The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

 

I eagerly awaited the publication date of this novel and quickly bought my own copy so I could enjoy it at my own pace and not worry about returning it to the library. It's a good thing I did, because it took me almost three weeks in February before I finally started reading it. I picked it up and started reading it last weekend after deciding the two books I was already reading just didn't fit my weekend reading vibe. 

This is my second World War 2 novel this month, which is definitely a record for me. Any novel that has a bookstore or a library in it is one I have to read, so I couldn't wait another month to dig into the story of Odile Souchet in Paris during World War 2, and young Lily living in Montana in 1985. How do the two of them have anything in common? Well, Odile lives right next door to Lily and her family in the small town of Froid. Odile is reserved, always dressed to the nines, and is still, after forty years, described as "the war bride". Her husband, a former solider, has died, leaving Odile living on her own in Froid. 

Fascinated by her next door neighbor, Lily approaches Odile under the guise of working on a writing assignment for school. Lily can't wait to escape Froid, even though she's terribly worried about her mother's health. She sees Odile as her gateway to her dreams of being a writer and traveling the world. 

Odile and Lily hit it off, and soon Odile is teaching Lily French. Their mutual love of books is another bond, and Lily finds out Odile was a librarian in Paris. 

That's where most of the story takes place-Paris, during World War 2. Odile gets a job at the American Library in Paris, and it is her dream job. She is thrilled to be a librarian, and nothing smells better to her than the odor of all those books when she steps in the doors of the library. However, war is coming quickly, and Odile's simple dreams of falling in love, marrying, and continuing to work at the library fall apart as Nazis take over Paris. 

Odile's life in Paris is hard, to be sure. She is determined to do her part to keep the library open and safe from Nazis destroying the collection, as they've done to other libraries around Europe. Her close friends at the library all fall into danger--most are not natives to France, and as the world is drawn into war, each one becomes a foreign enemy that could be arrested and sent away. Food becomes scarce, and restrictions keep tightening. Odile's twin brother Remy joined the French army right away, and is now in danger. Paul, Odile's sweetheart, is a police officer who struggles to remain true to his devotion to Odile while under increasing pressure to work with the Nazis to maintain order in Paris. 

Odile's story is compelling; more so than Lily's. Maybe it's because it's 1985 and heck, I remember the 80's fairly well-I was a teen for part of them! However, Lily's struggle in a small town, with big changes to her home life, definitely echo the increasing change in family dynamics that occurred in the 1980's. I can't say much because I don't want to give it away, so I'll leave it at that. 

There's really not much suspense or mystery to this novel. It's more of a slow unraveling of a story that hadn't been told for decades. Now it's time for Odile to share her life story and forgive herself for her actions so long ago. 

This was a quick read, and full of literary references and characters who loved the written word. Men and women who risked their lives to protect books, deliver them to prisoners of war, and to Jews hiding in Paris. They realized the importance of storytelling and even when faced with possible arrest, kept doing their jobs. It was also pretty interesting to read about library work before computers and the internet. 

Fans of World War 2 fiction, novels about libraries, and stories of friendship are sure to enjoy this read. And yes, there really is an American Library in Paris, open to this day; it was founded in 1920. It makes me very happy to know it survived the horrors of war and operated throughout the occupation of Paris. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel set in Paris during World War 2 that features the American Library. It's about the risks librarians took to protect not only the collection, but kept providing books and information to citizens under siege and in danger. It's also a novel about friendship, forgiveness, and making peace with the past. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

I was thinking about how to start this review, and immediately I thought I'd say "Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors"-but I stopped myself, because it seems like I have an awful lot of favorite authors! But it's true, and I am always happy to add to the list of authors that I will read without question. Jane Harper joined earlier this summer, after I read Dry. My love of Susanna's novels goes much farther back; years, actually. It's not often that I find historical novels that have an element of the supernatural tied into them; not only that key (and favorite) element, but that they end up being darn good reads, too. 

Susanna Kearsley is one of those authors who digs deep into history, then spins a tale that never fails to grab me. I've read most of her novels, and was excited to see Bellewether on Sourcebook's upcoming new releases list earlier this year. I've been patient, and have been reading this on and off in between other books. I was immediately taken by the contemporary story of Charley as the new curator of the Wilde House, a historic home on Long Island; the family home of one Benjamin Wilde, a famous Revolutionary War figure. Charley's family history is also based nearby; her father rather infamously refused to fight in the Vietnam War, and fled to Canada. Her grandparents, pillars in the community, disowned him and Charley has never met or talked to her grandparents. Her brother lived in the community with his daughter Rachel, but he recently died, and Charley took the job at the Wilde House in part to help her niece navigate life without her father. 

Wilde House, near a secluded cove and surrounded by a forest, is reportedly haunted by a figure that some say is a French soldier, wandering the forest with a lantern, lighting the way safely to the cove. Other rumors of murder, and a love story that ends tragically, add to the mystery of the Wilde House. Charley is there to oversee renovations, dig into the history of the house, and improve on the story of Benjamin Wilde. She is, of course, interested in finding out more about the Wilde family, and what life was like for them during the Seven Years War. The war pitted the French and the British against each other, and saw prisoners of war housed in local family homes while waiting for prisoner trades to occur between the French and the British. This was in the decade before the Revolutionary War, when Americans were still Colonists, and had loyalty to England. 

The other part of the novel centers on Lydia, sister to Benjamin Wilde, and Jean-Philippe, a French solider who has been brought to the Wilde house as a prisoner of war to await trade negotiations with the British. Jean-Philippe speaks no English, and Lydia speaks no French. He's definitely seen as the enemy, and yet Lydia and Jean-Philippe can't help but develop feelings for each other. What will happen when he's finally taken away? Will he end up back in Quebec to fight again? How would Lydia's family feel if they found out about the growing attraction between the two? 

The two stories, separated by centuries, but tied together by the Wilde House, work well together. The complex issues of the Seven Years War are explained well enough to be clear, but not so much that you're dragged down by a history lesson. All the little pieces of information Charley finds, along with help from an unknown spirit in the house, slowly bridge the gap between what happened in Lydia's time, and what Charley knows in today's world. But oh gosh, you just don't know until the end if Lydia and Jean-Philippe have a happy ending, or if it ends in tragedy. 

I think part of what made this novel so enjoyable for me is my deep desire to actually be a curator at a historical home. That's another career that appeals to me, but I'll just have to be content to visit historical places and enjoy what others have uncovered. Lydia and Charley are both strong female characters, and both have strong counterparts in Jean-Philippe and Sam, the expert at historical reconstruction who catches Charley's eye. Overall, a good, solid historical fiction tale with a dash of romance, a bit of the supernatural, and a whole lot of history, and how we try to create truthful stories based on what's left behind. 

Rating:  5/6 for a very good historical novel with dual storylines: one set in the 1760's, another set in contemporary Long Island-and both set at Wilde House. This novel is interesting in that it delves into the Seven Years War, which I hadn't read about before. It also speaks to the importance of historic preservation, and the stories our ancestors have left behind for us to discover. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

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Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes by Kristen Beddard

My first read of 2017 was about Paris and kale.  Yes, you read it correctly.  Sounds a bit strange, but actually it was an interesting read about moving to a completely brand new environment and having a bit of a rough time adjusting.  Paris may appear to be a dream, but it can often times prove to be a difficult place to make a new home. 

Kristen Beddard was living in New York City, happily single, when she met Philip at work.  They dated, fell in love, and got married with the realization that Philip's job was sending him to Paris for long periods of time and the best plan was to move to Paris and live there for the next five years.  Kristen had been to Paris years earlier, and loved it.  She was excited to go, and read heaps of blogs about Americans living in Paris.  She thought she was prepared, and was headed to a lovely life, complete with ballet flats, red lipstick and, hopefully, a job teaching in English.

She was, sadly, wrong on all counts.  And to top it all off, she quickly realized one of her most beloved foods was nowhere to be found in Paris:  kale.  Yes, kale.  Kristen grew up eating it, and never had a problem finding it in the United States.  But for some reason, all of the farmer's markets, and all of the stores she visited had no idea what she was talking about.  Her frustration led her to create a blog called The Kale Project, with her desire to bring kale back to France. This all happened at a time when the French were at the cusp of a new food revolution, and kale was a part of it.  If only Kristen could convince enough farmers to grow and sell it.  

There is more to this story.  Kristen's young marriage is under a bit of strain because of her frustration at living in Paris.  One of the main points in this memoir made it, for me, a refreshing read:  that it is not easy, and often very difficult, to move to another country.  Struggling to learn French, learning the intricate dance of grocery shopping, conversing with vendors, and the tricky bits of French government added to Kristen's stress, and that caused some growing pains in her marriage.  Happily, Kristen's husband is pretty supportive and understanding of her struggles.  He too finds himself underestimating life in France. 

 Kale, for Kristen, is more than just a vegetable.  It reminds her of her home, of her childhood, and is her favorite vegetable.  Each chapter has recipes for different kale dishes.  Some are strictly vegetarian, others can be made with meat.  I had no idea just how many different varieties of kale there are, and that every other country in Europe regularly grows and eats kale.  Everyone but France.  Until Kristen and the Kale Project came along. She is a perfect example of taking what you love and making something wonderful out of it just through sheer passion.

I have read many memoirs about living in Paris, and I think this was the first authentically honest one I've read.  The people Kristen meets along her journey are kind, rude, indifferent, charming, friendly, and a lot of times difficult to understand. Many colorful characters form the backdrop to Kristen's Paris.  You can check out her blog by clicking on The Kale Project.  

Rating:  7/10 for a new look at moving to and living in Paris, and how a passion for something can lead each of us in a surprising direction.

Available in paperback and e-book.

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Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes by Kristen Beddard

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell

It's been awhile since I've read a teen book.  I thoroughly enjoy teen reads and have read some amazing tales over the years.  Sweet Unrest was a great one to pick off my bookshelves and dive into this Halloween season.  

Sweet Unrest has a few things in it that always grab my interest:  New Orleans, plantation house, ghost, and evil.  Yes, this novel does have the usual teen love interest, but here's the kicker:  it involves reincarnation and a ghost.  What do you do when the person you love with all your heart is a ghost and you're alive?  I don't think I'm giving anything away about the plot.  It's pretty easy to figure out--right away.  

Plot:  Lucy Aimes reluctantly moves to New Orleans with her parents and younger brother.  Her father is a history professor who's taken a position as curator of Le Ciel Doux, an antebellum sugar plantation just outside of New Orleans.  It's now a tourist stop, complete with costumed guides and outbuildings.  Lucy is not happy to be here, and hopes to go back to Chicago at the end of the summer to finish her senior year of high school.  She's a gifted photographer, and has agreed to help her dad document the plantation.  She's also been experiencing the same unsettling dream over and over again growing up, and it's just become more ominous and frequent:  she's drowning, and can't save herself.  

Cue spooky atmosphere at the plantation.  The house itself is gorgeous, but has an air of nastiness around it.  Lucy and her family live in a small cottage near the plantation, so she's spared living in the main house itself.  Soon after moving in, Lucy notices a gorgeous young man standing at the back of a crowd of employees who are at their first meeting with her father.  She's pretty struck by his looks and intensity.  And of course he lasers in on her.  Soon after, she finds him at a nearby pond, and learns his name is Alex.  He's got a bit of a French accent, and seems pretty focused on her.  She's drawn to him and can't explain why. 

And then the dreams begin.  Lucy dreams of Alex, and a young woman named Armantine.  Forbidden love due to Armantine's mixed blood doom the two.  She's torn between wanting to believe Alex loves her, and wary of losing her heart to a man who may not keep his promise to marry her and instead make her his mistress, as most beautiful quadroons in New Orleans end up.  Dark forces swirl around the two in the shape of Thisbe, a local voodoo woman (who scares the bejesus out of everyone around her).  What happens to Alex and Armantine?  How are they tied to Lucy in today's world?  

Lucy has a mystery to solve before it's too late.  Evil from the plantation is still wandering around in Lucy's time, and Lucy must learn to trust both Alex and Mama Legba.  Who's Mama Legba?  She's a strong and powerful priestess who can help Lucy navigate the world of light and dark, goodness and evil.  And she is Lucy's strongest ally to discover what really happened to Alex and Armantine in 1841.  

This was an enjoyable stroll through the mystery that is New Orleans.  I've always loved reading this kind of novel, and for a teen story it has enough history and thorough research into voodoo to keep it interesting.  I'll admit the plot involving Alex is certainly a unique one that I haven't seen elsewhere.  Lucy does seem a bit lost at first, but she quickly clicks into what's going on and becomes determined to figure things out.  She's not afraid to do what she has to, and it's refreshing to see a strong teen female lead carry a story.  This is a trend in teen fiction that has had a long life, and only seems to be growing.  Girl power!

Rating:  7/10 for the history and unique love story between what was, and what is.  A strong female lead who doesn't have all the answers but isn't afraid to keep digging.  A good ghost story that won't keep you up at night. 

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Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell