Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. ISBN-13: 9781250307187 Summary One day in the City of Light. Book club questions for The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles examines both timelines in this historical fiction story. His character traits changed so drastically from his introduction. The authors affection for both Paris and the ALP, where she worked as a programme manager in 2010, comes through beautifully as she integrates the stories of many of the real-life employees and patrons of the library into the story with finesse. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. How would this have changed your reading? So we know that by the time we meet Odile in Montana, shes all alone. Most often, they add. In February of 1939, Odile interviews for her dream job at the American Library. Shortly after his fourth marriage, the Duke dies unexpectedly. But the twist, agh, the twist was just so bizarre. She loves everything about books and libraries. Required fields are marked *. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. I can see where the groundwork was laid for it but I still thought it was an odd story choice. Together with her fellow librarians . The Paris Library combines a love of literature with an inspirational tale of ordinary people standing up to fight injustice. As the older Odile and Lily become friends we learn more about Odiles regrets from wartime and the vibrant cast of readers and librarians she knew at the American Library in Paris. In a Disney-ian twist, things work out in the end, but not before they change the course of the plot and the readers affinity for the characters. GENERAL FICTION, by The witty and idealistic Odile is someone I imagine I would have been friends with. Fellow employees and clients of the private lending library are her closest confidants. 823. The historical fiction genre loves dual timelines! Based on the true World War. After all, she loves to read, speaks fluent English, and has memorized the Dewey Decimal system for cataloguing library books. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Categories: I hope that you will download the book club reading guide. Odile, who recently eloped with Paul at his urgent request, has no idea what happened and worries when Margaret doesnt attend a party for her and Paul at the Library. GENERAL FICTION, by The Paris Library is another novel about WWII France from a unique perspective. She divides her time between Montana and Paris. World War II Paris during the German occupation forms the setting for an intelligent and sensuously rich novel of a young woman's coming-of-age. Charles emphasizes the significance of this resistance by highlighting the role that books play in transporting people from their own situations and engaging their empathy and minds. There is a comforting element to the expectedness of the plot and odd familiarity of the characters, which is common with historical books. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), Worth the Wait: New Fiction From 6 Favorites, Hang the Moon Will Be Adapted for TV Series. Rivalry and secrets? Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers is a dream come true. Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arms length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. I think he anger was always visible, I agree with you that Paul was missing from the wrap up of the book but also Odiles parents. In fact, her way of coping with strong emotions is to immediately relate her feelings to a book and its Dewey Decimal number. PARIS, 1939 Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris - with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers - is a dream come true. Despite knowing about Lilys faults, Odile loves her unconditionally and accepts her. A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. Atria Books. However, her twin brother, Rmy, with whom shes close, and Paul, her new suitor, are supportive. One character is a link in both, a French woman who emigrates at the wars end and spends the rest of her life in Montana. Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of Moonlight in Odessa and The Paris Library. A rollicking soap opera that keeps the pages turning with a surfeit of births, deaths, and surprising plot reveals. . World War II Paris during the German occupation forms the setting for an intelligent and sensuously rich novel of a young woman's coming-of-age. You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Even beyond the wartime drama, the ALP community, many of them true historical figures, are an engrossing, colourful coterie of regulars. [I'm wondering about what happened to the character of Paul? Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. In many ways, this story really is a love letter to bookworms. WWII. Although Odiles family and the library staff suffer from hunger and worry, they dont really undergo tremendous hardship. This time, they did not. So that was a bit of a disappointment to me. GENERAL FICTION, by WWII during the German occupation and 1980s Montana are the setting for this intelligent and rich novel of two young womens coming of age. Unsurprisingly, Odiles life is much more interesting than Lilys. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Paris Library! Check out my book club questions here. Well-researched, stirring, and rich with detail, THE PARIS LIBRARY is an ode to the importance of libraries, books, and the human connections we find within both. Very distracting. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. The novela New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today bestselleris one of five finalists for the 2021 American Library in Paris Book Award. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. As Odile describes some of them to a dying American soldier whom shes tending: Theres an Englishmanimagine a crane wearing a paisley bow tie. British literature. Surprisingly, its not little Froid, Montana, that ends up being a letdown, but rather the Nazi Occupation and the ALPs Resistance work. The story is told via two parallel narratives. Charles herself actually lived in Paris for over a decade and even worked at The American Library in Paris, which is certainly evident when you follow her detailed descriptions of this building and the different kinds of people who occupied it. The WWII parts are very strong and I was engaged with learning more about the American Library in Parissomething I didnt know anything about going into this story. Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?. Many historical fiction stories adopt the dual timeline formatwhy do you think thats a popular choice for the genre? Staunch prohibitionist Mary goes to war against the bootleggers using an enforcer who employs extreme violence. FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | There she meets an American soldier, agrees to marry him, and leaves Paris without ever seeing her family and friends again. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city's most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they've lost. What do you make of her complicated friendship with Margaret? Meticulously researched, moving and utterly enchanting, The Paris Library is a heart-breaking and uplifting story that is an absolute must-read for book lovers and fans of historical fiction. Few in Paris recognize the looming threat of war. Theyre all here, and theyre universal, nest-ce pas? This 1954 classic by a precocious 18-year-old takes us to the sun-drenched Riviera, where lazy and selfish 17-year-old Ccile is holidaying with her widowed father and his latest girlfriend. Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?, A post shared by Atria Books (@atriabooks). There she meets a young woman who is the same age she was during the war and who badly needs a life coach. It was intriguing to read about a different type of heroismkeeping the love of reading alive among the hardships of war. Both her husband and son have passed away and she doesnt seem to have any connections with her past. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 1939, Odile Souchet is thrilled to secure a job at the American Library in Paris. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. Then, what seems like a small conflict elsewhere, suddenly escalates into war. Each day, they light a stinky cheroot and debate. Paul and the other three policemen were collaborators themselves, having done the Nazis' dirty work, no matter how much they disliked it, and then having enjoyed the spoils of the belongings of the Jews they arrested. Ask the Author. Janet Skeslien Charles has penned an unforgettable novel that spans 60 years and several generations in the midst of historic turning points as dramatic as those we are living through now. Looming war with Germany? Or someone from Lilys timelineEleanor, Lilys mother, Mary Louise? When Paris is liberated, Paul and another police officer encounter Margaret on the street. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. The main character, Odile, narrates the time in Paris, while a secondary narratora young girl named Lily, who is coming of age in a small Montana town in the 1980sallows the author to revisit Odile later in life and emphasize the timelessness of friendship. The Synopsis Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. Using her own life experiences, Odile guides Lily to accept her overprotective father and her stepmother, who is struggling with two baby boys. Honestly, at times I wondered if Id stumbled onto a YA novel. The girls sounded bratty, the prose almost juvenile. Sallie wants to support her sister but sympathizes with the bootleggersher neighbors and tenantsand recognizes that the family's finances depend on trading whiskey. When she decides to write a report on France, she visits the only French person she knowsher lonely neighbor, Odile. Given her love of books and enchantment with the Dewey Decimal System, Odile seeks and secures a job at the American Library in Paris in the months before World War II. Over the next five years, through the Nazi Occupation of France, the ALP founded in 1920, it still stands today also becomes the main source of Odiles small joys. With a new job and a new love, Odiles future looks bright. Few in Paris recognize the looming threat of war. "The Paris Library" marks Janet Skeslien Charles's second novel of her writing career. I was not familiar with this one prior to seeing it on the list and since Im a huge fan of historical fiction, I decided to check it out. Odile describes them to a dying American soldier she tends to: Theres an Englishman imagine a crane wearing a paisley bow tie. Librarian at the American Library.

Dartmouth College Residence Halls, Legendary Drop Rate Shadowlands Dungeons, Articles T