Book Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a historical fiction novel that takes place in two different time periods: Paris during WWII and Montana in the 1980s.  In 1939 Odile is a young woman going against social norms and her parents’ expectations by getting a job at an American library in Paris.  Little does she know that the Nazis will soon be invading Paris, threatening everything important to her.  In 1983 we get to know Lily, a young girl in Montana whose solitary elderly neighbour Odile helps her and her family in a time of great need.

I always appreciate a book based on real events, and the author’s notes were well worth reading.  When the Nazis invaded Paris, the American Library of Paris stayed open but was subject to book censorship, as well as certain patrons barred from entry due to their Jewish heritage.  Obviously the war brought much greater horrors to Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis, and losing basic rights like being able to patronize a library was only the beginning.  Still, when I think about the hope and escape that books have brought me in my darkest times, I can understand that the librarians were willing to put themselves at risk in order to bring books to their Jewish patrons. 

While I enjoyed the story, Odile’s relationships with others felt a little shallow, as we were mostly told about them, rather than being a part of their development.  At one point, another character was declared her ‘best friend’, and I felt like I had missed something, as it seemingly came out of nowhere. The romance felt like an unnecessary distraction also. I think adding more depth to these relationships would have pulled me in and given the story a much greater emotional impact.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5 

Many thanks to Atria Books for an egalley of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.