Publisher: Bookouture
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page.
My Thoughts
Books play a significant part in Siobhan Curham's latest release The Paris Network, a dual time narrative set in 1993 and World War II.
The story begins in the present (1993) with a funeral and a revelation that sees Jeanne and her father, Wendell, journey to France, to discover the fate of a woman whose identity Wendell has kept secret since World War II.
Laurence is the proprietor of The Book Dispensary, a book shop with a difference. Along with her books, Laurence provides her friends and customers with literary 'prescriptions' – specific quotes from books or poems to provide inspiration and comfort to help them through difficult times.
When the Germans occupy her village, Laurence's first act of defiance is to hide her radio and when ordered to remove books banned by the Nazis from her shelves, Laurence decides to fight back by forming a Resistance book club. A small group of trusted friends meet regularly to read books on the banned list, one of which is All Quiet on the Western Front, considered to be unpatriotic as it made the Germans look weak.
Also on the banned list is Hitler's own book, Mein Kampf, published in French, which outlined his plans for France. Laurence copies passages from this book for her pamphlets and distributes them secretly to the villagers knowing that to be caught would mean her death.
Wanting to do more, Laurence becomes a member of the French Resistance, using books, once again, this time to pass messages, and through her involvement with the Resistance is instrumental in rescuing an American pilot.
I enjoyed how books were central to Laurence's stance. How she used those banned books for propaganda and how risky her book club was. While I was aware certain books were banned, the reasons were quite a revelation. The reason why All Quiet on the Western Front made it to the list has already been mentioned, but I was amazed that Oliver Twist was a banned book, although it makes sense given that Fagin, a Jew, is one of the main characters.
The Paris Network is a touching portrayal of one woman's courageous fight against the Nazis and the consequences of a wartime romance. A compelling read that I'm very happy to recommend.
Where to Purchase
Amazon
Audio: UK : US
Listen to a sample HERE.
Meet the Author
Connect with Siobhan: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Reading Challenges
This book satisfies the following Reading Challenges:
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I like that a book club was used in the Resistance.
ReplyDeleteIt was an unusual act of defiance!
DeleteI'm currently reading The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles and already regretting that it will end. This might be the perfect next book.
ReplyDeleteIt would be an excellent choice!
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