As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. Yup another historical fiction novel that I could not put down. This week’s Summer Reads pick was “an instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller” and is based on the true story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II. She and her colleagues defied the Bibliotheksschutz by delivering books to Jewish readers after they were forbidden from entering the library.This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be reviewing a series of “not just cookbooks”. The wit, empathy, and meticulous research that brings The Paris Library to life also brings to light a cast of lively real-life characters and a little-known chapter of World War II history: the story of the American librarian, Miss Reeder, who created the Soldiers’ Service to deliver books to servicemen, and who later faced the Nazi ‘Library Protector’ in order to keep her library open. The Paris Library’s dual narratives explore the relationships that make us who we are – family and friends, first loves and favorite authors. Lily, a lonely teenager yearning to break free of Froid, is obsessed by the French woman who lives next door.Īs the two become friends, Odile sees herself in Lily – the same love of language, the same longings, the same lethal jealousy.

Though most adults are cowed by her, the neighbor girl will not let her be. Widowed and alone, Odile suffers the solitary confinement of small-town life. Yet when war is declared, there's also a war on words. She soon has it all – a handsome police officer beau, an English best friend, and a job at the American Library in Paris, a thriving community of students, writers, diplomats, and book lovers. Odile Souchet is obsessed with books and the Dewey Decimal System, which makes order out of chaos.

Book the paris library