The Paris Library: a story of life, love and survival

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who were steadfast to keep the library open during the Paris Occupation. The story is told between two timelines with young Odile Souchet in 1939nParis and Lily in 1983 Montana. In 1939, Odile Souchet is young and ambitious with the world at her feet with a handsome beau and her dream job at the American Library. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she worked so hard for, together with her fellow librarians, they use the best weapons they have: books. In 1983, Lily is a lonely teenager who is looking for adventures beyond her small-town. She befriends the solitary, elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gustafson, who no one seems to know. Her story is the only secret in a town where everyone knew every secret. As Lily learns about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that the stories of love, loss, longings and jealousy are tales as old as time. 

Books have always had a big impact on my life. They were my friends, my confidantes and relaxation in times of stress. To many people libraries are quiet, boring places where you’re forced to go when you need to do a school project. To me, it was a place of great adventures, The Paris Library takes that place of adventures and makes it the center of heroism and quiet rebellion. It is a story of romance, friendship, family and the power of literature to bridge the divide between us. The Paris Library is a beautiful story about life, love and war surrounding the librarians of the American Library. My favorite statement from the book’s description says it all, “The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.” Between Odile’s story and Lily’s story, we can see and learn that the times may be different but the reactions, the emotions and the consequences to the actions are the same. We can certainly learn from the past. I highly recommend The Paris Library. 

The Paris Library is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook