Captivating Historical Tale

-
Paris Never Leaves YouParis Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Paris Never Leaves You,” is Ellen Feldman’s latest novel, and I came to it with high expectations. A World War II novel is a bookshop in Paris? What is not to love? Unfortunately, while there was a lot in this novel to like, I walked away from it less then satisfied.

Alternating between New York in the 1950's and Paris in the 1940's, Paris Never Leaves You is about a bookseller, Charlotte and her baby daughter, Vivienne, who survive occupation during the war and are sponsored by acquaintances to find a new life in the United States. But as Vivienne grows older, she begins to ask for information about her family history. Charlotte wrestles with what to tell her daughter regarding some of the choices that she had to made during the war.

The novel presents some good moral issues, such as what a mother would be willing to do, including befriend Nazis, to keep her daughter safe.

I did not mind the parallel narratives, but the shifts between the time lines were somewhat jarring. I also thought the first quarter of the book moved very slow, but if you are willing to get past that, you will be well rewarded. Warning, this is not an easy read and certain scenes in this book are quite chilling. Had the novel focused on the Paris storyline alone, I would have given this novel five stars. Instead, four because history like this should not be forgotten.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks also to the publisher and the author.

View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Great Historical Read

-
Image
The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris My rating: 4 of 5 stars “The Ways We Hide” is a great historical novel by Kristina McMorris. Thinking I was reading a typical Great Depression/WWII novel, I was in for a pleasant surprise. The focus of this novel is on Fenna, who, because she was poor, had to quickly develop street smart skills. Those skills lead to her working as a magician’s assistant (though she was the one developing the tricks behind the curtain). Yet, such expertise leads to her assisting Great Britain during the war. Feena was a delightful, spunky character, and I loved the friendship she had with her childhood best friend, Arie. This novel does more than tell a good story, but makes us fall in love with a woman who survives hardships is a very unique way. My thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for the privilege of reviewing this book. View all my reviews
Read more

The Twist on the FairyTale

-
Image
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was asked to review “Not That Kind of Ever After” by Luci Adams. Most of us growing up believing in the fairy tale. Unfortunately, for most of us, it’s a long, difficult road to “happily ever after,” and sometimes, we do not need Prince Charming to get there. Bella, an aspiring author, is watching her friends couple up. Even her best friend, Ellie, is moving on. Yet, Ellie’s brother poses the question that many of us have asked ourselves: is it possible to happy without a soulmate? Hence, Bella starts writing twists on those enchanted tales and gains plenty of readers—and a few enemies in the process. I love the concept of a writer finding her voice while rejecting societal expectations. The story did not quite head in the direction I had hoped, but Bella, though flawed, is also quite likable. This novel was not perfect. I thought it was a bit too long, but at the same time, tried to push the characters forward a bi...
Read more

Hilarious Read

-
Image
Community Board by Tara Conklin My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Community Board” is Tara Conklin’s third novel and an enjoyable read. Darcy returns to her hometown of Marbridge after a divorce and a series of calamities that leads to a bit of a breakdown. But her parents—who have always been her shoulder to cry on—have taken off to Arizona. Darcy stays put in the house, subsiding on canned food and talking to a fern that is no longer in the house. Yet, slowly Darcy finds herself connected to the characters of Murbridge as she slowly finds her way back into how to live outside the walls of her childhood home. This is a hilarious story, though I admit Darcy can be quite frustrating at times. Yet, we all have had those days (or months) where we’ve been swimming in sadness (or, as in Darcy’s case—locked in her parents’ house because of it). I loved the posts from the community board that are interspersed through the different scenes. Does every community have someone who complains about dog po...
Read more