My Rating: 4 stars
This felt like such a perfect read! As a book lover, I'm of course drawn to stories about libraries and book stores, but the added bonus with this story is that it also covers one of my favorite genres: historical fiction. Based on real life people and events, this dual timeline narrative tells the story of the American Library in Paris and the efforts of its staff to keep the library open during the German occupation of France in World War II. The main narrative in the past is told from the perspective of Odile Souchet, the 20-year-old daughter of a police commissioner who gets her dream job working at the Library — she quickly grows close to the staff she meets at the library and together, they join the effort to fight the Nazis the best way they know how: through the power of literature. In a second timeline interspersed throughout the story, teenager Lily lives in a small town in Montana in the 1980s — lonely and bored, Lily's curiosity is piqued by the elderly woman living next door to her, a widow named Odile Gustafson who mostly keeps to herself, yet has a sophisticated nature about her that stands out in such a small town. Discovering that they share a lot in common, Lily and Odile strike up a friendship that grows into a special bond as Lily learns more and more about Odile's past and the circumstances that caused her to leave France.
When I first picked this book up, knowing that it would be historical fiction set during WWII, I admit that I was expecting a very different type of story. Given the subject matter, I thought the story would be bleak and depressing, but while there was certainly sadness, the overall tone was hopeful and uplifting. Having said that, I definitely preferred the past narrative to the present one, as I loved reading about the library and what went on, plus the characters were wonderfully drawn (it was fascinating to read the Author's Note at the end and find out which characters were actually real people). With the present narrative, the aspect I appreciated most was the special friendship between Odile and Lily, the connection they had, and how we find out towards the end the significance of the two of them entering each other's lives at the times they did.
This is a book that I would definitely recommend, as it is absorbing, engaging, and absolutely atmospheric — a lovely story from an angle that doesn't get covered much in the canon of WWII fiction. I appreciate how the author didn't gloss over the serious stuff — the grueling history of that time period and some of the atrocities that took place — but at the same time, didn't take a heavy-handed approach either. It's not often that I feel compelled to do additional research after reading a book, but this one definitely did — I was so fascinated by the story that I wanted to read more about the Library and the real-life people who had made things happen. To me, that's as sure an indication as any as to how much I liked this book! In addition to looking forward to this author's next book, I also hope to check out her acclaimed debut at some point!
When I first picked this book up, knowing that it would be historical fiction set during WWII, I admit that I was expecting a very different type of story. Given the subject matter, I thought the story would be bleak and depressing, but while there was certainly sadness, the overall tone was hopeful and uplifting. Having said that, I definitely preferred the past narrative to the present one, as I loved reading about the library and what went on, plus the characters were wonderfully drawn (it was fascinating to read the Author's Note at the end and find out which characters were actually real people). With the present narrative, the aspect I appreciated most was the special friendship between Odile and Lily, the connection they had, and how we find out towards the end the significance of the two of them entering each other's lives at the times they did.
This is a book that I would definitely recommend, as it is absorbing, engaging, and absolutely atmospheric — a lovely story from an angle that doesn't get covered much in the canon of WWII fiction. I appreciate how the author didn't gloss over the serious stuff — the grueling history of that time period and some of the atrocities that took place — but at the same time, didn't take a heavy-handed approach either. It's not often that I feel compelled to do additional research after reading a book, but this one definitely did — I was so fascinated by the story that I wanted to read more about the Library and the real-life people who had made things happen. To me, that's as sure an indication as any as to how much I liked this book! In addition to looking forward to this author's next book, I also hope to check out her acclaimed debut at some point!
Received ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley
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