Publication
Thorndike, Maine : Center Point Large Print, c2015.
Collection
Call number
Large Print Fiction B
Physical description
495 p.; 23 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. As a girl, Genevieve Martin spent the happiest summer of her life in Paris, learning the delicate art of locksmithing at her uncle's side. But since then, living back in the States, she has become more private, more subdued. She has been an observer of life rather than an active participant, holding herself back from those around her, including her soon-to-be ex-husband. Paris never really left Genevieve, and, as her marriage crumbles, she finds herself faced with an incredible opportunity: return to the magical city of her youth to take over her late uncle's shop. But as she absorbs all that Parisian culture has to offer, she realizes that the city also holds secrets about her family that could change her forever, and that locked doors can protect you or imprison you, depending on which side of them you stand.… (more)
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Paris, memories, keys, and family secrets.
Genevieve needed to go back to Paris to her uncle's shop not only to get away from her soon-to-be ex-husband, but to take over Uncle Dave's lock and key shop that she had loved as a child. Little did she know that she would find family secrets as
Both her mother and uncle had passed, but the city held wonderful memories for Genevieve as well as for her mother as we go back and forth in time seeing Angela, Genevieve's mother, in Paris and her uncle who fell in love in Paris and stayed after the war.
Her uncle taught her a locksmith's tricks of the trade when she was twelve, and she wanted to try her hand at it again. As her uncle told her all the time, "Locksmiths Laugh At Love and Love Has Its Own Set of Burglar Keys." Genevieve wanted to re-live her times in his shop and to experience Paris as an adult as her mother had done.
When Genevieve explores a house where she is fixing locks and finds secret passages from WWII that have a connection to her mother's time in Paris, you will become totally absorbed in the storyline.
THE PARIS KEY has you falling in love with the City of Lights as Ms. Blackwell describes the bakeries, the wine, the cheese, and the people. Ms. Blackwell’s writing style is so intriguing that you feel as though you are right there.
And…we can’t have a book about Paris without love. Love that held secrets about her mother and love for Genevieve.
I enjoyed THE PARIS KEY and the marvelous way Ms. Blackwell pulls you in with her descriptions and authenticity of the city.
If you have never been to Paris, THE PARIS KEY will make you want to get on the next plane. :)
ENJOY!!! I certainly did. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Genevieve needed to go back to Paris to her uncle's shop not only to get away from her soon-to-be ex-husband, but to take over Uncle Dave's lock and key shop that she had loved as a child. Little did she know that she would find family secrets as
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well.Both her mother and uncle had passed, but the city held wonderful memories for Genevieve as well as for her mother as we go back and forth in time seeing Angela, Genevieve's mother, in Paris and her uncle who fell in love in Paris and stayed after the war.
Her uncle taught her a locksmith's tricks of the trade when she was twelve, and she wanted to try her hand at it again. As her uncle told her all the time, "Locksmiths Laugh At Love and Love Has Its Own Set of Burglar Keys." Genevieve wanted to re-live her times in his shop and to experience Paris as an adult as her mother had done.
When Genevieve explores a house where she is fixing locks and finds secret passages from WWII that have a connection to her mother's time in Paris, you will become totally absorbed in the storyline.
THE PARIS KEY has you falling in love with the City of Lights as Ms. Blackwell describes the bakeries, the wine, the cheese, and the people. Ms. Blackwell’s writing style is so intriguing that you feel as though you are right there.
And…we can’t have a book about Paris without love. Love that held secrets about her mother and love for Genevieve.
I enjoyed THE PARIS KEY and the marvelous way Ms. Blackwell pulls you in with her descriptions and authenticity of the city.
If you have never been to Paris, THE PARIS KEY will make you want to get on the next plane. :)
ENJOY!!! I certainly did. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
What is it about Paris and stories about people with screwed up love lives?
I'm a fan of Juliet Blackwell, who up until this point has focussed solely on cozy mysteries (two of them paranormal). I bought this, her first stand-alone, on faith and I wasn't disappointed.
As a girl, Genevieve Martin
I feel like I've been to Paris, a city I've yet to see, (France, yes - Paris, no) and the people came to life off the page. The story was absorbing and I felt like it moved along at a brisk pace and in spite of Genevieve's aloofness and disconnectedness, I liked her and her neighbors. Even her soon-to-be-ex is ultimately a sympathetic character: although he isn't likeable, he's neither an ass nor a doormat.
There are three alternating time-lines and 3 different POVs - 4 if you count Genevieve's younger self - and normally I can't stand this. When I realised it was a device in this story I admit to feeling instantly hostile. But Ms. Blackwell not only made it work, she had me hooked by the end of the first flashback. It also helps that it isn't a constant every-other-chapter thing either: it was often enough to keep me absorbed, but not so often that I felt like I was being yanked back-and-forth.
The ending was great; not overly climatic but realistic. Genevieve's moment at Sacre Coeur had tears collecting in the back of my eyes and I'm generally immune to such things.
All in all, it was a great book well written; one I'll read again someday when I need to visit Paris in my mind.
P.S. - no romance in this one.
I'm a fan of Juliet Blackwell, who up until this point has focussed solely on cozy mysteries (two of them paranormal). I bought this, her first stand-alone, on faith and I wasn't disappointed.
As a girl, Genevieve Martin
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spent the happiest summer of her life in Paris, learning the delicate art of locksmithing at her uncle’s side. But since then, living back in the States, she has been an observer of life rather than an active participant, holding herself back from those around her, including her soon-to-be-ex-husband.I feel like I've been to Paris, a city I've yet to see, (France, yes - Paris, no) and the people came to life off the page. The story was absorbing and I felt like it moved along at a brisk pace and in spite of Genevieve's aloofness and disconnectedness, I liked her and her neighbors. Even her soon-to-be-ex is ultimately a sympathetic character: although he isn't likeable, he's neither an ass nor a doormat.
There are three alternating time-lines and 3 different POVs - 4 if you count Genevieve's younger self - and normally I can't stand this. When I realised it was a device in this story I admit to feeling instantly hostile. But Ms. Blackwell not only made it work, she had me hooked by the end of the first flashback. It also helps that it isn't a constant every-other-chapter thing either: it was often enough to keep me absorbed, but not so often that I felt like I was being yanked back-and-forth.
The ending was great; not overly climatic but realistic. Genevieve's moment at Sacre Coeur had tears collecting in the back of my eyes and I'm generally immune to such things.
All in all, it was a great book well written; one I'll read again someday when I need to visit Paris in my mind.
P.S. - no romance in this one.
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LibraryThing member pennykaplan
A soon to be divorced American discovers her family's past in Paris
LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley
Reeling from her mother's death, Genevieve Martin was sent to Paris as a young girl to stay with her uncle who taught her locksmithing. Now, many years later, Genevieve is divorcing her cheating husband when her uncle dies. Feeling she has nothing to lose, Genevieve packs up and moves from America
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to Paris to take over her uncles locksmith business at her cousin's request. Her aunt has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. Before she has a chance to recover from jet lag, customers are already knocking on her door! Settling into Parisian life, and trying to negotiate the bureaucratic red tape to do with running a business there, Genevieve also starts to unwind family secrets from the time her mother spend in Paris some months before she was born. The story moves back and forth in time between Genevieve, her mother Angela, and her uncle Dave who fell in love while helping to rebuild Paris after World War II. Interesting story, fantastic book cover! Learnt much about Paris and locksmithing. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookofsecrets
I’m a longtime fan of Juliet Blackwell’s cozy mysteries, so I was excited about her first foray into mainstream fiction. THE PARIS KEY is a poignant story about family secrets, loss, moving forward, and, of course, the beauty of Paris.
The story is told from the point of view of two women,
The author’s rich descriptions of life in Paris drew me in – the culture, food, people, and interesting sights. I especially loved that the author made Genevieve’s experiences as an American in Paris realistic. She struggled with the language, some customs, and the bureaucracy, but in the end, it was all worth it.
THE PARIS KEY is a lovely story about a woman coming to terms with her mother’s past and reinventing herself in the process, sure to delight fans of contemporary women’s fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told from the point of view of two women,
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Genevieve and her mother, Angela, in different time periods. Paris has been a refuge for them both, especially to Genevieve, first after her mother’s death, and now at the end of her marriage. Angela briefly left her family and fled to Paris many years earlier, and Genevieve was in for quite a shock at what went on during her mother’s stay. It’s hard to keep secrets buried, even ones locked away in the abandoned tunnels below Paris.The author’s rich descriptions of life in Paris drew me in – the culture, food, people, and interesting sights. I especially loved that the author made Genevieve’s experiences as an American in Paris realistic. She struggled with the language, some customs, and the bureaucracy, but in the end, it was all worth it.
THE PARIS KEY is a lovely story about a woman coming to terms with her mother’s past and reinventing herself in the process, sure to delight fans of contemporary women’s fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Genevieve is getting ready to divorce her husband when she receives a summons from her cousin Catherine in Paris. Her Uncle Dave (a locksmith, hence "key") has died and Catherine would like Genevieve to take over the family locksmith business.
When Genevieve was younger, her mother died and she was
The "Key" is the key to a secret her mother held from the last time she visited her brother Dave, prior to Genevieve's birth.
This is a "lovely little story", but it wasn't for me.... I found it boring and overly dramatic in a romanticized manner.
This was written prior to "Letters From Paris", and I'm sure it is in part of what inspired the aforementioned book, which I liked much better....
I found this book to be tedious and boring to the point that I just did not care about the characters or their stories.
When Genevieve was younger, her mother died and she was
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sent to live w/ her Uncle Dave, Tante Pasquale, & cousin Catherine, where she learned the art of the locksmith.The "Key" is the key to a secret her mother held from the last time she visited her brother Dave, prior to Genevieve's birth.
This is a "lovely little story", but it wasn't for me.... I found it boring and overly dramatic in a romanticized manner.
This was written prior to "Letters From Paris", and I'm sure it is in part of what inspired the aforementioned book, which I liked much better....
I found this book to be tedious and boring to the point that I just did not care about the characters or their stories.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Genevieve Martin is getting divorced from Jason, and in the middle of the process she leaves California for Paris. In Paris, her ex-pat Uncle Dave, her mother's brother, has recently died, and her cousin Catharine wants her to sort out and possibly take over Dave's locksmith shop.
The emotional
What Genevieve has learned in life is that people leave--that she doesn't know how to love properly, and so people leave. Her mother died. Her uncle sent her away from Paris. Her husband was unfaithful. Can she make a new beginning in Paris? Or is she just running away?
The main portion of the book is Genevieve's experiences in the present day, but in interspersed chapters we see Angela's Paris visit in the early 1980s, and Genevieve's in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, in the present, Genevieve gets to know her French cousin and French neighbors, and a handsome Irishman living in Paris, works on the last few locksmith jobs Dave left undone when he died, and battles French bureaucracy for the necessary permits and license to keep operating the locksmith shop.
Oh, and getting more and more caught up in the mystery of exactly what happened to Angela in Paris, and why there was so little contact between Angela and her seemingly much-loved older brother. And what about the ancient Syrian key that Dave gave Angela, which Genevieve has kept as keepsake of her mother? Is there anything it unlocks today?
This is not a book with much action as such. It's a book of character development, hidden emotion, a bit of mystery, and a bit of romance. And it's extremely well done.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
The emotional
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background is of course far more fraught than that simple description. Genevieve's mother, Angela, visited Dave and his French wife, Pasquale, in Paris just before she became pregnant with Genevieve. It's referred to as Angela's "Paris vacation," and she never went again, nor did Dave ever visit them in California. When Genevieve was fourteen, Angela died of cancer, and Genevieve's father, Jim, sent her to Paris to visit her Uncle for the summer, in the hope that would help her work through her grief. During that summer, Dave taught her about locks and locksmithing, and Genevienve thought she'd found her calling. Then summer ended, and Dave sent her home.What Genevieve has learned in life is that people leave--that she doesn't know how to love properly, and so people leave. Her mother died. Her uncle sent her away from Paris. Her husband was unfaithful. Can she make a new beginning in Paris? Or is she just running away?
The main portion of the book is Genevieve's experiences in the present day, but in interspersed chapters we see Angela's Paris visit in the early 1980s, and Genevieve's in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, in the present, Genevieve gets to know her French cousin and French neighbors, and a handsome Irishman living in Paris, works on the last few locksmith jobs Dave left undone when he died, and battles French bureaucracy for the necessary permits and license to keep operating the locksmith shop.
Oh, and getting more and more caught up in the mystery of exactly what happened to Angela in Paris, and why there was so little contact between Angela and her seemingly much-loved older brother. And what about the ancient Syrian key that Dave gave Angela, which Genevieve has kept as keepsake of her mother? Is there anything it unlocks today?
This is not a book with much action as such. It's a book of character development, hidden emotion, a bit of mystery, and a bit of romance. And it's extremely well done.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
Very enjoyable, if a bit predictable. A fun read.
LibraryThing member m.belljackson
The Paris ambience, the intricacies of Locksmithing, the funny Irishman, and the invincible Phillipe really kept my attention through
the tedious, boring,
and way-too-predictable Angela backstory.
It was good to see Genevieve move past lying and holding back her honest feelings as she anchored her
Less welcome were her husband's stereotypical reactions and no descriptions of the beauty of life on a California organic farm,
as well as the priestly blessing to just let go of her mother's haunting ghost.
And a resounding BLECH on foie gras.
the tedious, boring,
and way-too-predictable Angela backstory.
It was good to see Genevieve move past lying and holding back her honest feelings as she anchored her
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life in her uncle's shop.Less welcome were her husband's stereotypical reactions and no descriptions of the beauty of life on a California organic farm,
as well as the priestly blessing to just let go of her mother's haunting ghost.
And a resounding BLECH on foie gras.
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Language
Original publication date
2015-09-01
ISBN
9781628998184