Review: The Bookseller of Paris (The Paris Sisters Book 2) By Suzanne Kelman

The Bookseller of Paris (The Paris Sisters Book 2) By Suzanne Kelman

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genres: Historical Fiction 

Publication Date: 05/08/2024

Pages: 347

Synopsis

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.

Review

Madeline Valette is a bookshop owner who is asked to become part of the Resistance to smuggle banned books from Berlin to Paris. She accepts and starts her journey into espionage. A driving force for this decision is a letter that she received for her late husband, Alex, from a German woman called Ada. She claims that her son, Kurt is Alex’s son, making him half Jewish. Madeline is driven to help them escape Germany.

I loved the dual timeline aspect of this book and how the stories tied together so well with the character of Kurt. Even though this book is the second book in The Paris Sisters series I read it as a stand alone novel. I have downloaded The Paris Orphans so that I can find out what happened to Kurt on his journey to England. 

I really enjoyed the characters of Madeline and Livi. They have a connection through time as they are both in the book selling industry and they are both grieving in their own way, Madeline is grieving the loss of Alex and Livi is grieving in a sense that she is trying to overcome an abusive marriage. I also love Kurt, as an old man, he is still vulnerable and lost, he wants answers, but he is scared of what they may reveal. He has pushed away his family and Livi teaches him that he can trust people again. 

The plot was really thought out. Herrenhaus Eichenwald was a museum in 2011 and it is used to teach about the Holocaust. There are many of these sites in Germany that are now Documentation Centres. The descriptions of the manor were so detailed that I really visualised the place and the decor. I also enjoyed how much research the author did into how things changed as the war went on, the description of how the coffee changed over the years was very clever. This attention to detail meant that it was easy visualising everything as I read. 

I feel this book is about overcoming obstacles and helping those in need. I found the book hard to put down and I had several very late nights with it. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely read the other books in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this book for review, all opinions are my own. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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