“Masterful. Magnificent. A passionate story of survival and a real page turner. This story will stay with me for a long time.” –Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey Living through World War II working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of … But can she survive the next chapter of her life?
Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Ellen Feldman’s Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.
The war is over, but the past is never past.
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This is a story of survival, love, hardship and strength!
World War II is finished, but the effects continue on for many.
Charlotte and her daughter Vivi are in NYC in the 1950’s and Charlotte has to teach her daughter how life continues and times are slow to change.
The timelines alternate from Paris to NYC, and it was difficult at times for me to follow.
However, the plot is excellent and it is a wonderful book!
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
This is a story about a young woman and her daughter, trying to survive in German occupied Paris during WWII.
Charlotte Foret a young widow, works in a Paris bookshop during the war, her daughter Vivienne, is also there with her.
While at the book store she meets a charismatic, German soldier who ends up helping Charlotte and Vivie survive by bringing them a bit of food and medicine for the child.
Well written and some unusual twist to this story, which takes place in Paris and later in New York City.
It is a story of misconstrued words and actions. It is a story of survivors guilt and the actions it takes to save oneself.
Full of engaging characters, some harsh description of how the Jewish people were treated, yet it is also a story of love, friendships, and a will to live.
I would like to thank: Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.
I finished reading the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in January 2020. It will be released on June 2, 2020. I predict that this will be one of the most popular books of 2020! Every book club will have it on their to-be-read list.
It is easy enough to read the synopsis of the book, so I will not go on to write that same summary here. What I will say it that “this book will never leave you”. When you walk into a grocery and see an orange, you will think of this story. When you hold that secret in your heart, that you do not tell others (and we all do this), you will think about this story. When you hear a secret that someone held for years and then had to let it out, and chose you, you will remember this story. It is the kind of book that will remain in your mind forever.
I thought about what I wanted to write as a review for this book for a few days. I do not have the skills to adequately express how much this book touched me! The plot is wonderfully heartbreaking and uplifting. The characters are so life-like in all their glorious flaws, compassion and strength. The scene settings are described so brilliantly, that I felt I was in the story, experiencing the same pain of trying to survive and then live with the guilt of surviving.
I absolutely recommend this wonderful book very highly. This was the first book I read by this author, but it definitely will not be the the last. She is a master storyteller!
I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, for allowing me to read the ARC. My review is completely my own opinion, not influence by receiving the ARC.