The Paris Library is a novel by Janet Skeslien Charles, released in 2021. It was a Richard and Judy book club pick and a New York Times bestseller.
I love historical fiction and have read a lot of books set in the 20th century. I particularly enjoy WW2 fiction, and I’ve read a quite a few about occupied France and enjoyed them all.
Therefore The Paris Library sounded the perfect read for me and after reading so many positive reviews, I was looking forward to reading it.
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Plot
The Paris Library is based on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War 2.
In Paris, 1939, Odile is loving her new job at the American Library, with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers. However, when war is declared and the Nazis invade Paris, everything Odile holds dear is threatened.
In Montana, 1983, Lily is a lonely teenager, desperate to escape her small town. She has dreams of travel and adventure. When Lily befriends her neighbour Odile, they share a love of languages and books. However Lily soon discovers that Odile has secrets and a very mysterious past.
As Odile tries to help Lily navigate her difficult teenage years, she’s forced to face the decisions she made over forty years ago.
The Paris Library Book Review
I really wanted to love this book but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I was actually a little bit disappointed with it.
There are many great things about the story. The bravery and tenacity of the residents of occupied Paris never ceases to amaze me. The characters in the Paris Library were no exception.
Fact is woven well into the story, as both the library and some of the staff mentioned did exist. It made the acts of courage all the more poignant knowing they weren’t fictional.
I enjoyed reading about the library and its staff. I always appreciate stories that highlight the positive impact books can have on someone’s life.
However, I found the book just didn’t move me the way it should have. It just didn’t have the emotional impact compared to books such as The Nightingale and The Book of Lost Names. Looking back at the story it really should have done, with the real characters and the emotive subject manner.
Perhaps it was the dual timeline, but I found I just couldn’t connect to the characters as I should have. There are quite a lot of characters and I found they lacked depth. I felt that compared to other books about occupied France, some of the atrocities weren’t covered as well and didn’t portray what life was really like in occupied France. The fear and the betrayals felt glossed over, almost sanitised which meant it was much less impactful.
I also found the ending quite abrupt and disappointing. Odile’s actions just didn’t seem to be in keeping with her character.
There’s a lot to like about this book but I just felt it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
Has Janet Skeslien Charles written any other novels?
Janet Skeslien Charles is also the author of Moonlight in Odessa and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade.
What should I read after The Paris Library?
If you’re a fan of books set during WW2 I would personally recommend The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson, The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood and The Daughters of the Resistance by Lana Kortchik