the paris library ending explained
Jeannette Walls Tough and independent, Sallie refuses to let womanhood limit her ambitions as she earns the nickname Queen of the Kincaid Rumrunners. Television buffs will smile at the Kincaids resemblance to the Roys of Succession. The Paris Library is a historical fiction novel based on the true WWII story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris. A thoroughly enjoyable read, kind-hearted and brimming with delightful bookish allusions., Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, "Having lived in an apartment just above the current location of the American Library in Paris, I've always felt connected to the institution and wondered about its story, so I'm grateful to Janet Skeslien Charles for penning such a vivid, enjoyable, based-on-a-true-story tale. The synopsis talks about a betrayal in the past and Ill be honest, I thought that twist was strange. Book Summary. First Edition. Ask the Author. Oftentimes, its not surprisingfor instance, Kristin Hannahs The Four Winds is currently number one. Duke Kincaid owns most of Claiborne County, both financially and politically. 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. She freezes; its an image of a book she hasnt seen in sixty-five yearsa book she recognizes asThe Book of Lost Names. Once Lily graduates from high school, Odile gives her a generous gift inspired by her own past. As Odile describes some of them to a dying American soldier whom shes tending: Theres an Englishmanimagine a crane wearing a paisley bow tie. Both her husband and son have passed away and she doesnt seem to have any connections with her past. What did you think of this decision by Odile to leave everything behind? It shows how literature can be a means of escape, a catalyst for human connection, and a moral center in grim times. Todays topic: Prousts madeleine, should it have been a croissant?. What did you think? Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of . A thoroughly enjoyable read, kind-hearted and brimming with delightful bookish allusions." Still, Odile harbors jealousy toward Margaret for her wealthand resents her criticisms of the French army. The Paris Library is superbly researched and has a plot twist at the end that I didnt expect. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. As different as Odile and Lily are, the two are drawn to each other by their similarities outside of a love for books and reading, their heads are full of dreams and they possess a quick wit and instinctive understanding of their surroundings, but they also tend to jeopardise friendships because of their inability to hold their tongues. Required fields are marked *. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away. The twist actually took away from the story for me. "The Paris Library" marks Janet Skeslien Charles's second novel of her writing career. Margaret, an English woman in a loveless marriage, finds a home at the Library and begins a friendship with Odile. Their friendship blossoms as they help each other, offering support, hard truths, and loving backup. Odile personally delivers books to Professor Cohen. So we know that by the time we meet Odile in Montana, shes all alone. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. In Occupied Paris, choices as black and white as the words on a page become a murky shade of grey choices that will put many on the wrong side of history, and the consequences of which will echo for decades to come. Hugo's friend. In 1939, Odile Souchet, the daughter of the captain of a police precinct, has just finished library school. [I'm wondering about what happened to the character of Paul? Nazi book inspector Dr. Fuchs, initially feared, turns out to be sympathetic to the Library. Do you think Margaret and Odile reconcile eventually? My sister, who is an avid reader, read the print version at the same time that I listened to the audiobook, and she loved it. Despite the fact that Nazis often destroyed art and literature, they seemed to recognize that learning and reading were still important enough to keep the library open. For The Paris Library, I provide your book club with a brief summary, food ideas, and discussion questions in that order!if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'bookclubbites_com-box-3','ezslot_6',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bookclubbites_com-box-3-0'); If you are a fan of WWII fiction, then you know that in the last few years there has been a boom of great historical novels from the time period that feature unique aspects of the war. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. What is real, and what is mystery? Based on a true World War II story about the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris (ALP), this book tells an unforgettable tale of romance, friendship and family in the most unusual of situations. Listening to Odiles stories, Lily fantasizes about Jews hidden in the library building. In 1983, Lily is an awkward teenager trying to find her place in small-town Montana. Her conservative parents, especially her father, would rather Odile married than worked. The Paris Library. 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. In many ways, this story really is a love letter to bookworms. Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of Moonlight in Odessa and The Paris Library. A little more drama would have made the Nazi horrorsand Odiles dilemmas--more vivid. This role is especially crucial in the difficult conditions of occupied Paris, where food is increasingly scarce, and the arrest of Jewish citizens and enemy aliens is a constant threat. So here is another instance in which the narrators of an audiobook can affect the readers experience. Later, Odile returns to her fathers office twice to steal some of these letters and spare a few people. Did you ever have someone outside of your family who helped guide you through a difficult time and learn to appreciate your family, despite their flaws? Each day, they light a stinky cheroot and debate. When Charles worked there in 2010, she was captivated by the story of. This work of historical fiction, based on a true story, highlights courage, the importance of keeping intellectual curiosity alive, and the meaning and value of friendship. It has been called a coming of age book, but in many regards, it is more. For the young Parisian Odile Souchet in the winter of 1939, working in the American Library in Paris sounds like her ideal job. . The tough test of time involves readers. Director, American Library. Published in 2021, Janet Skeslien Charless The Paris Library: A Novel tells the story of the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Both are too quick to blurt out criticisms, jeopardizing their closest friendships out of hurt and jealousy. In what ways were they similar? Acting in anger, Paul beats Margaret and cuts off her hair, branding her as a harlot. Structurally, the novel sometimes sags: Charles tends to move into the points of view of secondary characters, which leads to some repetition. The answers unspool in this well-plotted and richly populated novel, primarily through Odiles and Lilys alternating, first-person narrations. Margaret eventually tells Odile the secret of her German lover. Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who risked their lives during the Nazi's war on words, The Paris Library by award-winning novelist Janet Skeslien Charles is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places. Catching her the second time, Odiles father explains that he could be executed for failing to investigate tips and tells Odile not to return. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Again, I thought it was fine overall but I kept wanting to go back to the WWII storyline. Categories: The Paris Library is superbly researched and has a plot twist at the end that I didn't expect. However, he forbids Jewish subscribers from entry. Intellectually curious and socially awkward at times, Lily reminds Odile of her younger self. While additional detail would have made the horrors wreaked by the Nazis and Odiles dilemmas during this time more vivid, this is a novel after all, and more than earns its place in the pantheon of WWII fiction. Author Mallery has created a delightful story of friendship between three women that also offers a variety of love stories as they fall in love, make mistakes, and figure out how to be the bestalbeit still flawedversions of themselves. RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2022. Chapter 3 - Paul comes to lunch - aperitif of sherry and vermouth, potato-leek soup, pork roast and rosemary . 2018 The Edge Communications Sdn. 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. There are public reading rooms, an innovation in French reference libraries, but French people have never developed the habit of using public libraries. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. She even loves the way books smell. (An awkward luncheon with a would-be suitor? 823. And the sound of masticating between sentences? 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. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. While that might not be historically accurate, this is a novel, after all. Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. Among those who do is Rmy, whoto his familys horrorjoins the French army. Were you surprised to learn what Odile was doing the day that Lily barged in to ask about her report on France? Hugo's close lady friend. Schwab, Q&A with Hannah Richell, Author of The River Home, Book Club Questions for The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle, Book Club Questions for The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dar, 10 Book Club Books to Read in Summer 2023, Book Club Questions for Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Review: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Book Club Questions for The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Book Club Questions for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, (Updated April 2023) Reeses Book Club Picks: Entire List, Book Club Questions for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Book Club Questions for Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Chapter 1 Summary: "OdileParis, February 1939" Entranced by the Dewey Decimal System, Odile Souchet is both excited and nervous for her interview at the American Library in Paris. (See my struggle to find a recipe for The Nightingale here). Still, though, I did enjoy learning about the real-life American Library in Paris and the push to keep reading alive during the horrors of war. I get what the author was trying to convey but I didnt think it was executed in the best way. What did you like more and what did you like less about this novel. After roaming the streets of Paris, Odile gravitates to the American Hospital, where she once volunteered and does so again. As a result, Margarets husband leaves her and takes their daughter. Categories: It is 1939, and Odile Souchet has just returned to Paris after completing library school. While her brother Rmy supports her, Odile's Papa is convinced that she needs to focus on marriage. Book Reading, Writing, and Literature . I fell in love with Odile and Lily, with their struggles and triumphs, from the very first page. 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. Even beyond the wartime drama, the ALP community, many of them true historical figures, are an engrossing, colourful coterie of regulars. If you love libraries and are interested in how a library stayed open during the entire war in the center of conflict, The Paris Library is a great book club choice. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. The two form a bond, which deepens when Lilys mother dies. Bottom line? by Janet Skeslien Charles RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2021. I know historical fiction genre loves the dual timeline style but it really isn't always necessary. Its a city I truly love and reading this was a balm for my travel-deprived senses, reliving the City of Lights, even if it was in the pre-war years of the 1940s. 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. There she meets a young woman who is the same age she was during the war and who badly needs a life coach. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the carstrange for a frigid night. Yup another historical fiction novel that I could not put down. Sallie wants to support her sister but sympathizes with the bootleggersher neighbors and tenantsand recognizes that the family's finances depend on trading whiskey. Few in Paris recognize the looming threat of war. In fact, her way of coping with strong emotions is to immediately relate her feelings to a book and its Dewey Decimal number. Strong and kind women, such as Professor Cohen of the Sorbonne and Library Directress Miss Reeder, are role models for Odile. Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions. Young Odile is independent and headstrong. I completely agree! Once We Were Home Book Club Questions and Recipe, It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us Book Club Questions and Recipe, Chapter 2 Lily invites Odile over to learn more about France chocolate chip cookies and later, when Lily visits Odile serves her Russian cigarette cookies, Chapter 3 Paul comes to lunch aperitif of sherry and vermouth, potato-leek soup, pork roast and rosemary mashed potatoes, and, Chapter 4 Odile makes Lilys family leek and potato soup when Lilys mother grows weaker (made with leeks sauted in butter and boiled potatoes that are pureed with a dollop of cream), Chapter 9 Odile, Paul, and Margaret go to lunch steak frites and tarte tatin with caramelized apples, Chapter 12 After the funeral Sliced roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and Odiles croque monsieur, Chapter 12 Lily and Robbys cupcake fiasco in home economics (mixed the salt and the sugar measurements), Chapter 21 Odile comes over for Eleanors bad Thanksgiving dinner turkey and pumpkin pie and later Odile comes for Christmas, too gingerbread cookies and hot cider, Chapter 27 The librarys Christmas party hot spiced wine, creamy Camembert, oranges, foie gras, Chapter 39 Eleanor takes Lily shopping for makeup in the city a lunch of a club sandwich and a French dip, Chapter 43 After the wedding Aunt Pierrette makes roasted pheasant, mashed potatoes and flan and then the library holds a surprise reception with wedding cake, chocolates, champagne and tea. As the war proceeds and the Nazis take over the city, she fears for her twin brother, who has been captured by the Germans, places herself in danger by transporting books to Jewish patrons who are forbidden to visit the library, and begins to question some of her boyfriend's actions.
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