February 2021

THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles is such a delight. It spans 60 years and brings readers from the lights of Paris to a small town in Montana. In 1939, Odile Souchet is a librarian at the American Library in Paris, whose patrons hail from many countries. It’s a dream job for her as she delights in sharing books with readers --- and the joy of working with her colleagues. Then the Nazis invade the city. And her twin brother is taken prisoner by the Germans as he fights on foreign soil. Life changes quickly with new rules coming down every day. At one point, it is dictated that Jewish people cannot receive library materials anymore. The librarians take this as a challenge and begin ferreting out this information on the sly, which brings danger at every checkpoint.

Odile’s father is a police chief, and through him she meets Paul, a young officer with whom she becomes enamored. Their time together is a lovely escape from the trauma of day-to-day life. He courts her in an old-fashioned way.

The second part of the story opens in 1983, where a teenager named Lily lives in a small town in Montana. Her mom is ill, and she is a bit unmoored. She becomes even more so when her dad remarries, and there are two young half-brothers. Odile is her elderly neighbor; she moved there as a war bride. Through her, Lily gets to envision a life beyond their small town.

The history of the library is woven into the pages, as well as more about how Odile came to Montana.

During our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview, Janet shared more about how this story is personal to her, including the time she spent working as a programs manager at the American Library in Paris. Book groups will love this one.