Today, I’m so happy to be a tour stop on the blog tour for Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman. Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to participate.
Title: Paris Never Leaves You
Author: Ellen Feldman
Published: August 2020, St. Martin’s Griffin
Format: ARC E-copy, 368 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
Summary:
Living through WWII
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 her life?
Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, 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.
My thoughts: This is the first book I’ve read by Ellen Feldman but it certainly will not be the last. I’ve been on a great streak with historical fiction lately and this one can definitely be be added to that list.
I loved the way this book is crafted. It’s told in two timelines, both narrated by the same character. While it does start off a little slow, I did find myself eventually becoming completely invested in Charlotte’s story. I loved that she worked in publishing – that part of her life completely grabbed me, but I also was equally intrigued by her life in Paris during the war.
This book is all about secrets and what happens when they finally come out. It also centers on survivor’s guilt. Charlotte survived the war and all that happened but it wasn’t an easy time and there are choices she had to make under less that ideal circumstances that she has never told anyone. But now it has come time to reveal what really happened.
I enjoyed this story. I loved the relationships the characters had with each other – I found those to be real and relatable. The connections they had were what made this story so engaging.
***Keep your eyes peeled for a chance to win a copy of this book later on today!!!
About the author: ELLEN FELDMAN, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of Terrible Virture, The Unwitting, Next to Love, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank (translated into nine languages), and Lucy. Her novel Terrible Virtue was optioned by Black Bicycle for a feature film.
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Your review caught my interest as I enjoy dual timelines and especially World War 2 historicals which are meaningful and unforgettable. A fascinating and excellent feature and giveaway.
This does sound like a good read! Thanks for the review.
I love books about WWII and Paris. This sounds like an enjoyable read. I love the cover, which is as elegant as a parisienne.