1940, French bookseller Madeline discovers that her late husband had a son in Germany, making the boy half Jewish and in danger under Nazi rule. Meanwhile she is also enlisted by the Resistance to save banned books. 2011, Olivia discovers a photo of her great grandmother with a Nazi and wants to find the truth about her heritage…
The Bookseller of Paris is the second book in The Paris Sisters series. I have previously read and reviewed the first book, The Last Day in Paris.
Madeline is adjusting to life as a widow as well as the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. She is shocked when she finds out that her husband had fathered a child that he never knew about. She wants to travel to Germany to see the boy and protect him if possible. She also has another secret mission which also puts her in danger.
Olivia spots a photo in an auction lot and recognises her great grandmother Ada. She knows very little about her family history and is estranged from her grandfather Kurt. She travels to Scotland to meet him properly and try to find out about his past. I enjoyed her exploration and investigation of the truth behind the family secrets, in tandem with events unfolding in the 1940s narrative.
I thought both timelines were equally vividly portrayed and effectively imagined. The use of the two timelines allows the plot to unfold and interlink, and I thought this was well executed by the author. The writing style was easy to read and the characters felt authentic. At the end of the book is an author’s note which demonstrates the author’s research and basis on real events and people. This added extra depth and emotion to the plot and character depiction.
The Bookseller of Paris is a hugely emotional and enjoyable historical novel based on real life people for added poignancy.
Book Description:
Paris, 1940: Madeline tries to scream, but she can’t breathe. A German soldier is working to free her from the rubble – but if he reaches her, he will find the books hidden beneath her clothes…
When the Germans seize Paris, its peaceful streets fill with terror overnight, and nowhere is safe. Desperate to help her friends, Parisian bookseller Madeline Valette turns her bookshop into a sanctuary for those in hiding, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s found out.
So when she is asked to join the Resistance and smuggle banned books from Berlin, she accepts, desperate to defy the Nazis. And while she wants to save precious books from destruction, she also hopes her trips to Germany might help her find the last living connection she has to her beloved husband…
Because Madeline has received a letter from a German woman called Ada, the mother of her husband’s son. Facing persecution, the Jewish boy is in terrible danger. But where are they now, and can Madeline help them before it’s too late?
When Madeline finally finds Ada and the child, she realises Ada is at the mercy of a high-ranking Nazi official and both their lives are now at risk. Can Madeline get them to safety? Or will the unthinkable happen to this innocent child?
The second unputdownable novel in the Paris Sisters series, this is the story of two women’s bravery in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.
Author Bio:
Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.
1940, French bookseller Madeline discovers that her late husband had a son in Germany, making the boy half Jewish and in danger under Nazi rule. Meanwhile she is also enlisted by the Resistance to save banned books. 2011, Olivia discovers a photo of her great grandmother with a Nazi and wants to find the truth about her heritage…
