The Paris Library

Books and Paris, need I say more?

Based on the true story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II, The Paris Library is “an ode to the importance of libraries, books, and the human connections we find within both,” writes author Kristin Harmel.

I gravitate towards books about bookstores, their coziness, their safety. The main character, Odile, reminds the reader that we all have bravery within. I gravitate to older women in my own life, the mother-figure I never had. As a mentor in Odile’s later life, I am heartened by the intergenerational relationship… show more.

Books, Paris and WWII. Three things I love and Janet Skeslien Charles creates an intriguing and emotional story based on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during the Second World War. Joining the resistance and fighting the enemy are themes present in The Paris Library; however, through the young Odile Souchet, the author brings to life the importance of books and libraries at the very core of our culture. Layered with betrayal, suspense, and emotion, The Paris Library is a must-read.

In this excellent historical novel, the setting is very much a major character in the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the very real American Library in Paris, its history, and its role in the French Resistance during World War II.

The author brought both the library and the main characters to life for me. This was a book that I found hard to put down.

I loved this book as much for its story as its turn of phrase. The Paris Library is set during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Although the book does not avoid addressing the privations and terror experienced by those living through that devastating period, it is the role the library played in people’s lives that is central to the story – it provided a precarious haven and a refuge of sanity. The novel is an important reminder that books are far more than words on paper – they have the power to sustain us through the darkest times.