The Paris Library
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The Paris Library
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Narrated by:
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Nicky Diss
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Sarah Feathers
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Esther Wane
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Janet Skeslien Charles
About this listen
In the darkness of war, the light of books...
Paris, 1939
Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and working at The American Library in Paris for the formidable Director Dorothy Reeder is all she has ever dreamed of. The Library and its thriving community of students, writers, diplomats and book lovers provide her with a safe haven. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. But then the Nazis invade Paris, and everything changes. The Nazi 'Library Protector' changes the rules overnight, declaring a war on words and making the librarians risk their lives to do their jobs.
Under the courageous guidance of Miss Reeder, Odile and her fellow librarians defy the authorities to make sure all their subscribers, even those deemed no longer desirable, get access to books and remain part of their community, whatever the cost.
Choices as black and white as the words on a page become a murky shade of grey - choices that will put many of the wrong side of history, and the consequences of which will echo for decades to come.
The Paris Library illuminates a seldom-seen slice of history: the role of women and their fate during the war. It also recounts the consequences of unspeakable betrayal, when the people we count on for understanding and protection fail us.
©2020 Janet Skeslien Charles (P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"I devoured The Paris Library in one hungry gulp...charming and moving." (Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah's Key)
"An irresistible, compelling read." (Fiona Davis, author of The Chelsea Girls)
What listeners say about The Paris Library
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Nicky
- 25-11-22
A good story badly told
This book sounded promising, but it was not a well developed plot, the characters had no depth and it became cliched chick lit. I could not invest in the characters as there was not a chance to get to know them, they were never fully developed and other than Odile they all were annoying characters. The narration was poor, alternating between hackneyed French accents to a petulant sounding teenager, it really ruined the story for me. Other reviews were so positive I was perhaps expecting more, but this was not for me
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Seb Charlie Leaver
- 23-03-22
“Words can be dangerous”
A slow start, but it quickly grew on me,
A sweet romantic story, touching on some very tough times of the past, all the while trying to teach the moral lesson that ‘words can be dangerous’.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- LakesClaire
- 08-03-22
Disappointing
Was just indifferent to the characters in this book. Perhaps my expectations were too high?
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 27-05-21
it grows on you
I found quite slow the first part (of the story in general, not the audiobook), at times I almost gave up but I am glad I didn't. It's a book that grows on you and explains relationships well, especially during hard times such as a war.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 12-07-21
Irritating chick lit
This will be a great read for someone who likes easy reading romantic fiction. I found it pretty lightweight and particularly hated the French accents that the reader adopted. From the blurb I expected something a bit more substantial- I got about 30% in and abandoned it. Just not my kind of book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-08-22
Living with the enemy
The Paris Library – Janet Skeslien Charles set in two time periods of 1939 Paris and 1980’s America. Odile Souchet is obsessed with books and working at The American Library in Paris. The library is a thriving community of students, writers, diplomats, and book lovers and provides a safe haven. When war is declared the Library is determined to stay open, but then the Nazis invade Paris and the rules changes overnight. The library is no longer the safe haven to all, not all books are permitted to be in circulation within the library. Under the guidance of Miss Reader the Director of the Library, Odile and her fellow librarians defy the authorities to make sure all their subscribers get access to books.
Based on real life events and the stories of women, then women who had to make the best of the situation they found themselves in where nothing is black or white. I enjoyed this book and found it interesting what ordinary people did to survive, it is all very easy to I wouldn’t have done that but it is very different if you are actually living that experience.
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