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The Paris Daughter
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2023)Instant New York Times bestseller!
“A gorgeous, gut-wrenching” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) historical novel about two mothers facing unthinkable choices as the Nazis invade France—from the New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel.
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
When the war finally ends, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.
A sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love, The Paris Daughter is “historical fiction at its best” (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author).
“A gorgeous, gut-wrenching” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) historical novel about two mothers facing unthinkable choices as the Nazis invade France—from the New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel.
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
When the war finally ends, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.
A sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love, The Paris Daughter is “historical fiction at its best” (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author).
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2023
4604 people are currently reading
121381 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Harmel
28 books16k followersKristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Daughter, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world.
Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in numerous other magazines, including American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. She sold her first novel in 2004, and it debuted in February 2006.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in numerous other magazines, including American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. She sold her first novel in 2004, and it debuted in February 2006.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,292 reviews
April 5, 2023
Kristin Harmel is an author I love to follow having read and loved "The Book of Lost Names," and "The Forest of Vanishing Stars."
"The Paris Daughter" is a book about Elise and Juliette, two mothers living in France during the occupation during WWII. Elise is forced to make an impossible decision in order to try to save both of their lives.
The first part of the book introduces the characters and follows the two women as they navigate the harrowing difficulties of the war. The second part of the book is set approximately 20 years. While the two women have long been estranged because of the tragedy the war brought, their fates bring them together once again.
This book was big miss for me. Here is why:
The "twist" to this book was incredibly obvious which made reading the second half of the book agonizing. It would be one thing if Harmel assumed the readers would know the twist but I don't think she did based off of how it was written.
Juliette's grief is by all means understandable, but the way she gives into it left me feeling angry rather than sympathetic. I don't like when women feel anger against each other even when grief is to blame.
The ending of the book felt like it was thrown out of left field. It was as if Harmel found another historical event and threw it in there for excitement.
Historical fiction is usually my favorite genre. Even though the WWII category is saturated I am always fascinated by how many incredible stories there are to tell. Unfortunately this one did not seem creative or original and left me feeling dissatisfied.
"The Paris Daughter" is a book about Elise and Juliette, two mothers living in France during the occupation during WWII. Elise is forced to make an impossible decision in order to try to save both of their lives.
The first part of the book introduces the characters and follows the two women as they navigate the harrowing difficulties of the war. The second part of the book is set approximately 20 years. While the two women have long been estranged because of the tragedy the war brought, their fates bring them together once again.
This book was big miss for me. Here is why:
The "twist" to this book was incredibly obvious which made reading the second half of the book agonizing. It would be one thing if Harmel assumed the readers would know the twist but I don't think she did based off of how it was written.
Juliette's grief is by all means understandable, but the way she gives into it left me feeling angry rather than sympathetic. I don't like when women feel anger against each other even when grief is to blame.
The ending of the book felt like it was thrown out of left field. It was as if Harmel found another historical event and threw it in there for excitement.
Historical fiction is usually my favorite genre. Even though the WWII category is saturated I am always fascinated by how many incredible stories there are to tell. Unfortunately this one did not seem creative or original and left me feeling dissatisfied.
April 21, 2024
This new title from Kristine Harmel showcases her storytelling gifts and her love for sharing history. Set in Paris and NYC, WW II once again comes to life with a focus on two young mothers (Elise and Juliette) and two daughters (Lucy and Matilde). Woven through their stories are historical strands regarding the Paris art world, saving Jewish children, the bombing of the Renault factory, and more. After reading Harmel's notes at the end, I could hear Paul Harvey's voice saying, "And now you know the rest of the story." Quite possibly my new favorite of all Harmel's titles.
June 6, 2023
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!!
The Paris Daughter by Kristen Harmel was both a very moving and captivating book. I have read and enjoyed many of her previously written books over the years. Her books never seem to disappoint me and The Paris Daughter was no exception. Her research for The Paris Daughter was impeccable and her writing was impressive. It was well plotted and her choice of characters, both in minor roles and in more prominent roles, were well developed and believable. The backdrop for The Paris Daughter was Paris shortly before the onset of World War II, during the war and then after the war was over. It also took place in New York City after the war was over and through 1960. The Paris Daughter explored the very difficult choices and decisions three incredibly strong and courageous mothers were forced to make during World War II.
American born artist, Elise LeClair had met her husband Oliver in New York in 1935. Oliver was an accomplished and very well known French artist. He and Elise fell in love, married and moved to Paris. Oliver had encouraged Elise to pursue her artistic talents of sculpting by working with wood as her medium. Elise became a skilled woodworking artist but her husband Oliver LeClair outshined her in every way imaginable and tended to belittle her work. Their marriage was far from perfect but Elise loved Oliver despite his dark side. In the fall of 1939, Elise, then several months pregnant with her and Oliver’s baby, made her way to Bois de Boulogne located in the western part of Paris. In the confines of the park she believed she had anonymity from anyone that could associate her with her famous husband. As Elise sat on a bench sketching, she began to feel sharp pains in her belly. When Elise fell to the ground, Juliette Foulan, an American mother of two boys and also quite pregnant with her third child, came to her rescue. Juliette insisted that Elise come with her to her home/bookstore so that a doctor could treat her. It turned out that Elise was only suffering from false labor pains. Elise and Juliette discovered that not only were they both Americans married to French husbands but both of their children were due to be born in January. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that blossomed between Elise and Juliette. Both Elise and Juliette were blessed with healthy beautiful daughters in January. Juliette gave birth to Lucie and Elise to Mathilde. Their two daughters became best of friends. Mathilde and Lucie became as close as sisters.
After the German occupation, Oliver became more and more involved with the Communist Party. Elise was worried about his outspoken political views. She was afraid for her and Mathilde’s safety. Nothing Elise said quieted her husband’s outspoken opposition, though. Oliver’s actions finally got him killed. When Elise learned about Oliver’s arrest and death she was advised by Oliver’s art dealer to flee Paris. He warned her that she would have to flee alone. The Germans were looking for Oliver’s widow and his child. Elise protested that she had never been involved in her husband’s political activities. The Germans would not care. Elise was about to have to make the most difficult decision of her life. She wanted to take Mathilde with her and protect her the way only a mother could. Elise knew, though, if she tried to take Mathilde with her, they would both die. To protect her daughter and give her the opportunity to live she would ask Juliette and her husband Paul to keep her safe until she could return. That was the hardest thing Elise ever had to do. She knew that Juliette and Paul would love and protect her daughter and keep her safe. With a heavy heart and eyes that brimmed with tears, Elise left Mathilde with the Foulan’s and escaped Paris to the town of Aurignon. When Elise arrived in Aurignon, she went to the church and was helped by Pere Clement. For two years, Elise lived in the town and helped Jewish refugee children evade deportation and discovery by the Nazis. After Paris was liberated, Elise returned to Paris. She had missed and thought about Mathilde every second she was separated from her. Now, finally, Elise would be reunited with her daughter and her best friend, Juliette. When Elise found her way to the bookstore, she discovered that it was replaced into a pile of rubble. The bookstore had been hit in an allied attack. The allies had intended to hit the Renault plant but they had hit the street where the bookstore once stood. Elise had come back to Paris to discover that the bookstore no longer existed and that Juliette had vanished. Had Mathilde survived? Elise’s worst nightmare was coming to fruition.
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel was heartbreaking and up-lifting. I had trouble putting this book down. In her author’s note, Kristin Harmel, did an excellent job explaining what events she included in The Paris Daughter that actually occurred and who she interviewed to authenticate certain aspects of the characters’ stories she included. The ending was both satisfying and tied everything together nicely. The Paris Daughter explored above all else Mother/daughter relationships and the sacrifices mothers were forced to make to protect their children. It also portrayed the themes of survival, pain, love, marriage, family, friendships, art and resilience. I can’t even contemplate the heartbreak Elise and Ruth Levy (a Jewish widowed mother of two children) must have felt when they were forced to hand their children over to others to protect them. No mother should ever have to make a decision as difficult as that. Books like The Paris Daughter as so important to read so we never allow history to repeat itself. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Galleries Books for allowing me to read this ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Paris Daughter by Kristen Harmel was both a very moving and captivating book. I have read and enjoyed many of her previously written books over the years. Her books never seem to disappoint me and The Paris Daughter was no exception. Her research for The Paris Daughter was impeccable and her writing was impressive. It was well plotted and her choice of characters, both in minor roles and in more prominent roles, were well developed and believable. The backdrop for The Paris Daughter was Paris shortly before the onset of World War II, during the war and then after the war was over. It also took place in New York City after the war was over and through 1960. The Paris Daughter explored the very difficult choices and decisions three incredibly strong and courageous mothers were forced to make during World War II.
American born artist, Elise LeClair had met her husband Oliver in New York in 1935. Oliver was an accomplished and very well known French artist. He and Elise fell in love, married and moved to Paris. Oliver had encouraged Elise to pursue her artistic talents of sculpting by working with wood as her medium. Elise became a skilled woodworking artist but her husband Oliver LeClair outshined her in every way imaginable and tended to belittle her work. Their marriage was far from perfect but Elise loved Oliver despite his dark side. In the fall of 1939, Elise, then several months pregnant with her and Oliver’s baby, made her way to Bois de Boulogne located in the western part of Paris. In the confines of the park she believed she had anonymity from anyone that could associate her with her famous husband. As Elise sat on a bench sketching, she began to feel sharp pains in her belly. When Elise fell to the ground, Juliette Foulan, an American mother of two boys and also quite pregnant with her third child, came to her rescue. Juliette insisted that Elise come with her to her home/bookstore so that a doctor could treat her. It turned out that Elise was only suffering from false labor pains. Elise and Juliette discovered that not only were they both Americans married to French husbands but both of their children were due to be born in January. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that blossomed between Elise and Juliette. Both Elise and Juliette were blessed with healthy beautiful daughters in January. Juliette gave birth to Lucie and Elise to Mathilde. Their two daughters became best of friends. Mathilde and Lucie became as close as sisters.
After the German occupation, Oliver became more and more involved with the Communist Party. Elise was worried about his outspoken political views. She was afraid for her and Mathilde’s safety. Nothing Elise said quieted her husband’s outspoken opposition, though. Oliver’s actions finally got him killed. When Elise learned about Oliver’s arrest and death she was advised by Oliver’s art dealer to flee Paris. He warned her that she would have to flee alone. The Germans were looking for Oliver’s widow and his child. Elise protested that she had never been involved in her husband’s political activities. The Germans would not care. Elise was about to have to make the most difficult decision of her life. She wanted to take Mathilde with her and protect her the way only a mother could. Elise knew, though, if she tried to take Mathilde with her, they would both die. To protect her daughter and give her the opportunity to live she would ask Juliette and her husband Paul to keep her safe until she could return. That was the hardest thing Elise ever had to do. She knew that Juliette and Paul would love and protect her daughter and keep her safe. With a heavy heart and eyes that brimmed with tears, Elise left Mathilde with the Foulan’s and escaped Paris to the town of Aurignon. When Elise arrived in Aurignon, she went to the church and was helped by Pere Clement. For two years, Elise lived in the town and helped Jewish refugee children evade deportation and discovery by the Nazis. After Paris was liberated, Elise returned to Paris. She had missed and thought about Mathilde every second she was separated from her. Now, finally, Elise would be reunited with her daughter and her best friend, Juliette. When Elise found her way to the bookstore, she discovered that it was replaced into a pile of rubble. The bookstore had been hit in an allied attack. The allies had intended to hit the Renault plant but they had hit the street where the bookstore once stood. Elise had come back to Paris to discover that the bookstore no longer existed and that Juliette had vanished. Had Mathilde survived? Elise’s worst nightmare was coming to fruition.
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel was heartbreaking and up-lifting. I had trouble putting this book down. In her author’s note, Kristin Harmel, did an excellent job explaining what events she included in The Paris Daughter that actually occurred and who she interviewed to authenticate certain aspects of the characters’ stories she included. The ending was both satisfying and tied everything together nicely. The Paris Daughter explored above all else Mother/daughter relationships and the sacrifices mothers were forced to make to protect their children. It also portrayed the themes of survival, pain, love, marriage, family, friendships, art and resilience. I can’t even contemplate the heartbreak Elise and Ruth Levy (a Jewish widowed mother of two children) must have felt when they were forced to hand their children over to others to protect them. No mother should ever have to make a decision as difficult as that. Books like The Paris Daughter as so important to read so we never allow history to repeat itself. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Galleries Books for allowing me to read this ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 12, 2023
Wow!!! I absolutely LOVED this book. This is Kristin Harmel’s best one yet!!! ♥️ Hands down a top contender for #1 historical fiction of the year for me. ❥ 5 stars — Pub. 6/6/23
May 11, 2023
Two mothers.
Two daughters.
Two families torn apart forever.
Set against the backdrop of the Allied bombing of the German-controlled Renault factory in the nearby Boulogne-Billancourt, this book focuses on connections.
The first connection is between two women, Elise LeClair and Juliette Foulon, who meet one day in the park. They are drawn to each other because of their nationality and their pregnancy. When war breaks out, their friendship is tested.
The next connection is between mothers and children. Harmel begins by highlighting the loss of a child and weaves that thread throughout. She shows us that humans have an incredible capacity to love; it transcends time and space. The spotlight is put on three daughters and their relationships with the mothering influence in their life. This bond is put to the test when war erupts and difficult decisions need to be made.
Another connection is between husbands and wives. Harmel shows us the stress marriages were under during war. For some wives, their dreams were put on hold as their husband’s goals took precedence and it increased the tension. For others, it strengthened the bond as they learned to work together. For all, secrecy caused cracks.
I loved the exploration of the power of art to both heal and unite. It was beautifully choreographed and Harmel continued to focus on it throughout her story. There was a warning for us, though, about harboring guilt. Harmel examined what happens when we refuse to acknowledge it in an effort to temporarily keep it from seeping into our lives. She shows that hiding it isn’t a permanent strategy and can have devastating outcomes.
Definitely amongst my top reads of this year, Harmel’s book highlights friendship, motherhood and loss. It’s a heart-rending read and so beautifully and sensitively written.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada, Gallery Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
If you loved The Forest of Vanishing Stars, you'll love this one, too.
Two daughters.
Two families torn apart forever.
Set against the backdrop of the Allied bombing of the German-controlled Renault factory in the nearby Boulogne-Billancourt, this book focuses on connections.
The first connection is between two women, Elise LeClair and Juliette Foulon, who meet one day in the park. They are drawn to each other because of their nationality and their pregnancy. When war breaks out, their friendship is tested.
The next connection is between mothers and children. Harmel begins by highlighting the loss of a child and weaves that thread throughout. She shows us that humans have an incredible capacity to love; it transcends time and space. The spotlight is put on three daughters and their relationships with the mothering influence in their life. This bond is put to the test when war erupts and difficult decisions need to be made.
Another connection is between husbands and wives. Harmel shows us the stress marriages were under during war. For some wives, their dreams were put on hold as their husband’s goals took precedence and it increased the tension. For others, it strengthened the bond as they learned to work together. For all, secrecy caused cracks.
I loved the exploration of the power of art to both heal and unite. It was beautifully choreographed and Harmel continued to focus on it throughout her story. There was a warning for us, though, about harboring guilt. Harmel examined what happens when we refuse to acknowledge it in an effort to temporarily keep it from seeping into our lives. She shows that hiding it isn’t a permanent strategy and can have devastating outcomes.
Definitely amongst my top reads of this year, Harmel’s book highlights friendship, motherhood and loss. It’s a heart-rending read and so beautifully and sensitively written.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada, Gallery Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
If you loved The Forest of Vanishing Stars, you'll love this one, too.
July 15, 2023
I highly recommend The Paris Daughter by Kristen Harmel. It isn’t just “another” WW2 book. Though the beginning starts out during WW2 it ends 17 years later. It is a beautifully written novel.
June 23, 2023
I loved this book up through the first half or so, but when the author chose to withhold information from the reader by not having one of the main characters think about something they absolutely would have thought about just to make the plot work, I found myself not caring any more.
Which is a shame because I was so invested in the stories of Elise and Juliette. The discussions of motherhood and making tough decisions to protect your family made me question what I would have decided if it had been me. I could see this being an amazing book for a book club to discuss.
The characters, for the most part, were well realized and I had no problem connecting deeply with them for the first half. Then something happened in the middle where the tone of the story shifted. The story could have been much more powerful if we'd have seen the thought process and emotional journey one of the characters took rather than the author hiding it from us because I guess she thought we'd be shocked by a twist near the end of the book? But it seemed clear to me what happened from the beginning, so I was scratching my head as to why certain character development moments were not explored. It would have been a powerful story.
Not sure if I will pick up another Harmel book. I'll have to see if any of the plots grip me.
Which is a shame because I was so invested in the stories of Elise and Juliette. The discussions of motherhood and making tough decisions to protect your family made me question what I would have decided if it had been me. I could see this being an amazing book for a book club to discuss.
The characters, for the most part, were well realized and I had no problem connecting deeply with them for the first half. Then something happened in the middle where the tone of the story shifted. The story could have been much more powerful if we'd have seen the thought process and emotional journey one of the characters took rather than the author hiding it from us because I guess she thought we'd be shocked by a twist near the end of the book? But it seemed clear to me what happened from the beginning, so I was scratching my head as to why certain character development moments were not explored. It would have been a powerful story.
Not sure if I will pick up another Harmel book. I'll have to see if any of the plots grip me.
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November 23, 2023I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The setting: Paris, 1939: Two pregnant women, Elise and Juliette, become fast friends the day they meet... Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, [and] she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter {Mathilde], playmate to Juliette’s own little girl [Lucie]." A bomb destroys Juliette's bookstore and takes the lives of her husband, two young sons, and Mathilde. "More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise [who has left Paris fearing for her safety due to her husband's political activism] returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time." Add in Ruth Levy--taken to the camps because of the Holocaust and her two children and their paths, and the story covers more Holocaust and WWII territory.
I have read and enjoyed other Kristin Harmel books, most notably The Forest of Vanishing Stars so I was looking forward to reading her latest novel.
HOWEVER, I found this book overly melodramatic, boring, repetitive, and ultimately predictable. I slogged through it and forced myself to finish. From the start there were hints that this book would not be for me. I had many "oy" moments and wondering will this part derail it for me? Or, is there a chance for improvement? Never resonated. Perhaps the book should have been titled The Paris Daughters [plural] because it really revolved around Lucie and Mathilde. No spoiler from me, but really?! And the end/last page--threw me over the edge.
2.5, NOT rounding up because, to me, 3 stars means good/read! IN THE DISTINCT MINORITY.
The setting: Paris, 1939: Two pregnant women, Elise and Juliette, become fast friends the day they meet... Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, [and] she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter {Mathilde], playmate to Juliette’s own little girl [Lucie]." A bomb destroys Juliette's bookstore and takes the lives of her husband, two young sons, and Mathilde. "More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise [who has left Paris fearing for her safety due to her husband's political activism] returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time." Add in Ruth Levy--taken to the camps because of the Holocaust and her two children and their paths, and the story covers more Holocaust and WWII territory.
I have read and enjoyed other Kristin Harmel books, most notably The Forest of Vanishing Stars so I was looking forward to reading her latest novel.
HOWEVER, I found this book overly melodramatic, boring, repetitive, and ultimately predictable. I slogged through it and forced myself to finish. From the start there were hints that this book would not be for me. I had many "oy" moments and wondering will this part derail it for me? Or, is there a chance for improvement? Never resonated. Perhaps the book should have been titled The Paris Daughters [plural] because it really revolved around Lucie and Mathilde. No spoiler from me, but really?! And the end/last page--threw me over the edge.
2.5, NOT rounding up because, to me, 3 stars means good/read! IN THE DISTINCT MINORITY.
June 20, 2023
This is my 4th Kristin Harmel book. The only one that got 5-stars is “The Book of Lost Names”.
This being set in WWII and is about the bond between mothers and daughters I was sure to like it.
The story of the two mothers Elise and Juliette was certainly endearing, that is until page 104 when I developed a serious dislike for Juliette – sadly that dislike never improved throughout the book.
My dislike of Juliette spoiled the whole book for me. Maybe the poor woman was out of her mind with grief for her to do what she did but still I couldn’t like her any better.
By mid-book the reader will know exactly how it will end so no surprise there, it ends exactly as you expect it to.
Having read 4 books by this author I find them kind of hit or miss – this one was a miss for me.
This being set in WWII and is about the bond between mothers and daughters I was sure to like it.
The story of the two mothers Elise and Juliette was certainly endearing, that is until page 104 when I developed a serious dislike for Juliette – sadly that dislike never improved throughout the book.
My dislike of Juliette spoiled the whole book for me. Maybe the poor woman was out of her mind with grief for her to do what she did but still I couldn’t like her any better.
By mid-book the reader will know exactly how it will end so no surprise there, it ends exactly as you expect it to.
Having read 4 books by this author I find them kind of hit or miss – this one was a miss for me.
June 23, 2023
TW: Death of Spouse, Death of Child( more than one), War themes
Kristin Harmel returns with a compelling story of mothers and daughters in this WWII historical fiction set in Paris and New York City.
Honestly, I didn't expect to cry as much as I did with this one. The author allows both Elise and Juliette, two American women living in Paris, to share the narrative. As the story unfolds and we learn about their heartaches and the cards that life deals with them, I came to care for them both deeply. Even though I could tell early on what type of revelations might be unveiled, it didn't dampen my overall feelings about the novel. I am sure this book will be doing the book club circuit real soon.
Publication Date 06/06/23
Goodreads Review 08/06/23
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kristin Harmel returns with a compelling story of mothers and daughters in this WWII historical fiction set in Paris and New York City.
Honestly, I didn't expect to cry as much as I did with this one. The author allows both Elise and Juliette, two American women living in Paris, to share the narrative. As the story unfolds and we learn about their heartaches and the cards that life deals with them, I came to care for them both deeply. Even though I could tell early on what type of revelations might be unveiled, it didn't dampen my overall feelings about the novel. I am sure this book will be doing the book club circuit real soon.
Publication Date 06/06/23
Goodreads Review 08/06/23
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 6, 2023
Paris, 1939: Elsie LeClair and Juliette Foulon meet in Bois de Boulogne a park and they become friends. Juliette is married to Paul, they have two boys Claude and Alphonse and own a bookshop called Librairie des Rêves and are expecting another baby. Elsie is married to Oliver, a talented painter and the couple are having their first child. Elsie has been concerned by her husbands erratic behaviour, he’s goes out a lot and comes home drunk.
Both women are due to have babies around the same time, they do and when Germany invades Belgium. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, Elsie discovers what Oliver has been doing is dangerous, the German's will be looking for her, she has to flee Paris and she leaves her daughter Mathilde with Juliette. Elsie is heartbroken leaving Mathilde behind, she knows other mothers have had to the same thing to keep their children safe, and she trusts Juliette and Paul. Mathilde likes to play with Claude, Alphonse and her best friend Lucie and she will be fine?
Unfortunately nowhere is safe during a war, the allies are bombing Paris, Juliette and Paul have done what they can to prepare the children, everyone has a gas mask and they have practiced mock air raid drills and getting into the cellar.
When the war finally ends, Elsie returns to Paris as soon as she can, the bookshop has been destroyed, along with the whole neighborhood, where are the Foulon’s and Mathilde? Elsie volunteers at Hotel Lutetia it’s being used as a repatriation center and it might be a way of solving the mystery, hundreds of people are returning from hiding, concentration and prisoner of war camps. As the years pass Elsie blames herself for leaving Mathilde, she accepts she will never see her again, until a person from her past gives her some information and she travels to New York to find out what really happened to her daughter?
I received a copy of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. In her latest narrative Ms. Harmel looks at what it was like to be a parent during the Second World War in Paris, the food and fuel shortages, the constant worry about the city being bombed and unfortunately they don’t always land where they should, what lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe, the physiological impact of war, losing loved ones, and what people do afterwards to cope.
I have read the authors previous book, The Book of Lost Names, I did wonder if, The Paris Daughter would be as good, despite the narrative being a little predictable, Ms Harmel reason for writing historical fiction is “if we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future and whatever comes our way.” I got the meaning behind her story, based around true facts and four stars from me.
Both women are due to have babies around the same time, they do and when Germany invades Belgium. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, Elsie discovers what Oliver has been doing is dangerous, the German's will be looking for her, she has to flee Paris and she leaves her daughter Mathilde with Juliette. Elsie is heartbroken leaving Mathilde behind, she knows other mothers have had to the same thing to keep their children safe, and she trusts Juliette and Paul. Mathilde likes to play with Claude, Alphonse and her best friend Lucie and she will be fine?
Unfortunately nowhere is safe during a war, the allies are bombing Paris, Juliette and Paul have done what they can to prepare the children, everyone has a gas mask and they have practiced mock air raid drills and getting into the cellar.
When the war finally ends, Elsie returns to Paris as soon as she can, the bookshop has been destroyed, along with the whole neighborhood, where are the Foulon’s and Mathilde? Elsie volunteers at Hotel Lutetia it’s being used as a repatriation center and it might be a way of solving the mystery, hundreds of people are returning from hiding, concentration and prisoner of war camps. As the years pass Elsie blames herself for leaving Mathilde, she accepts she will never see her again, until a person from her past gives her some information and she travels to New York to find out what really happened to her daughter?
I received a copy of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. In her latest narrative Ms. Harmel looks at what it was like to be a parent during the Second World War in Paris, the food and fuel shortages, the constant worry about the city being bombed and unfortunately they don’t always land where they should, what lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe, the physiological impact of war, losing loved ones, and what people do afterwards to cope.
I have read the authors previous book, The Book of Lost Names, I did wonder if, The Paris Daughter would be as good, despite the narrative being a little predictable, Ms Harmel reason for writing historical fiction is “if we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future and whatever comes our way.” I got the meaning behind her story, based around true facts and four stars from me.
October 16, 2023
Kristin Harmel is a master storyteller! The Paris Daughter is an all consuming tale of war, love and family, and at its core is a heart touching look at a mother's love and the sacrifices we make for our children. Thought-provoking and deeply moving, it was a novel that I could not put down. The Paris Daughter is a riveting historical account of a time period that should never be forgotten. Historical fiction at its best!
March 18, 2024
The Paris Daughter is a heartrending, uplifting novel. It is a poignant portrait of how we assign guilt even in the most blameless of circumstances, and a powerful reminder of the importance of moving on from the past before we become trapped there. What a beautiful book about a mother's love and the power of art to heal.
August 25, 2023
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
Synopsis /
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighbourhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.
My Thoughts /
3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐
..being a parent is not about doing what is right for ourselves, is it? It's about sacrificing all we can, big and small, to give our children their best chance at life.
This is a tough one. I'm leaning towards outlier land, and, while for the most part it was enjoyable, I certainly didn't love it as much as MANY of my fellow GoodReaders did. I'm wanting to say that I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I was hoping to and that there was one element in the story that I just found too unbelievable. So, for me, this was a 3.5 star read.
It is the voice that carries the performance. The voice that you hear in your head that guides you through the narrative structure and that rich, exquisite prose as you read.
There is nothing wrong with the story per se, Harmel's ability to tell a story about the tragedy of war with respect and compassion makes this a worthwhile read for sure. Or the characters for that matter, which were shown to be brave, resilient souls. The story follows Juliette and Elise, two American women who are living on the outskirts of Paris in the late 1930s. They meet for the first time in the Bois de Boulogne, a park which sits proudly on the western edge of the 16th Arrondissement of Paris. Two times bigger than NYC's Central Park - it's no wonder the Bois de Boulogne is referred to as the lungs of Paris.
Elise LeClair is a talented sculptor who is forced to temper her own ambitions to those of her well-known artist husband, Olivier. Juliette Foulon is happily married and is the owner of a small bookstore that caters to the community of Americans and other expats living in Paris. Both women are pregnant at the time they meet. They bond over their pregnancies and become good friends. Both women have girls, and their daughters grow to become as close to each other as their mothers were. Life is good. But it appears that war is lurking just beyond their country’s borders, and soon life as they know it is about to change.
With the German occupation, France is no longer safe for many of the people who call her home. When Elise's husband is captured and killed by the Nazi's for his work in an underground resistance group, instead of giving up his fellow resistance members, he gives them her name instead. Realising that she now has a target on her, Elise makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her two-year-old daughter with Juliette and her family and escape the city in order to protect them both.
When a wayward bomb accidentally hits the bookshop killing all but one of Juliette's family, she travels back to the United States and tries and pick up the pieces of her life and find a way to hold onto all that she has left.
With the liberation of Paris and the end of the war, Elise returns and tries to locate Juliette, her family, and the daughter she left behind. However, Juliette is nowhere to be found.
‘So what do I do? How do I close the door on the life I had when I don’t know what happened to my child?’
In this story Harmel explores how people can move forward after suffering such an enormous loss. Further explored are themes of family, friendship, life, loss, secrets, separation, and war. Questions arise - what would you do when faced with a similar situation? Decisions made in desperation. Promises made and not kept. Secrets, which, if revealed, could cause chaos and ruin lives.
A well-researched WWII historical fiction novel, about the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her children.
Synopsis /
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighbourhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.
My Thoughts /
3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐
..being a parent is not about doing what is right for ourselves, is it? It's about sacrificing all we can, big and small, to give our children their best chance at life.
This is a tough one. I'm leaning towards outlier land, and, while for the most part it was enjoyable, I certainly didn't love it as much as MANY of my fellow GoodReaders did. I'm wanting to say that I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I was hoping to and that there was one element in the story that I just found too unbelievable. So, for me, this was a 3.5 star read.
It is the voice that carries the performance. The voice that you hear in your head that guides you through the narrative structure and that rich, exquisite prose as you read.
There is nothing wrong with the story per se, Harmel's ability to tell a story about the tragedy of war with respect and compassion makes this a worthwhile read for sure. Or the characters for that matter, which were shown to be brave, resilient souls. The story follows Juliette and Elise, two American women who are living on the outskirts of Paris in the late 1930s. They meet for the first time in the Bois de Boulogne, a park which sits proudly on the western edge of the 16th Arrondissement of Paris. Two times bigger than NYC's Central Park - it's no wonder the Bois de Boulogne is referred to as the lungs of Paris.
Elise LeClair is a talented sculptor who is forced to temper her own ambitions to those of her well-known artist husband, Olivier. Juliette Foulon is happily married and is the owner of a small bookstore that caters to the community of Americans and other expats living in Paris. Both women are pregnant at the time they meet. They bond over their pregnancies and become good friends. Both women have girls, and their daughters grow to become as close to each other as their mothers were. Life is good. But it appears that war is lurking just beyond their country’s borders, and soon life as they know it is about to change.
With the German occupation, France is no longer safe for many of the people who call her home. When Elise's husband is captured and killed by the Nazi's for his work in an underground resistance group, instead of giving up his fellow resistance members, he gives them her name instead. Realising that she now has a target on her, Elise makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her two-year-old daughter with Juliette and her family and escape the city in order to protect them both.
When a wayward bomb accidentally hits the bookshop killing all but one of Juliette's family, she travels back to the United States and tries and pick up the pieces of her life and find a way to hold onto all that she has left.
With the liberation of Paris and the end of the war, Elise returns and tries to locate Juliette, her family, and the daughter she left behind. However, Juliette is nowhere to be found.
‘So what do I do? How do I close the door on the life I had when I don’t know what happened to my child?’
In this story Harmel explores how people can move forward after suffering such an enormous loss. Further explored are themes of family, friendship, life, loss, secrets, separation, and war. Questions arise - what would you do when faced with a similar situation? Decisions made in desperation. Promises made and not kept. Secrets, which, if revealed, could cause chaos and ruin lives.
A well-researched WWII historical fiction novel, about the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her children.
August 31, 2023
Sculptor Elise LeClaire entrusts her daughter, Mathilde, to her best friend, Juliette Foulon, when she is forced to flee Paris during the German occupation in World War II. After the war, Elise returns to Paris only to find the Foulon’s building a pile of rubble with no clue as to survivors or where they might be.
There are a number of historical threads woven into this melodrama: the Nazis penchant for stealing art, the role of the French Resistance, the many Jewish families who sent their children into hiding, and the post-traumatic stress survivors had to deal with.
I really liked Elise and the way she had to fight to be recognized as an artist. I had little sympathy for Juliette, though I suppose Harmel is trying to show how grief can warp one’s thinking. She certainly loved her children. Ruth Levy is perhaps the strongest of the three and shows the most resilience and positive influence. I would have liked to read more about her.
In general, Harmel’s story kept me interested, but I thought the writing was just okay. I guessed the central plot point VERY early in the book and noticed the foreshadowing as a result. The many coincidences that brought the story to its overly dramatic ending seemed contrived and tested my abilities to suspend disbelief. Don’t get me wrong. It was NOT terrible; it just wasn’t good enough to rise above many other stellar novels about this same period.
There are a number of historical threads woven into this melodrama: the Nazis penchant for stealing art, the role of the French Resistance, the many Jewish families who sent their children into hiding, and the post-traumatic stress survivors had to deal with.
I really liked Elise and the way she had to fight to be recognized as an artist. I had little sympathy for Juliette, though I suppose Harmel is trying to show how grief can warp one’s thinking. She certainly loved her children. Ruth Levy is perhaps the strongest of the three and shows the most resilience and positive influence. I would have liked to read more about her.
In general, Harmel’s story kept me interested, but I thought the writing was just okay. I guessed the central plot point VERY early in the book and noticed the foreshadowing as a result. The many coincidences that brought the story to its overly dramatic ending seemed contrived and tested my abilities to suspend disbelief. Don’t get me wrong. It was NOT terrible; it just wasn’t good enough to rise above many other stellar novels about this same period.
June 9, 2023
Heartbroken but also full of hope. Wow!!!!
Let me sit for a minute and get my full review put together.
Let me sit for a minute and get my full review put together.
March 29, 2023
Predictable and overdone.
June 6, 2023
FANTASTIC as always!!
Friends, mothers, choices.
Everyone had to make difficult choices during the war, but a mother's choice to leave her children in the care of someone else was necessary and heartbreaking.
We meet Elise and Juliette who became fast friends and friends who would do anything for each other.
Juliette agreed to keep Elise's daughter Mathilde so Elise could safely escape being arrested since her husband was tortured and killed by the Nazis because he was in the resistance.
Both women suffered terrible losses as many did.
We follow both women through the war and after.
Ms. Harmel has given us another beautifully written, marvelously researched but heartbreaking book with wonderful characters and a book about choices, motherhood, and healing.
You won’t want to put the book down or want the book to end.
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Friends, mothers, choices.
Everyone had to make difficult choices during the war, but a mother's choice to leave her children in the care of someone else was necessary and heartbreaking.
We meet Elise and Juliette who became fast friends and friends who would do anything for each other.
Juliette agreed to keep Elise's daughter Mathilde so Elise could safely escape being arrested since her husband was tortured and killed by the Nazis because he was in the resistance.
Both women suffered terrible losses as many did.
We follow both women through the war and after.
Ms. Harmel has given us another beautifully written, marvelously researched but heartbreaking book with wonderful characters and a book about choices, motherhood, and healing.
You won’t want to put the book down or want the book to end.
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
July 19, 2023
This is a well-written, fast paced, entertaining WWII historical fiction novel. It is thoroughly researched and informative with friendship, heartbreak, sacrifice, resilience and the theme of a mother's love. Ms. Harmel's loyal readers will enjoy the nod to "The Book of Lost Names". I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Ms. Madeleine Maby, is truly talented. The author's note, in her own voice, is interesting and enlightening, and truly appreciated.
November 26, 2024
The author weaves together the fictional stories of 3 mothers whose lives and that of their families are uprooted and changed by the war and the Nazi occupation of France.
Elise is a talented sculptor who gives up her ambitions when her husband becomes involved with the French communist party and puts his family at risk.
Juliette is happily married and part-owner of a small bookstore that caters to Americans and expats living in Paris.
Elise and Juliette meet at the onset of the war in 1939 and form a close bond.
We meet Ruth Levy, a Jewish mother, who frequents the bookshop with her children.
After her husband’s death, Elise leaves her young daughter, Mathilde with her friends, the Foulons, feeling she will be safer. She leaves the area and assumes a new identity.
When she returns years later, she finds so much has changed including the information that her daughter did not survive.
And even more years later the reader is given a glimpse of the profound trauma war has had on each of these women.
The story is about friendship, motherhood, the impact of loss and the inhumanity of war.
No matter how many times this story has been told, it needs to be told again.
In the Author’s Note, the author shares,
“People often ask why I’m so drawn to writing about the past. My reasons are numerous, but perhaps the most important one is that if we don’t learn from history, we run the risk of repeating it. Too often in recent years, those of us who read frequently about WWII have seen shadows of that long-ago war in current events, and it’s difficult seeing versions of past horrors happening again. When I write my novels, I’m not explicitly trying to teach you a lesson. Rather, I’m hoping that you’re reminded of our place in the grand scheme of things – both in the events that have come before us, and in the events that are yet to come. I think that when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future, whatever comes our way.”
Harmel is a wonderful storyteller who brings history alive so we don’t forget. Let’s not.
Elise is a talented sculptor who gives up her ambitions when her husband becomes involved with the French communist party and puts his family at risk.
Juliette is happily married and part-owner of a small bookstore that caters to Americans and expats living in Paris.
Elise and Juliette meet at the onset of the war in 1939 and form a close bond.
We meet Ruth Levy, a Jewish mother, who frequents the bookshop with her children.
After her husband’s death, Elise leaves her young daughter, Mathilde with her friends, the Foulons, feeling she will be safer. She leaves the area and assumes a new identity.
When she returns years later, she finds so much has changed including the information that her daughter did not survive.
And even more years later the reader is given a glimpse of the profound trauma war has had on each of these women.
The story is about friendship, motherhood, the impact of loss and the inhumanity of war.
No matter how many times this story has been told, it needs to be told again.
In the Author’s Note, the author shares,
“People often ask why I’m so drawn to writing about the past. My reasons are numerous, but perhaps the most important one is that if we don’t learn from history, we run the risk of repeating it. Too often in recent years, those of us who read frequently about WWII have seen shadows of that long-ago war in current events, and it’s difficult seeing versions of past horrors happening again. When I write my novels, I’m not explicitly trying to teach you a lesson. Rather, I’m hoping that you’re reminded of our place in the grand scheme of things – both in the events that have come before us, and in the events that are yet to come. I think that when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future, whatever comes our way.”
Harmel is a wonderful storyteller who brings history alive so we don’t forget. Let’s not.
November 9, 2023
https://wendyreadit.wordpress.com/202...
This is my fourth book by Kristin Harmel and, in my opinion, her best. This historical fiction story begins in Paris, France, 1939. A chance meeting of a pregnant Elise in the park one day leads to an all-consuming friendship with Juliette. Juliette, who is also expecting a child, owns a book store close by with her husband and family. These two women become fast friends, as do their daughters. Elise, as well as many other neighborhood people, visit the book store on a regular basis, some even daily, and it quickly becomes a welcoming second home to its visitors. As war seems imminent, and the Jewish residents begin sending their children away for safety and start disappearing, Elise and her now three year old daughter are also in danger because of her husband's politics. Now Elise has to make a decision, whether or not to separate from her daughter to keep her safe and save them both, but at what cost? The impact that this war has on these people is horrific and changes their lives forever. The story is not about the war and death but about the survivors. Kristin Harmel weaves her characters around detailed, well-researched historical events and left me with quite the book hangover. Jun 2023 Pub Date
This is my fourth book by Kristin Harmel and, in my opinion, her best. This historical fiction story begins in Paris, France, 1939. A chance meeting of a pregnant Elise in the park one day leads to an all-consuming friendship with Juliette. Juliette, who is also expecting a child, owns a book store close by with her husband and family. These two women become fast friends, as do their daughters. Elise, as well as many other neighborhood people, visit the book store on a regular basis, some even daily, and it quickly becomes a welcoming second home to its visitors. As war seems imminent, and the Jewish residents begin sending their children away for safety and start disappearing, Elise and her now three year old daughter are also in danger because of her husband's politics. Now Elise has to make a decision, whether or not to separate from her daughter to keep her safe and save them both, but at what cost? The impact that this war has on these people is horrific and changes their lives forever. The story is not about the war and death but about the survivors. Kristin Harmel weaves her characters around detailed, well-researched historical events and left me with quite the book hangover. Jun 2023 Pub Date
July 19, 2023
4 1/2 stars ⭐️
Kristin Harmel did it again. Knocked another WW2 novel out of the park! The Paris Daughter is built around the historical facts of Allied bombing of the German controlled Renault factory outside of Paris. In 1944, eighty-eight allied aircraft dropped 650 bombs in one day - with only 44% hitting their target. Three hundred twenty seven civilians died in that raid and over 500 were injured. Many simply going about their day when they lost everything.
Inside this backdrop, Harmel weaves personally reported stories of children who were given to strangers by their mothers because they knew it was the only way to give their children a chance of survival. "Their inner strength was unbelievable".
I appreciate the research that Harmel does for all of her books. When she was asked why she always writes about the past she replied "when we don't learn from history we run the risk of repeating it . . . I think when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future."
I agree!
Kristin Harmel did it again. Knocked another WW2 novel out of the park! The Paris Daughter is built around the historical facts of Allied bombing of the German controlled Renault factory outside of Paris. In 1944, eighty-eight allied aircraft dropped 650 bombs in one day - with only 44% hitting their target. Three hundred twenty seven civilians died in that raid and over 500 were injured. Many simply going about their day when they lost everything.
Inside this backdrop, Harmel weaves personally reported stories of children who were given to strangers by their mothers because they knew it was the only way to give their children a chance of survival. "Their inner strength was unbelievable".
I appreciate the research that Harmel does for all of her books. When she was asked why she always writes about the past she replied "when we don't learn from history we run the risk of repeating it . . . I think when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future."
I agree!
September 22, 2023
There are not many books that leave me physically angry after reading, but this was one of them. I read The Book of Lost Names by the same author and while I didn't absolutely love it, I didn't hate it either. This one, one the other hand, felt incredibly exploitative, one of the two main characters was just an awful, awful person with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, the "twist" was incredibly apparent at about 40% in, the ending had another random and nonsensical twist thrown in for no apparent reason, and I cannot stand when very young children are not portrayed realistically in terms of what they are capable of saying and doing.
January 27, 2025
I fell in love with this story about female friendship and found family. The writing was beautiful, the characters were so loveable - even at their worst.
May 24, 2023
Elise and Juliette are both pregnant when they meet and become fast friends in 1939 Paris. As the war progresses, Elise’s artist husband Olivier becomes more and more involved in radical activities. When he is eventually arrested, Elise is forced to flee Paris, leaving her young daughter Mathilde with Juliette’s family. Juliette cares for Mathilde as one of her own, alongside two sons and her own tiny daughter Lucie. When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, all of their lives will be forever changed.
The Paris Daughter is heartbreaking and beautifully written. Kristin Harmel has an incredible gift for bringing the World War II era to life with her words. WWII historical fiction is hot at the moment, but this book is special because the story is focused on the postwar era as much as the horrors of the early 1940s. While the prose is exquisite, ultimately this book did not resonate with me. I couldn’t connect to the characters, especially Juliette’s complete decades-long immersion in her grief and the way she treated others as a result. The “twists” are telegraphed a mile away, making the pacing a struggle at times. I also found Lucie’s many vivid memories of her childhood in Paris to be rather unrealistic given that Juliette and Lucie left Paris when Lucie was only three years old.
My opinion is in a tiny minority as most readers loved this novel, so don’t let my review sway you from reading this book! Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.
The Paris Daughter is heartbreaking and beautifully written. Kristin Harmel has an incredible gift for bringing the World War II era to life with her words. WWII historical fiction is hot at the moment, but this book is special because the story is focused on the postwar era as much as the horrors of the early 1940s. While the prose is exquisite, ultimately this book did not resonate with me. I couldn’t connect to the characters, especially Juliette’s complete decades-long immersion in her grief and the way she treated others as a result. The “twists” are telegraphed a mile away, making the pacing a struggle at times. I also found Lucie’s many vivid memories of her childhood in Paris to be rather unrealistic given that Juliette and Lucie left Paris when Lucie was only three years old.
My opinion is in a tiny minority as most readers loved this novel, so don’t let my review sway you from reading this book! Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.
June 16, 2025
4 stars
Kristin Harmel does a great job of hooking you into a story. I loved her ‘The Book of Lost Names’, and I was looking forward to reading ‘The Paris Daughter’. This was another heartbreaking and bittersweet read. There was a bit of a twist that I caught early on, and I wish we had more closure at the end. It was well written, and I enjoyed it.
Kristin Harmel does a great job of hooking you into a story. I loved her ‘The Book of Lost Names’, and I was looking forward to reading ‘The Paris Daughter’. This was another heartbreaking and bittersweet read. There was a bit of a twist that I caught early on, and I wish we had more closure at the end. It was well written, and I enjoyed it.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Madeleine Maby
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 12h 07h
May 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The story was not just about the time during World War II, but focuses on the survivors and their stories. The things and people that were taken as a result of the war. The unfairness of how some people benefited in small ways while so much was taken and lost from so many others. It really talks about learning how to move on after such devastation. The healing process and the stories our minds have to tell us, or forget about, in order to try and survive such heartbreaking tragedy. It can be so easy to get stuck in the past, reliving your story over and over.
I really loved the mother/child relationships. The unbreakable bond and never-ending love we feel for our children. It was so hard to read about the uninaginably hard sacrifices that sometimes have to be made for the ones that we love. I can not imagine how a person ever moves on after losing a child.
The one thing I didn't enjoy as much was that I found the few twists to be quite expected from very early on; I'm not sure anyone would be surprised by them. If there were maybe fewer hints towards the twists, and they came out as a surprise, it definitely would have made the book a five star for me.
If you enjoy historical fiction, then I'm sure you will love this story as well.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved the mother/child relationships. The unbreakable bond and never-ending love we feel for our children. It was so hard to read about the uninaginably hard sacrifices that sometimes have to be made for the ones that we love. I can not imagine how a person ever moves on after losing a child.
The one thing I didn't enjoy as much was that I found the few twists to be quite expected from very early on; I'm not sure anyone would be surprised by them. If there were maybe fewer hints towards the twists, and they came out as a surprise, it definitely would have made the book a five star for me.
If you enjoy historical fiction, then I'm sure you will love this story as well.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2023
WOW!
This is my fourth book by Kristen Harmel and as usual, it's fantastic! It's a beautiful, heartwarming and touching book that is really hard to put down. It's history, historical fiction and mystery all wrapped into one book. It's really uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time.
It's the tale of three women living in France during WW2 who had to make one of life's hardest choices, what is the best choice for my children? These three are friends. Ruth is Jewish and has two children. She has to decide wether to leave her children in order to save them because she is being sent to a concentration camp or take them with her. Elise is an American artist married to a French artist. They have a rocky marriage along with a daughter. Very early, he was killed and Elise is on the run for her life and leaves her daughter, with her friend, Juliette. Juliette is happily married with 3 children. They agreed to raise Elise's daughter as their own until, hopefully Elise can come back to get her after the war. This is where the story takes a turn to a mystery! These three friends are very much changed by the war.
It's a wonderful book with a lot of twists and turns that I didn't expect! It's also based on true events. I really admire Kristen Harmel for pulling all this together. It's beautifully written and flows easily. I really enjoyed it so much!! Please read the Authors Notes to learn how this book came to be.
Enjoy and Happy Reading 💫✨
This is my fourth book by Kristen Harmel and as usual, it's fantastic! It's a beautiful, heartwarming and touching book that is really hard to put down. It's history, historical fiction and mystery all wrapped into one book. It's really uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time.
It's the tale of three women living in France during WW2 who had to make one of life's hardest choices, what is the best choice for my children? These three are friends. Ruth is Jewish and has two children. She has to decide wether to leave her children in order to save them because she is being sent to a concentration camp or take them with her. Elise is an American artist married to a French artist. They have a rocky marriage along with a daughter. Very early, he was killed and Elise is on the run for her life and leaves her daughter, with her friend, Juliette. Juliette is happily married with 3 children. They agreed to raise Elise's daughter as their own until, hopefully Elise can come back to get her after the war. This is where the story takes a turn to a mystery! These three friends are very much changed by the war.
It's a wonderful book with a lot of twists and turns that I didn't expect! It's also based on true events. I really admire Kristen Harmel for pulling all this together. It's beautifully written and flows easily. I really enjoyed it so much!! Please read the Authors Notes to learn how this book came to be.
Enjoy and Happy Reading 💫✨
January 17, 2024
The Paris Daughter was an interesting book.
I was surprised to learn about civilian casualties caused by Allied bombs. Apparently the Germans used Paris buildings for headquarters and also for making weapons. The allied army would send notices from the sky, letting the people of Paris know it was going to be bombed and to leave. But sometimes the people couldn’t leave and they would end up getting killed by bombs near the target or bombs that accidentally missed their target. So, basically Paris was getting bombed by Germans and the allied army. Crazy.
I was kind of disappointed when I figured out the plot from the start. I kept wondering how long it was going to take until the author revealed the daughter switch. Then, when the paintings were missing it was obvious that it was the gallery owner who moved to New York. The author just gave too many clues. Basically I listened to the book to find out how Elise was going to find her daughter and if she would get her artwork back. That made the story drag because it all happens at the end! Or course!
It was a good book but I would have liked it more if I hadn’t guessed the plot.
I was surprised to learn about civilian casualties caused by Allied bombs. Apparently the Germans used Paris buildings for headquarters and also for making weapons. The allied army would send notices from the sky, letting the people of Paris know it was going to be bombed and to leave. But sometimes the people couldn’t leave and they would end up getting killed by bombs near the target or bombs that accidentally missed their target. So, basically Paris was getting bombed by Germans and the allied army. Crazy.
I was kind of disappointed when I figured out the plot from the start. I kept wondering how long it was going to take until the author revealed the daughter switch. Then, when the paintings were missing it was obvious that it was the gallery owner who moved to New York. The author just gave too many clues. Basically I listened to the book to find out how Elise was going to find her daughter and if she would get her artwork back. That made the story drag because it all happens at the end! Or course!
It was a good book but I would have liked it more if I hadn’t guessed the plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2022
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is an excellent WWII-era historical fiction that I really, truly enjoyed.
Set in war-torn France during WWII, this is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, selflessness, fear, hope, and the truly special bond and love between a mother and daughter.
This story has emotion, action, mystery, suspense, history, and a few surprises along the way.
I liked the development of the characters Elise and Juliette. The pacing picked up as tne book continued onwards, and finished to my satisfaction for sure.
I have loved several of Ms. Harmel’s books, and this is no exception.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Gallery Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.
Set in war-torn France during WWII, this is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, selflessness, fear, hope, and the truly special bond and love between a mother and daughter.
This story has emotion, action, mystery, suspense, history, and a few surprises along the way.
I liked the development of the characters Elise and Juliette. The pacing picked up as tne book continued onwards, and finished to my satisfaction for sure.
I have loved several of Ms. Harmel’s books, and this is no exception.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Gallery Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.
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