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Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War
A meeting place for Europe’s bohemian artists. A headquarters of the Nazi occupation. A shelter for camp survivors.
This is the true story of how one Paris hotel came to hold the weight of a century.
The Hotel Lutetia is a Paris institution, the only ‘grand’ hotel on the city’s bohemian Left Bank. Ever since it opened, it has served as a meeting place for artists, musicians and politicians. André Gide took his lunch here, James Joyce lived in one of its rooms, Picasso and Matisse were regular guests. It has a darker history, too. During one short period, it became a focus for some of the most dramatic and terrible events in recent history.
In the 1930s the Hotel Lutetia attracted intellectuals and political activists, forced to flee their homes when Hitler came to power, who met here with the hope of forming an alternative government. But when war came, Paris was occupied, and the hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service – and the centre of their operation to root out enemies of the Reich. In 1945, the Lutetia was requisitioned once more, this time transformed into a reception centre for deportees returning from concentration camps.
Hotel Exile is about what happens on the edges of a war. At its heart are three groups of people connected to a place, to one another, and to the dark ideology which dictates the course of their lives. A masterpiece of empathy and concision, Jane Rogoyska’s extraordinary new book offers us a vision of individual human beings desperately trying to find a path through some of the twentieth century’s most devastating events.
This is the true story of how one Paris hotel came to hold the weight of a century.
The Hotel Lutetia is a Paris institution, the only ‘grand’ hotel on the city’s bohemian Left Bank. Ever since it opened, it has served as a meeting place for artists, musicians and politicians. André Gide took his lunch here, James Joyce lived in one of its rooms, Picasso and Matisse were regular guests. It has a darker history, too. During one short period, it became a focus for some of the most dramatic and terrible events in recent history.
In the 1930s the Hotel Lutetia attracted intellectuals and political activists, forced to flee their homes when Hitler came to power, who met here with the hope of forming an alternative government. But when war came, Paris was occupied, and the hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service – and the centre of their operation to root out enemies of the Reich. In 1945, the Lutetia was requisitioned once more, this time transformed into a reception centre for deportees returning from concentration camps.
Hotel Exile is about what happens on the edges of a war. At its heart are three groups of people connected to a place, to one another, and to the dark ideology which dictates the course of their lives. A masterpiece of empathy and concision, Jane Rogoyska’s extraordinary new book offers us a vision of individual human beings desperately trying to find a path through some of the twentieth century’s most devastating events.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 29, 2025
This is a return to the Second World War and, specifically, the experience in France. While the hook is the Hotel Lutetia in Paris, the actual text wanders quite far and only intermittently touches base with the hotel.
Divided into three parts, the first explores the experience of German refugees to France, some of whom end up at the Lutetia, especially those with intellectual or artistic connections such as Walter Benjamin and Anna Seghers. The second part looks at how the hotel changes when Paris is under occupation and it becomes a prime place for Nazi officers. It's the third part where I felt this book really earned its keep: it explores the return of those French citizens who had been deported and survived the camps when the Lutetia acts as a reception centre. Alongside French Jews in this part, we learn the stories of non-Jewish Resistance fighters and others who refused to collaborate with the Nazi regime. The aftermath of their experience is especially poignant, specifically the way no-one who had remained in France during the Occupation wanted to hear their stories or about the lived experience of the camps: 'I had an apple and ate it on the metro. There was a man checking tickets and he said, "What's this then?" I explained that we were deportees returning from Auschwitz. He said, "Oh, you look well. You must have had a good life there.'
It's worth adding that the way German refugees in Paris in the first part are treated, regardless of whether they are Jewish or not, is horribly reminiscent of current dehumanising discourses from both the far-right and, increasingly, governments: the media talking of those fleeing Nazi Germany as 'an invasion', of 'immigrants bringing their quarrels to the streets of France' and 'endangering French citizens' are horribly familiar and it's also the case that many were what today would be termed 'illegal or undocumented immigrants', either because they fled Nazi Germany with expired passports or no passports at all, or because the Nazis deprived them of their German citizenship for 'disloyalty' to the Reich.
There's a strong focus on individual people in this book making the history personal. That said, I'd have liked, perhaps, a closer tie to the hotel as blurbed. The second section overlaps quite a bit with more focused histories such as Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation. But the concept of exploring the war via the displacement of people to a single hotel in Paris gives this book a fascinating angle and the aftermath section is especially strong.
Many thanks to Penguin for an ARC via Netgalley
Divided into three parts, the first explores the experience of German refugees to France, some of whom end up at the Lutetia, especially those with intellectual or artistic connections such as Walter Benjamin and Anna Seghers. The second part looks at how the hotel changes when Paris is under occupation and it becomes a prime place for Nazi officers. It's the third part where I felt this book really earned its keep: it explores the return of those French citizens who had been deported and survived the camps when the Lutetia acts as a reception centre. Alongside French Jews in this part, we learn the stories of non-Jewish Resistance fighters and others who refused to collaborate with the Nazi regime. The aftermath of their experience is especially poignant, specifically the way no-one who had remained in France during the Occupation wanted to hear their stories or about the lived experience of the camps: 'I had an apple and ate it on the metro. There was a man checking tickets and he said, "What's this then?" I explained that we were deportees returning from Auschwitz. He said, "Oh, you look well. You must have had a good life there.'
It's worth adding that the way German refugees in Paris in the first part are treated, regardless of whether they are Jewish or not, is horribly reminiscent of current dehumanising discourses from both the far-right and, increasingly, governments: the media talking of those fleeing Nazi Germany as 'an invasion', of 'immigrants bringing their quarrels to the streets of France' and 'endangering French citizens' are horribly familiar and it's also the case that many were what today would be termed 'illegal or undocumented immigrants', either because they fled Nazi Germany with expired passports or no passports at all, or because the Nazis deprived them of their German citizenship for 'disloyalty' to the Reich.
There's a strong focus on individual people in this book making the history personal. That said, I'd have liked, perhaps, a closer tie to the hotel as blurbed. The second section overlaps quite a bit with more focused histories such as Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation. But the concept of exploring the war via the displacement of people to a single hotel in Paris gives this book a fascinating angle and the aftermath section is especially strong.
Many thanks to Penguin for an ARC via Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5
Whilst this book isn't exactly what I was expecting it is, nonetheless, an extremely moving and frankly terrifying look at Paris from the moment the Nazis arrived to the point at which the final deportees/POWs arrive home. At the heart of the story is the Hotel Lutetia on the left bank of the Seine.
In wartime the Nazis took over the hotel and when they left it was used as a central point for those returning. It is the harrowing descriptions of these people that stays with me - children searching for parents, those who were never found, surprising reunions - they all happen at the Lutetia.
The Lutetia is now a 5 star hotel catering to the super rich. The only nod to the hotel's wartime story is a small plaque on the outside of the building. Jane Rogoyska brings the hotel's history back to life.
A very interesting, frightening but moving book about a hotel, its inhabitants and those who passed through its doors. A tale if humanity. I would most definitely recommend this book.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Penguin Press UK for the advance review copy.
Whilst this book isn't exactly what I was expecting it is, nonetheless, an extremely moving and frankly terrifying look at Paris from the moment the Nazis arrived to the point at which the final deportees/POWs arrive home. At the heart of the story is the Hotel Lutetia on the left bank of the Seine.
In wartime the Nazis took over the hotel and when they left it was used as a central point for those returning. It is the harrowing descriptions of these people that stays with me - children searching for parents, those who were never found, surprising reunions - they all happen at the Lutetia.
The Lutetia is now a 5 star hotel catering to the super rich. The only nod to the hotel's wartime story is a small plaque on the outside of the building. Jane Rogoyska brings the hotel's history back to life.
A very interesting, frightening but moving book about a hotel, its inhabitants and those who passed through its doors. A tale if humanity. I would most definitely recommend this book.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Penguin Press UK for the advance review copy.
March 21, 2026
Such an interesting read. The book focuses on one hotel in one city, and follows it across three key periods: before WWII, during the war, and right after France was liberated. It’s amazing how one place can hold so many different stories. All kinds of people passed through the hotel, and each chapter adds a new perspective on what was happening at the time.
It really brings history to life in a unique way. No surprise it’s longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Definitely worth picking up.
It really brings history to life in a unique way. No surprise it’s longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Definitely worth picking up.
February 18, 2026
I found the themes of this book interesting, especially the historic time periods and the literary figures. But I wished for more of a strong Parisian setting and, in particular, the Hotel Lutetia having a much more strong foundation to the historic
events. I just couldn’t grasp hold of a strong enough narrative thread. There were too many short snippets about too many individuals which felt disjointed and didn’t make me feel like there was a flow through the book. I appreciated the research and the scope and ambition behind this book, but I didn’t feel it worked for me.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
events. I just couldn’t grasp hold of a strong enough narrative thread. There were too many short snippets about too many individuals which felt disjointed and didn’t make me feel like there was a flow through the book. I appreciated the research and the scope and ambition behind this book, but I didn’t feel it worked for me.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
March 18, 2026
Really well written and researched book about a building and its part to play before, during and after World War Two. I learnt a lot about the people that visited, worked and stayed in the hotel, and about Paris’ history in World War Two. I felt the first section started strong but contained a lot of names and acronyms and I felt myself getting lost. I was most captivated by the second two parts and felt I learned a lot about the German officers that stayed at the hotel and the survivors that returned to it. The third part of the book was particularly sad but enlightening. Would recommend to anyone wanting to know more the lives of people before during and after World War Two through the history of one hotel and its people.
February 26, 2026
I was very confused for much of this book, which is a shame, because it is an epic work, covering a part of the misery of World War 2 that I, and I expect many of my generation in the English speaking world, have never considered. We are familiar with the stories of death camps, with Schindler’s List (Ark) and the pogrom against the Jews in Germany and Eastern Europe. But i had no idea of the beginnings of the exodus of Germans of many religious and cultural beliefs, who saw the writing on the wall soon after Hitler’s election. They headed to the safety of France. And we would do well to take notice, since one paragraph near the start would read as current affairs, if you substituted another leader’s name and the acronym for his army of bully boys.
How France coped with the influx, often of intelligentsia, poets, philosophers, artists, is the heart of this book. Jane Rogoyska has gone through a massive amount of memoirs, diaries, records and more, to present the reader with a picture of these people, and their lives in exile… and beyond. She writes powerfully, often in the present tense, and if her paragraphs sometimes become somewhat turgid, she can be forgiven after all that research.
The problem for me with the book, is that in pitching it as the view of Hotel Lutetia throughout, it has majored on a tenuous link, one that seems almost of desperation, to pull the book together. The first section relies on the fact that many of the people we have been following once went to a meeting at the hotel. The stage set during wartime gives the hotel a slightly larger role, which is useful in tracing the changing regime in Paris. And the final part gives the hotel a role…but we swiftly depart to follow people outside it again.
This is a book about people. People who lived through extraordinary challenges, well, most of them don’t get to live through them. The numbers, thrown in to ground us every now and then, are horrendous. I wondered if this was creative non-fiction, since the author has created a very realistic life for each of her subjects (of whom there are many, some with well-known names). She lists her sources, along with further reading and references in the final 10% of the ebook.
Hotel Exile is well worth reading. Just ignore the hotel as a character in it, and concentrate on the people, the politics, the belief systems and the extraordinary things people will do for their loved ones.
How France coped with the influx, often of intelligentsia, poets, philosophers, artists, is the heart of this book. Jane Rogoyska has gone through a massive amount of memoirs, diaries, records and more, to present the reader with a picture of these people, and their lives in exile… and beyond. She writes powerfully, often in the present tense, and if her paragraphs sometimes become somewhat turgid, she can be forgiven after all that research.
The problem for me with the book, is that in pitching it as the view of Hotel Lutetia throughout, it has majored on a tenuous link, one that seems almost of desperation, to pull the book together. The first section relies on the fact that many of the people we have been following once went to a meeting at the hotel. The stage set during wartime gives the hotel a slightly larger role, which is useful in tracing the changing regime in Paris. And the final part gives the hotel a role…but we swiftly depart to follow people outside it again.
This is a book about people. People who lived through extraordinary challenges, well, most of them don’t get to live through them. The numbers, thrown in to ground us every now and then, are horrendous. I wondered if this was creative non-fiction, since the author has created a very realistic life for each of her subjects (of whom there are many, some with well-known names). She lists her sources, along with further reading and references in the final 10% of the ebook.
Hotel Exile is well worth reading. Just ignore the hotel as a character in it, and concentrate on the people, the politics, the belief systems and the extraordinary things people will do for their loved ones.
March 6, 2026
It seems petty to give this book a rating. It deserves more than that. It's moving and timely. Heartbreakingly timely. It has all the research required for food non fiction but it reads like a novel. This book reads differently at a time when fascism is on the march. It is a lesson from history that we can't ignore
March 26, 2026
Jane Rogoyska’s ‘Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of the War’ has just been shortlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. I’m not surprised by the inclusion because the work is an impressively researched and superbly written look at one hotel, Hotel Lutetia before, during, and after Hitler’s rise to power in Germany and World War II. Rogoyska’s scope is vast, as she looks at how the hotel’s purpose shifted based on who had control of Paris during these times.
She uses the hotel as a way to establish the history of the real-life intellectuals, revolutionaries, resistance fighters, children, exiles, etc. who came to Paris to escape Hitler’s Germany. She does a fantastic job of showing how Hitler used his propaganda machine to demonise German citizens who then fled to a Paris openly hostile to an influx of German-speaking exiles. Due to Hitler’s policies, many of these exiles had no identification cards and were not seen as German citizens. They had no country so they were stuck in Paris with few options to escape.
She then explores what happened when Germany occupied France, and I had never thought about what Paris would have been like on a daily basis during this period. Rogoyska captures Paris in such a way that I could feel the daily terror and surreal nature of life under German rule. Rogoyska then ends with the return (or non-return) of those who have been captured. I was incredibly moved by this section, especially by Rogoyska’s description of how the Boy Scout uniform could be so traumatic for child survivors of Germany’s unfathomable brutality. The moments in Hotel Lutetia are heartbreaking as are the scenes where families are waiting to hear if loved ones have survived.
If there’s a small downside to the book, it’s that there is a large amount of information to process, so readers should keep a note card handy. I sometimes forgot political abbreviations, but I made notations on a card so I would remember them. There are also a lot of names to remember, but Rogoyska circles back to these real-life people so I didn’t find the names to be a problem to recall.
I found the book a depressing experience because it feels like we have not learned the lessons of Nazi Germany and the invasion of Paris. In fact, we live in a time when so many politicians appear to emulate and approve of Hitler’s tactics. Rogoyska is a reminder that these dangerous men do so because of the political systems; they are voted in by indifferent voters who don’t see the dangers that await their countries. ‘Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of the War is an unforgettable read and a worthy book on the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction shortlist.
She uses the hotel as a way to establish the history of the real-life intellectuals, revolutionaries, resistance fighters, children, exiles, etc. who came to Paris to escape Hitler’s Germany. She does a fantastic job of showing how Hitler used his propaganda machine to demonise German citizens who then fled to a Paris openly hostile to an influx of German-speaking exiles. Due to Hitler’s policies, many of these exiles had no identification cards and were not seen as German citizens. They had no country so they were stuck in Paris with few options to escape.
She then explores what happened when Germany occupied France, and I had never thought about what Paris would have been like on a daily basis during this period. Rogoyska captures Paris in such a way that I could feel the daily terror and surreal nature of life under German rule. Rogoyska then ends with the return (or non-return) of those who have been captured. I was incredibly moved by this section, especially by Rogoyska’s description of how the Boy Scout uniform could be so traumatic for child survivors of Germany’s unfathomable brutality. The moments in Hotel Lutetia are heartbreaking as are the scenes where families are waiting to hear if loved ones have survived.
If there’s a small downside to the book, it’s that there is a large amount of information to process, so readers should keep a note card handy. I sometimes forgot political abbreviations, but I made notations on a card so I would remember them. There are also a lot of names to remember, but Rogoyska circles back to these real-life people so I didn’t find the names to be a problem to recall.
I found the book a depressing experience because it feels like we have not learned the lessons of Nazi Germany and the invasion of Paris. In fact, we live in a time when so many politicians appear to emulate and approve of Hitler’s tactics. Rogoyska is a reminder that these dangerous men do so because of the political systems; they are voted in by indifferent voters who don’t see the dangers that await their countries. ‘Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of the War is an unforgettable read and a worthy book on the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction shortlist.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In this book, Jane Rogoyska is exploring the experience of exile in various forms. She does this describing the lives of people who fall within three different groups, all having interacted in some way with the Hotel Lutetia on Paris' Left Bank. She states that, "This is not the story of a famous Paris hotel. It is about three groups of people who are connected to a particular city, to that particular hotel, to one another, and to the grim ideology which dictates the course of their lives. These groups are linked--willingly or not--by race, nationality, language, and their status as outsiders. They all live in exile, in profoundly different ways. They are displaced, dislocated, their lives disrupted. They are temporary beings who live out of suitcases. Their drama plays out in many hotel rooms. The Hotel Lutetia is the prism through which we view their lives." (p 3) The three groups she focuses on in this book are people in the resistance movement in France, Nazi occupiers, and finally, people who have been liberated from concentration camps at the end of the war. Within each group, there are particular people the author writes about and through them readers get a sense of the larger environment in which events occurred. She writes in present tense for most of the book, with occasional paragraphs of objective historical fact written in past tense. She does speculate at times about how someone might have felt in a particular situation, but it's very clear to the reader when this is happening. I found this to be a fascinating, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and very readable book. At times it read like a novel in that I cared about what was happening to some of the people she highlighted and wanted to know what happened to them. This is an important book both for the historical information provided but also because of the idea of different kinds of exile. More and more people are finding themselves in one kind of exile or another, whether through war, invasion, climate crisis, hunger, political oppression, etc. It is important for all of us to understand better what this means. Of course, exiled people today will have different circumstances in some ways than people described in this book. But there will be similarities as well. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. I highly recommend it.
I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy.
I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy.
November 21, 2025
I can highly recommend Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War (kindle edition) by Jane Rogoyska an eye-opening non-fiction account based on true events. Rogoyska really delves deeply into the onset of invasion and the hotel staff had to adapt to catering for exiles, Germans and survivors.
Hotel Lutetia in Paris between 1933 and 1945, was a haven for exiles and intellectuals fleeing Nazi Germany. During the occupation of Paris, German counterintelligence officers made the hotel their headquarters. After liberation survivors and displaced persons sought refuge there too.
Tramps pay a cafe -bar owner twenty centimes to sleep standing up against a rope. Hunger and destitution plagued the exiled, many of whom lacked French qualifications and didn't speak or write the language. They were known as a flaneurs - men about town whith no identity no valid criteria. They were known to while away their time in libraries or cafes making one hot drink last them for hours on end.
The hammer and sickle versus the silver eagle is very much in play. To be a German in France in 1938 is to be suspect. The city of Paris motto is 'Tossed by the waves but does not sink.' Men aged between twenty to forty nine have to enlist.
Ernest Hemingway and Charles deGaulle with his bride on their way to honeymoon in the 1900's stayed at the Left Bank hotel with a maritime theme. This hotel had two hundred soundproofed bedrooms- ninety of them with bathrooms - as well as a restaurant, reading room, smoking room, billiards room, an American bar, tea -shop, patisserie and an ice-cream shop.
I felt for the survivors who came to the Lutetia as they were malnourished, barely had any hair, full of lice and infections. Upon entering they had DDT sprayed all over them and felt dehumanised.
Hotel Lutetia in Paris between 1933 and 1945, was a haven for exiles and intellectuals fleeing Nazi Germany. During the occupation of Paris, German counterintelligence officers made the hotel their headquarters. After liberation survivors and displaced persons sought refuge there too.
Tramps pay a cafe -bar owner twenty centimes to sleep standing up against a rope. Hunger and destitution plagued the exiled, many of whom lacked French qualifications and didn't speak or write the language. They were known as a flaneurs - men about town whith no identity no valid criteria. They were known to while away their time in libraries or cafes making one hot drink last them for hours on end.
The hammer and sickle versus the silver eagle is very much in play. To be a German in France in 1938 is to be suspect. The city of Paris motto is 'Tossed by the waves but does not sink.' Men aged between twenty to forty nine have to enlist.
Ernest Hemingway and Charles deGaulle with his bride on their way to honeymoon in the 1900's stayed at the Left Bank hotel with a maritime theme. This hotel had two hundred soundproofed bedrooms- ninety of them with bathrooms - as well as a restaurant, reading room, smoking room, billiards room, an American bar, tea -shop, patisserie and an ice-cream shop.
I felt for the survivors who came to the Lutetia as they were malnourished, barely had any hair, full of lice and infections. Upon entering they had DDT sprayed all over them and felt dehumanised.
March 1, 2026
Hotel Exile - Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska
A hotel. A place that provides temporary accommodation and often sustenance for travellers. Imagine if hotel walls could describe what they have seen or heard;the stories they could tell and the ones they would prefer to hide.
The Hotel Lutetia in Paris, sophisticated,luxurious,bares witness,as dark shadows are cast across Europe, from 1933 onwards.
Initially hosting refugees,deportees and intellectuals from Germany; trying to form an opposition to Naziism back home, followed by a takeover by the German army when France fell in 1939.
The latter part of the book, covers the absolutely heartbreaking return of decimated Jewish survivors of the death camps, together with those imprisoned as part of the resistance around 1945.
The immediate aftermath of release feels like a previously under explored period, where those returning perhaps felt unable to talk about it, and those who had been treacherous French collaborators , wished to forget it. The hotel has seen it all. This part is truly heart wrenching, especially the description of family homes emptied of Jews, and the searches of those desperate for news of the missing, likely murdered.
Jane Rogoyska’s research is breathtaking in its detail, told in documentary style often with first person testimony. I am in awe of her dedication.
This is an essential piece of work that presents the factual evidence for you to draw your own conclusions.
In our troubled times, how can we ever expect to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past if we don’t regularly revisit them?
A hotel. A place that provides temporary accommodation and often sustenance for travellers. Imagine if hotel walls could describe what they have seen or heard;the stories they could tell and the ones they would prefer to hide.
The Hotel Lutetia in Paris, sophisticated,luxurious,bares witness,as dark shadows are cast across Europe, from 1933 onwards.
Initially hosting refugees,deportees and intellectuals from Germany; trying to form an opposition to Naziism back home, followed by a takeover by the German army when France fell in 1939.
The latter part of the book, covers the absolutely heartbreaking return of decimated Jewish survivors of the death camps, together with those imprisoned as part of the resistance around 1945.
The immediate aftermath of release feels like a previously under explored period, where those returning perhaps felt unable to talk about it, and those who had been treacherous French collaborators , wished to forget it. The hotel has seen it all. This part is truly heart wrenching, especially the description of family homes emptied of Jews, and the searches of those desperate for news of the missing, likely murdered.
Jane Rogoyska’s research is breathtaking in its detail, told in documentary style often with first person testimony. I am in awe of her dedication.
This is an essential piece of work that presents the factual evidence for you to draw your own conclusions.
In our troubled times, how can we ever expect to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past if we don’t regularly revisit them?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
I very rarely fail to finish a book, but I simply couldn’t continue to continue with a book where I found myself skimming most pages.
I do believe the author of this book has put a great deal of time and effort into the researching of France during the 1930s and 1940s, it’s evident in the detail dispersed throughout every page. These details, however, are what made the book unreadable for me.
The novel is described as portraying the impact of the Nazi regime on a single hotel in Paris, before, during and after WWII. This is a very intriguing concept as someone who loves historical fiction based in this time period. Unfortunately, at around 28% I completely lost track of who was who and what was happening to each person. Names of people, places and political movements cover every page, making it difficult to identify any clear main characters or key events.
Though I’m sure this book would be greatly received by the correct audience (maybe those more interested in non-fiction), I simply couldn’t get to grips with the lack of progression or focus. After searching the book on NetGalley and Goodreads, I can’t determine whether it’s entirely factual or whether details have been added to create a highly researched historical fiction, but either way, it’s an acquired taste. It may be useful for the publisher to clarify this within the description to appeal to a more appropriate audience?
I do feel bad that I have reviewed without finishing, but life is too short to dread reading!
I very rarely fail to finish a book, but I simply couldn’t continue to continue with a book where I found myself skimming most pages.
I do believe the author of this book has put a great deal of time and effort into the researching of France during the 1930s and 1940s, it’s evident in the detail dispersed throughout every page. These details, however, are what made the book unreadable for me.
The novel is described as portraying the impact of the Nazi regime on a single hotel in Paris, before, during and after WWII. This is a very intriguing concept as someone who loves historical fiction based in this time period. Unfortunately, at around 28% I completely lost track of who was who and what was happening to each person. Names of people, places and political movements cover every page, making it difficult to identify any clear main characters or key events.
Though I’m sure this book would be greatly received by the correct audience (maybe those more interested in non-fiction), I simply couldn’t get to grips with the lack of progression or focus. After searching the book on NetGalley and Goodreads, I can’t determine whether it’s entirely factual or whether details have been added to create a highly researched historical fiction, but either way, it’s an acquired taste. It may be useful for the publisher to clarify this within the description to appeal to a more appropriate audience?
I do feel bad that I have reviewed without finishing, but life is too short to dread reading!
November 27, 2025
Publication date: February 26th 2026
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska tells the story of Paris’ Hôtel Lutetia during WWII- a glamorous hotel turned wartime hub. It became a refuge for exiles and intellectuals, a base for German intelligence, and later a reception centre for survivors returning from deportation. Through the lives of those who passed through its doors, the book illuminates the human impact of war, exile, and survival.
Hotel Exile is a beautifully written, deeply human exploration of Paris during WWII, told through the lens of the Hôtel Lutetia. The pace mirrors the hotel’s turbulent history-tense under German occupation, reflective during its time as a refuge for exiles, and heartbreakingly poignant as survivors return. Rogoyska captures the emotional reality of displacement, fear, and resilience without leaning on melodrama. While it touches on familiar war-and-refugee tropes, the focus on a single hotel gives the narrative a fresh, intimate perspective. The book reads in vivid, snapshot-like scenes, making history feel immediate, personal, and profoundly moving.
A compelling, empathetic account of exile and survival- a perfect read for anyone who loves historical nonfiction with a human focus.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska tells the story of Paris’ Hôtel Lutetia during WWII- a glamorous hotel turned wartime hub. It became a refuge for exiles and intellectuals, a base for German intelligence, and later a reception centre for survivors returning from deportation. Through the lives of those who passed through its doors, the book illuminates the human impact of war, exile, and survival.
Hotel Exile is a beautifully written, deeply human exploration of Paris during WWII, told through the lens of the Hôtel Lutetia. The pace mirrors the hotel’s turbulent history-tense under German occupation, reflective during its time as a refuge for exiles, and heartbreakingly poignant as survivors return. Rogoyska captures the emotional reality of displacement, fear, and resilience without leaning on melodrama. While it touches on familiar war-and-refugee tropes, the focus on a single hotel gives the narrative a fresh, intimate perspective. The book reads in vivid, snapshot-like scenes, making history feel immediate, personal, and profoundly moving.
A compelling, empathetic account of exile and survival- a perfect read for anyone who loves historical nonfiction with a human focus.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don’t like leaving books unfinished, so I really tried to push through this book in the hope that my opinion would shift as it progressed. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me, and in the end I chose not to finish it.
The concept is undeniably interesting - exploring the history of the Hotel Lutetia and its role during such a turbulent period in European history should have been completely up my street. I’ve been gravitating towards more books set in this time period lately, which made me all the more excited to pick this up.
However, despite the strong premise, I struggled to feel invested. There were so many names and characters introduced that I found it extremely difficult to keep track of who was who and what was happening. Instead of feeling immersed, I often felt lost, which made reading frustrating rather than engaging.
I tried to stay open-minded for at least the first 25%, hoping things would settle and become clearer. Instead, I found myself beginning to dread picking it up, and I ended up skimming sections - which, in fairness, may have added to my confusion. Sadly, it just didn’t live up to the expectations I had going in.
That said, I can appreciate the ambition of the book and the depth of research behind it, hence the 3 star review, but it simply just wasn’t for me sadly. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.
The concept is undeniably interesting - exploring the history of the Hotel Lutetia and its role during such a turbulent period in European history should have been completely up my street. I’ve been gravitating towards more books set in this time period lately, which made me all the more excited to pick this up.
However, despite the strong premise, I struggled to feel invested. There were so many names and characters introduced that I found it extremely difficult to keep track of who was who and what was happening. Instead of feeling immersed, I often felt lost, which made reading frustrating rather than engaging.
I tried to stay open-minded for at least the first 25%, hoping things would settle and become clearer. Instead, I found myself beginning to dread picking it up, and I ended up skimming sections - which, in fairness, may have added to my confusion. Sadly, it just didn’t live up to the expectations I had going in.
That said, I can appreciate the ambition of the book and the depth of research behind it, hence the 3 star review, but it simply just wasn’t for me sadly. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.
March 10, 2026
I listened to the audio version of this narrated by the author.
A poignant account of the lives of certain key visitors of the Hotel Lutetia in Paris in the lead up to German occupation and the few years after.
The hotel was a merging point for a large number of displaced European intellectuals and so acts as a nexus to explore all these lives disrupted by the war and the holocaust. The hotel was also used as a repatriation centre for camp survivors after the war, which gives a completeness to these stories, witnessing how changed the victims were even if they survived. These victims who found that on their return, no one wanted to hear of what they had experienced.
Gide, Joyce, Beckett, Heinrich Mann, Walter Benjamin among others all touched base with the hotel during their time, which allows the author to follow the threads of these lives with their different outcomes.
Would appeal to anyone who enjoyed the Netflix series Transatlantic. It also has appearances from Varian Fry and Hiram Bingham US consulate.
It also touches on the story of Irene Nemirovsky and her family, for fans of Suite Francaise or Elisabeth Gilles. The infiltration of the Reseau Gloria by Robert Alesch, and the various deportations of Jews from France, including the Enfants d’Izieu, which I struggle to even think about.
All just a reminder of how these lights were extinguished.
A poignant account of the lives of certain key visitors of the Hotel Lutetia in Paris in the lead up to German occupation and the few years after.
The hotel was a merging point for a large number of displaced European intellectuals and so acts as a nexus to explore all these lives disrupted by the war and the holocaust. The hotel was also used as a repatriation centre for camp survivors after the war, which gives a completeness to these stories, witnessing how changed the victims were even if they survived. These victims who found that on their return, no one wanted to hear of what they had experienced.
Gide, Joyce, Beckett, Heinrich Mann, Walter Benjamin among others all touched base with the hotel during their time, which allows the author to follow the threads of these lives with their different outcomes.
Would appeal to anyone who enjoyed the Netflix series Transatlantic. It also has appearances from Varian Fry and Hiram Bingham US consulate.
It also touches on the story of Irene Nemirovsky and her family, for fans of Suite Francaise or Elisabeth Gilles. The infiltration of the Reseau Gloria by Robert Alesch, and the various deportations of Jews from France, including the Enfants d’Izieu, which I struggle to even think about.
All just a reminder of how these lights were extinguished.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A remarkable work which is very informative and educational. I was born towards the end of WWII and have been aware of the atrocities inflicted on both Jewish people and those who resisted the rise of the Nazi party from a very early age.
This is a very well researched book using many sources to produce a history based round the hotel lutetia in Paris which played a role before during and after the war.
Using first hand accounts the reader enters the lives of various people including well known artists, authors, political agitators who for political; or racial reasons were persecuted from the mid 1930’s until 1945.
The horrors of the concentration camps and associated gas chambers are told in a straightforward manner which hits home more than any graphic description.
Gaps in my knowledge of France in the years from 1933 to 1945 have been filled and my understanding of events has vastly increased.
This is not an easy read and at times a very emotional one which truly casts light on the horrors inflicted on large parts of the European population in the twentieth century .
In today’s turbulent political world this is a warning to everyone to think long and hard before casting a vote in national elections. Hitler did not seize power he was elected.
This is a very well researched book using many sources to produce a history based round the hotel lutetia in Paris which played a role before during and after the war.
Using first hand accounts the reader enters the lives of various people including well known artists, authors, political agitators who for political; or racial reasons were persecuted from the mid 1930’s until 1945.
The horrors of the concentration camps and associated gas chambers are told in a straightforward manner which hits home more than any graphic description.
Gaps in my knowledge of France in the years from 1933 to 1945 have been filled and my understanding of events has vastly increased.
This is not an easy read and at times a very emotional one which truly casts light on the horrors inflicted on large parts of the European population in the twentieth century .
In today’s turbulent political world this is a warning to everyone to think long and hard before casting a vote in national elections. Hitler did not seize power he was elected.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hotel Exile is my first completed book from the Women's Prize for Nonfiction longlist and I read it thanks to the publisher and NetGalley who approved me a copy. The story is based around the Hotel Lutetia, which is based on the Left Bank of Paris in the Latin Quarter. This hotel was built in 1910 and it is still open to this day.
The author separates the story into three parts, the hotel before WWII, during the war and post war. Basically, we follow the people who in some capacity have been in Hotel Lutetia. Lutetia was a place where political activists, authors and prominent figures gathered. During the war, it had been a base for the Nazi soldiers and after the war it welcomed the refugees who came back from the concentration camps. So its history is rich and extensive.
Overall, I found this book just okay. For a book where the hotel is the main focus, the same hotel is mentioned very little. We follow the people who have visited this hotel. There was extensive name dropping, it made the book very info-dumpy and my enjoyment was declining as I was reading constantly about new people. Although, I can surely say that it is heavily researched. Looking forward to my next book from the longlist.
The author separates the story into three parts, the hotel before WWII, during the war and post war. Basically, we follow the people who in some capacity have been in Hotel Lutetia. Lutetia was a place where political activists, authors and prominent figures gathered. During the war, it had been a base for the Nazi soldiers and after the war it welcomed the refugees who came back from the concentration camps. So its history is rich and extensive.
Overall, I found this book just okay. For a book where the hotel is the main focus, the same hotel is mentioned very little. We follow the people who have visited this hotel. There was extensive name dropping, it made the book very info-dumpy and my enjoyment was declining as I was reading constantly about new people. Although, I can surely say that it is heavily researched. Looking forward to my next book from the longlist.
November 18, 2025
I was asked by NetGalley to review this really interesating story.
In three parts essentially
In the 1930s the Hotel Lutetia attracted intellectuals and political activists, forced to flee their homes when Hitler came to power, who met here with the hope of forming an alternative government., and in 1940 Paris was Natzi occupied, The hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service. Then in 1945 the Lutetia was requisitioned once more, this time transformed into a reception centre for deportees returning from the holocaust.
Three groups of people are connected to this place and one and other. It reminds me of Raffles hotel in Singapore during world wars 2 and the history around this time.
This is tubulent time in history with such atrocities the Nazi regieme bestowed upon people.
Very intense, sad but so well written and researched,
Due for publication Feb 26 2026.
In three parts essentially
In the 1930s the Hotel Lutetia attracted intellectuals and political activists, forced to flee their homes when Hitler came to power, who met here with the hope of forming an alternative government., and in 1940 Paris was Natzi occupied, The hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service. Then in 1945 the Lutetia was requisitioned once more, this time transformed into a reception centre for deportees returning from the holocaust.
Three groups of people are connected to this place and one and other. It reminds me of Raffles hotel in Singapore during world wars 2 and the history around this time.
This is tubulent time in history with such atrocities the Nazi regieme bestowed upon people.
Very intense, sad but so well written and researched,
Due for publication Feb 26 2026.
November 22, 2025
I picked this book to read on the spur of the moment as the name and it’s link to a city reminded me of the novel Hotel Melikov set in Moscow.
However the books are in totally different categories and Hotel Exile is a historical treatise dealing with firstly the exodus of Germans to France fleeing the rise of the Nazi party, secondly the occupation of Paris during the war and in the third part the repatriation of the surviving Jews who have survived the camps in Germany.
The hotel does not feature much in the first half of the book but is prominent in the last third as it becomes the centre for the returning starved and shocked detainees.
The book focuses on the lifes of individuals of literary or political significance and also small families to show the fear and horrors they faced under the Nazi tregime.
It is harrowing reading especially with the situation in Europe being so unstable at present.
Thanks to NetGalley and Allen Lane for the ARC
However the books are in totally different categories and Hotel Exile is a historical treatise dealing with firstly the exodus of Germans to France fleeing the rise of the Nazi party, secondly the occupation of Paris during the war and in the third part the repatriation of the surviving Jews who have survived the camps in Germany.
The hotel does not feature much in the first half of the book but is prominent in the last third as it becomes the centre for the returning starved and shocked detainees.
The book focuses on the lifes of individuals of literary or political significance and also small families to show the fear and horrors they faced under the Nazi tregime.
It is harrowing reading especially with the situation in Europe being so unstable at present.
Thanks to NetGalley and Allen Lane for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The story of a hotel on Paris's left bank, this book is split into three sections, pre WW2, during the war and finally the early months after the war ended. It is a work with a huge amount of research that follows various people through the whole of the period. The changes that took place, to the people, to the city and to the hotel are quite mind bending.
For me this was quite a hard book to follow with its enormous cast of characters and huge amount of information and background on many of them, so that I forgot many of them and only odd quirks amongst the others made them stand out in my mind. Despite that it was worth reading for the details of the occupation and what happened when the war ended. Needless to say, neither the French nor the Germans come out of this book looking good.
An interesting read - probably not for everyone because of the incredible detail - but I definitely think I will search out the Hotel Lutetia when I next visit Paris.
For me this was quite a hard book to follow with its enormous cast of characters and huge amount of information and background on many of them, so that I forgot many of them and only odd quirks amongst the others made them stand out in my mind. Despite that it was worth reading for the details of the occupation and what happened when the war ended. Needless to say, neither the French nor the Germans come out of this book looking good.
An interesting read - probably not for everyone because of the incredible detail - but I definitely think I will search out the Hotel Lutetia when I next visit Paris.
February 26, 2026
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into Hotel Exile, but I found myself steadily drawn into its world. Rather than racing through events, the book takes its time, letting the atmosphere of Paris before, during and after the war slowly seep in. What struck me most was how disorientating and uncertain everyday life felt for those caught up in events beyond their control. The hotel acts as a fixed point while everything around it shifts, sometimes uncomfortably so.
This isn’t a light or easy read, and it does ask for concentration, but I felt that effort was rewarded. There’s a quiet power in the way individual experiences are allowed to speak for themselves. By the end, I was left reflecting less on dates and politics and more on how fragile normal life can be.
Many thanks to Allen Lane and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
This isn’t a light or easy read, and it does ask for concentration, but I felt that effort was rewarded. There’s a quiet power in the way individual experiences are allowed to speak for themselves. By the end, I was left reflecting less on dates and politics and more on how fragile normal life can be.
Many thanks to Allen Lane and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
November 15, 2025
The attraction to read this book was in part the title and preamble, but also the challenge to read a factual narrative, outside my preferred genre.
A very intense, paced historical novel about the struggles of emigres to survive and flourish in their beliefs in Paris during the lead up to and during WW2. Regrettably very few of the personages resonated with me. From the author’s well researched writing, it does not escape me of the delicate political backdrop and the brutalities of war. I found this a difficult read, particularly with so many players in the mix, and it required considerable concentration. The attraction of the Hotel Lutetia is undoubtedly the central focus for this eclectic group.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this ARC.
A very intense, paced historical novel about the struggles of emigres to survive and flourish in their beliefs in Paris during the lead up to and during WW2. Regrettably very few of the personages resonated with me. From the author’s well researched writing, it does not escape me of the delicate political backdrop and the brutalities of war. I found this a difficult read, particularly with so many players in the mix, and it required considerable concentration. The attraction of the Hotel Lutetia is undoubtedly the central focus for this eclectic group.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hotel Exile by Jane Rogoyska is the history of a place, the Hotel Lutetia, on the west bank in Paris, before and during the Second World War and the lives of the people that passed through its doors. Sometimes histories of this period - though extremely well written, like this book is - can lose sight of the personal. The beauty of Rogoyska's work is that it doesn't - it brings the personal to vivid life. Sometimes this work of non-fiction reads like fine literary fiction, with interiority of character - we hear their voices, their thoughts, and this roots this work firmly in its time and place. This is a very well researched and written work which shines a light on the stories which might otherwise be forgotten.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a remarkable hotel! Of course, buildings are static and people come and go. The hotel Lutetia has a history of just over 109 years, but in a specific period saw the hotel being used by a wide range of occupants. It was frequented by exiled German intelligentsia before the war, by the nazi secret service during the war and then as a hostel for people returning from prison or concentration camp. It is the personal anecdote that brings these stories to life and this book provides this. It is meticulously researched and detailed and refrains from emotive language. It is very much a factual account letting the facts speak for themselves without trying to find heroes or villains making this an excellent read.
March 9, 2026
Hotel Exile by Jane Rogoyska is a powerful historical book that tells the story of the famous Hôtel Lutetia and its connection to major events during World War II. The author shows how the hotel was once a meeting place for famous artists like James Joyce and Pablo Picasso, but later became the headquarters for German intelligence during the Nazi occupation of Paris. After the war, it was used as a reception center for survivors returning from concentration camps. Rogoyska writes with empathy and clarity, focusing on the personal stories of people affected by war and exile. The book is emotional, informative, and shows how one place can reflect the struggles and history of an entire century.
March 10, 2026
I’m not 100% certain what I expected when I picked it up but fancied a bit of a change as I rarely read non-fiction.
The book centres on a Hotel, but if we’re being honest I don’t think it featured half as much as I thought it would. The timeline jumps about, only a little, but with so many street names and ‘characters’ to follow I did occasionally get lost. That being said, I found it really interesting following real people and real stories to a side of war that I’ve never really considered before.
I liked the style of writing and for the most part the pace, though I admit it did take me a while to get through it. I’d certainly recommend it as a gentle way to read a non fiction, even though the subject is not gentle at all.
Thanks to Penguin Press UK & NetGalley for the arc.
The book centres on a Hotel, but if we’re being honest I don’t think it featured half as much as I thought it would. The timeline jumps about, only a little, but with so many street names and ‘characters’ to follow I did occasionally get lost. That being said, I found it really interesting following real people and real stories to a side of war that I’ve never really considered before.
I liked the style of writing and for the most part the pace, though I admit it did take me a while to get through it. I’d certainly recommend it as a gentle way to read a non fiction, even though the subject is not gentle at all.
Thanks to Penguin Press UK & NetGalley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A very interesting take on French history and the background of such a popular Parisian landmark, almost like a documentary. Hotel Lutetia remains standing over the years, but the various groups of people who have used it have had their lives changed in so many ways. I am often in Paris, and I don't think I'll ever come across this place without the stark reminder of its past.
The evocative writing brings you back to many years ago, vividly describing the tragic aspects of the story. It can be a bit heavy to read due to the somber feeling you get while going through some of the pages, but it remains interesting throughout. Well-researched and very artfully told.
The evocative writing brings you back to many years ago, vividly describing the tragic aspects of the story. It can be a bit heavy to read due to the somber feeling you get while going through some of the pages, but it remains interesting throughout. Well-researched and very artfully told.
March 25, 2026
Hey,
I recently came across your story and genuinely enjoyed reading it. Your writing is very vivid and descriptive, and it was easy to imagine the scenes while reading. Because of that, I feel like it would translate really beautifully into a comic format.
I’m a commissioned comic artist,and I’d love the opportunity to create visuals based on your story if that’s something you’d ever be interested in. Of course, there’s absolutely no pressure at all, I just thought it could be a fun way to bring your world to life visually.
If you'd like to talk more about the idea, you can reach me on Instagram (lunaartsoul).
Best regards,
Luna
I recently came across your story and genuinely enjoyed reading it. Your writing is very vivid and descriptive, and it was easy to imagine the scenes while reading. Because of that, I feel like it would translate really beautifully into a comic format.
I’m a commissioned comic artist,and I’d love the opportunity to create visuals based on your story if that’s something you’d ever be interested in. Of course, there’s absolutely no pressure at all, I just thought it could be a fun way to bring your world to life visually.
If you'd like to talk more about the idea, you can reach me on Instagram (lunaartsoul).
Best regards,
Luna
December 7, 2025
A very interesting read. Well researched. and very interesting. Reads like a documentary but you can get a real feel for the lives of these real people. Glad I took the time to finish it.
Thank you Jane Rogoyska for collecting the information and writing about it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy and Penguin Press UK for publishing. All the views given here are my own, and they are given freely.
Thank you Jane Rogoyska for collecting the information and writing about it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy and Penguin Press UK for publishing. All the views given here are my own, and they are given freely.
March 19, 2026
This was really excellent, and scary given how many of the things that happened in Hitlers rise to power are happening right now.
I did think the book would focus more on being in the hotel and the people who work there - what they seen and what they went through, so I’ve knocked a star off for that. I think the book has been misadvertised in that regard.
The audiobook was very good, the author did an excellent narration.
I did think the book would focus more on being in the hotel and the people who work there - what they seen and what they went through, so I’ve knocked a star off for that. I think the book has been misadvertised in that regard.
The audiobook was very good, the author did an excellent narration.
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