Lily has to deal not only with loss but with learning how she fits into a new family. Step into The Paris Library through the pages of this novel Join the Bookclubs newsletter for monthly reading recommendations,book club tips, giveaways, and more. What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators? *If you are new here, WELCOME! Rmy is wounded in the early fighting and then in a prisoner-of-war camp, where he later perishes. 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. The Synopsis 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. Located just two blocks from the Eiffel Tower, the private American Library in Paris has welcomed bibliophiles since 1920. Published in 2021, Janet Skeslien Charless The Paris Library: A Novel tells the story of the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. This thread is archived . And, of course, there was All the Light We Cannot See as well. A story of love, friendship, and betrayal, The Paris Library describes Odiles developing love for Paul, a police officer of low rank. The Book of Lost Names revolved around a female document forger. Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who risked their lives during the Nazi's 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. There are public reading rooms, an innovation in French reference libraries, but French people have never developed the habit of using public libraries. By some bizarre twist of fate, a much older Odile winds up living next door to Lily, and the two form an unlikely but mutually beneficial friendship Lily gains much from Odiles well-stocked bookshelves while Odile finds renewed purpose in guiding the young girl. I think Paul attacked Margaret to distance himself from his own guilt, directing his self-hatred at her and pretending he wasn't the collaborator, she was. 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 - #bookthoughts - Armed with A Book However, her twin brother, Rmy, with whom shes close, and Paul, her new suitor, are supportive. Bottom line? HISTORICAL FICTION | The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles Publication Date: March 1, 2022 Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Atria Books ISBN-10: 1982134208 ISBN-13: 9781982134204 I fell in love with Odile and Lily, with their struggles and triumphs, from the very first page. In what ways were they similar? Bhd. [Paul is interesting. But the author has a clear affection for both Paris and the American Library, where she worked as a programs manager in 2010, and she integrates the stories of many of the real-life employees and patrons of the library into the story with finesse, earning the novel its own place in the pantheon of World War II fiction. Together, in ways they least expect it, Odile and Lily will help each other conquer old fears, forgive past sins, and embrace the future. Hardcover. The authors affection for both Paris and the ALP, where she worked as a programme manager in 2010, comes through beautifully as she integrates the stories of many of the real-life employees and patrons of the library into the story with finesse. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor.