May 2020

THE PARIS HOURS by Alex George is set over one day in 1927 in Paris. This is Paris at a time when the arts and culture scene is brilliant and dynamic --- and, yes, many well-known names like Ernest Hemingway, Marcel Proust and Josephine Baker, and their work, are swirling through the city and giving it so much energy. But Alex chose not to write about those personalities, but rather four ordinary people: three men and one woman. They go about their days toiling at their work, each with secrets and backstories that Alex gradually weaves together.

Readers will revel in the splendor of post-war France and the bright lights and gay times that are making the city so alive. Of course, we know of the dark days to come, but for the moments inside this book, we are swept up in the action of this one day. Each character has something to hide --- something that can send his or her life spinning in a new direction. Many of those stories collide in the final section of the book, which is a very brisk ride with an oh-so-satisfying conclusion.

The ending has a pace that races you through much more quickly than the rest of the novel, with exactly the right tempo! Book groups will have a good discussion about the book’s structure, as much as they will about the writing and the plot.