montana and mentors a teenaged girl who lives next door. Lily's story is moving and her life is enhanced by her friendship with Odile.
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Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2021)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — February 2021)
Pages
384
ISBN
1432879685 / 9781432879686