Review: The Paris Hours by Alex George

Title: The Paris Hours

Author: Alex George

Published: May 2020, Flatiron Books

Format: Hardcover,

Source: Personal copy

Summary: 

One day in the City of Lights. One night in search of lost time.

Paris
between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a
glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the
city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for
something they’ve lost.

Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust,
and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s
notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it
before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs
puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they
expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a
debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he
wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a
journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too
painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an
unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are
looking for.

Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.

My thoughts: I’ve been on such a great roll with historical fiction this year and as soon as I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. Not only is the cover so striking, but it really is a beautifully written story.

I will admit that at first, I had a hard time keeping the characters straight, but once I really got into the story, each character develops in such a way that you end up understanding just who they are individually and collectively. I loved that the book focuses on these four ordinary people, who are living ordinary lives. And while there are famous people scattered within the pages, their stories are really kept to the background – they are not the main focus of this story at all. 

This is not a story to rush through, but rather one to take your time with and soak up the lyrical writing and secrets that each character has to reveal. I loved that as we get to know each of our characters, we get flashbacks of their lives, so that we have a fuller look at who they really are. 

I found myself completely captivated by this book and know that at some point I will most likely reread this book just to relive this twenty-four hour period with these characters, characters I have not stopped thinking about. I also know that I will most definitely be reading more from this very talented author.