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While Paris Slept
A family's love is tested when heroes-turned-criminals are forced to make the hardest decisions of their lives in this unforgettably moving story of love, resistance, and the lasting consequences of the Second World War.
After. Santa Cruz, California, 1953. Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps have left their war-torn memories of Paris behind to live a quiet life in America with their son, Sam. They have a house in the suburbs, they've learned to speak English, and they have regular get-togethers with their outgoing American neighbors. Every minute in California erases a minute of their lives before -- before the Germans invaded their French homeland and incited years of violence, hunger, and fear. But their taste of the American Dream shatters when officers from the U.N. Commission on War Crimes pull-up outside their home and bring Jean-Luc in for questioning.
Before. Paris, France, 1944. Germany has occupied France for four years. Jean-Luc works at the railway station at Bobigny, where thousands of Jews travel each day to be "resettled" in Germany. But Jean-Luc and other railway employees can't ignore the rumors or what they see on the tracks: too many people are packed into the cars, and bodies are sometimes left to be disposed of after a train departs. Jean-Luc's unease turns into full-blown panic when a young woman with bright green eyes bursts from the train one day alongside hundreds of screaming, terrified passengers, and pushes a warm, squirming bundle into his arms.
Told from alternating perspectives, While Paris Slept reflects on the power of love, loss, and the choices a mother will make to ensure the survival of her child. At once a visceral portrait of family ties and a meditation on nurture's influence over identity, this heartbreaking debut will irreversibly take hold of your heart.
After. Santa Cruz, California, 1953. Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps have left their war-torn memories of Paris behind to live a quiet life in America with their son, Sam. They have a house in the suburbs, they've learned to speak English, and they have regular get-togethers with their outgoing American neighbors. Every minute in California erases a minute of their lives before -- before the Germans invaded their French homeland and incited years of violence, hunger, and fear. But their taste of the American Dream shatters when officers from the U.N. Commission on War Crimes pull-up outside their home and bring Jean-Luc in for questioning.
Before. Paris, France, 1944. Germany has occupied France for four years. Jean-Luc works at the railway station at Bobigny, where thousands of Jews travel each day to be "resettled" in Germany. But Jean-Luc and other railway employees can't ignore the rumors or what they see on the tracks: too many people are packed into the cars, and bodies are sometimes left to be disposed of after a train departs. Jean-Luc's unease turns into full-blown panic when a young woman with bright green eyes bursts from the train one day alongside hundreds of screaming, terrified passengers, and pushes a warm, squirming bundle into his arms.
Told from alternating perspectives, While Paris Slept reflects on the power of love, loss, and the choices a mother will make to ensure the survival of her child. At once a visceral portrait of family ties and a meditation on nurture's influence over identity, this heartbreaking debut will irreversibly take hold of your heart.
512 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2021
719 people are currently reading
22880 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Druart
5 books399 followersThank you for visiting my author's page. As you are here, you are probably an avid reader, as I am. I grew up on the Isle of Wight, where I spent many happy days on the beach swimming and reading; still two of my favourite pastimes.
People and personalities have always fascinated me, and I studied psychology at Leicester University. Creating characters of my own in novels allows me to explore what it means to be human, in particular, what drives some people. I like to put characters in difficult situations where their morality is tested, and then add a twist.
In my early twenties I moved to Paris, where I enjoyed a career in teaching. Paris was in fact the city that inspired me to write, as I discovered its rich and troubled past, and I now run a writing group here.
Ten years ago, I completed a Masters in International Education, focusing on Third Culture Kids and their sense of belonging; a theme which runs through my first novel, While Paris Slept, set during the occupation of Paris. My second novel, The Last Hours in Paris is about a German soldier billeted to Paris during the occupation, then arrested and sent to the UK after liberation. It is out on 5th January 2023.
People and personalities have always fascinated me, and I studied psychology at Leicester University. Creating characters of my own in novels allows me to explore what it means to be human, in particular, what drives some people. I like to put characters in difficult situations where their morality is tested, and then add a twist.
In my early twenties I moved to Paris, where I enjoyed a career in teaching. Paris was in fact the city that inspired me to write, as I discovered its rich and troubled past, and I now run a writing group here.
Ten years ago, I completed a Masters in International Education, focusing on Third Culture Kids and their sense of belonging; a theme which runs through my first novel, While Paris Slept, set during the occupation of Paris. My second novel, The Last Hours in Paris is about a German soldier billeted to Paris during the occupation, then arrested and sent to the UK after liberation. It is out on 5th January 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,242 reviews
December 26, 2025
One had a duty to survive, for all the others who couldn’t.--------------------------------------
Years of hunger, fear, deprivation--these things can change a good person into a bad person.Occupied Paris, March 1944. Jean-Luc, 21, is a railway worker, who had dropped out of school six years ago. He is posted at the Bobigny rail station in suburban Paris. It is adjacent to Drancy, a German transit camp. Jews are being transported to concentration camps, but that is something that locals believe, without being totally certain, as the trains depart overnight, and Jean-Luc has not actually seen any of them leave. (thus, While Paris Slept) Still, he had promised his father, who had been conscripted to forced labor in Germany two years before, that he would take care of the family, so does not feel free to just take off and join the Maquis. Things found on the platforms and rails support the rumors of dark Nazi deeds, motivating him to act. While trying to sabotage a rail line, hoping to at least interfere with the transport of Drancy prisoners to points east, Jean-Luc suffers a broken leg.
He meets Charlotte de la Villy, a young French woman, in the German hospital to which he is taken. She is a volunteer nurse there. Charlotte (Charlie) would also like to find some way to resist. They become involved in short order.
Ruth Druart - her Twitter profile pic
Sarah and David are desperate. Jews are being rounded up. Sarah gives birth at home to Samuel. Soon after, she is arrested and taken to Drancy, with her baby. David has been taken too. When the train on which she is to be shipped to Auschwitz has to be temporarily unloaded because of a mechanical problem, she sees her chance. Making the most difficult decision of her life, she dashes to Jean-Luc, who is working on the track, thrusts her baby at him and begs him to look after Samuel.
Druart, born on the Isle of Wight and educated in Leicester, moved to Paris in 1993, where she remains a teacher. The many memorials to those lost during World War II piqued her interest. Sparked on by one outside a school noting that 260 students had been taken by the Nazis, none returned, Druart started looking into what had gone on in Paris during the German occupation. She had been working on the novel for some years when she took a sabbatical to complete it.
The accommodation block at Drancy with French gendarme on guard - image from Wikipedia
The story is told in (mostly) two places and time periods, Spring 1944, during the German occupation of Paris, and 1953 in the USA and in France.
In 1953 Jean-Luc and Charlotte are living, with Sam, in Santa Cruz, California, thrilled to be in America. Until a knock at the door turns their lives upside down. I can’t really say why without spoiling things. Suffice it to say that their heroic deed was flawed, and an error in judgment comes back to haunt them.
This novel is not just about a heart-breaking sundering of family. What counts as parenthood? What crimes might you commit in the best interests of your child? What are you willing to sacrifice to be able to offer your child the best chance at a good life? What makes a child your child? It also looks at wider social, political, and moral issues. What can one do to interfere with the actions of evil? And what if those actions might be ineffective, or maybe risk getting you and your family killed? Druart shows how many Parisians struggled with this:
How many times had we stood by while our neighbors and friends were deported to God knows where? We all felt complicit in some way, though we never voiced it. After all, what could we do?Where is the line between collaboration and survival?
“We’re just civilians, and we’re doing our best to survive—raising families, carrying on—because…because we have to. That’s what we do. We’re not soldiers.”These are not concerns of purely historical interest. Across the world people are being oppressed by fascistic regimes, and many must decide how to cope. Is it better to lay low and hope it passes, take up armed resistance, engage in some form of passive resistance, or something else? Even in places where the forces of darkness have yet to seize control, many are faced with difficult decisions. Here in the USA, for example, white supremacists, neo-nazis, and information-free fascists of various sorts attempted to install a dictator in their attack on the US Capitol building on Desecration Day, January 6, 2021. What if one of them is your son or daughter, your father or mother, a more distant relation, your mate, a co-worker, a classmate, a friend, a neighbor? Do you let the authorities know? If you don’t and the next assault on democracy is more successful, how responsible will you be if you say nothing now?
The railway wagon used to carry internees to Auschwitz and now displayed at Drancy - image from Wikipedia
I have a couple of gripes. It may be from my lack of exposure to such dire circumstances, and not knowing how those might alter a normal timeline for such things, but it seemed that Jean-Luc and Charlotte went from meeting in the hospital (in early April) to fleeing together with a newborn in pretty short order. (early June). Also, the police sorts who question Jean-Luc in Santa Cruz seemed like comic book cops, no rounded edges, characters that would have been just as familiar in Nazi attire. Maybe that was by design, but it felt off. And there was one item that is less of a gripe and more of a question. Unfortunately, it might be spoilerish, so I am tucking it under this tag. Don’t look if you have not already read the book.
Overall, though, this is a wonderful novel. We get to know the main characters well enough to care about how things will turn out for them. The familial struggles that take place are extreme and heart-wrenching. You will definitely need some tissues at the ready by the time you reach the end. Druart offers, in addition, a thoughtful, sensitive, and moving look at the challenges people face when confronted by evil, and by impossible choices. It asks the question, “So, what would you do?”
Wasn’t that collaboration? Pretending nothing had happened.
Review posted – 2/26/21
Publication dates
----------2/23/21 (USA) hardcover
----------3/4/21 (UK) - hardcover
----------1/4/2022 - (USA) - trade paperback
I received an ARE of this book from Grand Central Publishing in return for an honest review.
Special thanks to MC (You know who you are) for informing me about this one.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages
Item of Interest by the author
-----The Nerd Daily - Just Write It Down on her journey writing While Paris Slept
-----Marymount Learning Leadership - “Where do I belong?”: Third Culture Kids
Items of Interest
-----Wiki on Drancy Internment Camp
-----United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Drancy
-----Wiki on the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup of Jews in Paris in 1942
-----Bellingcat.com - Woman Accused of Stealing Nancy Pelosi’s Laptop Appears in Video Making Nazi Salute - They’re back, lest you think these sorts slid back under their wet rocks after WW II
February 24, 2021
This is a well written historical novel partly set in America in the early 1950’s and the Second World War years in Paris. The central premise is that of love and sacrifice and so it is very moving at times. Jean Luc Beauchamp, his wife Charlotte and son Sam now live in Santa Cruz, California but during the war Jean Luc worked on railway maintenance at Bobigny, where from Drancy Station French Jews were transported to Auschwitz. In 1953 he is taken in for questioning about his wartime role. The story is told from several points of view including Jean Luc, Charlotte and a Jewish woman, Sarah in the two timelines.
This is a fascinating book which although fictional is firmly grounded in fact and it’s clear Ruth Druart has researched well. I like how during the war Jean Luc reluctantly follows orders, he’s not willing working for the Third Reich and you feel his despair at ‘survival collaborating’ and the impact this has on his health and personality. It’s extremely poignant at times as Jean Luc sees abandoned personal items on the railway tracks. Life under Nazi rule is clearly depicted especially the atmosphere in Paris with periods of tension and danger. When the truth of what Jean Luc does to help Sarah becomes apparent its a shock as you recognise his resolve and bravery, the danger he has placed himself and Charlotte in and at times the tension is palpable. As the storyline progresses you find yourself torn between Jean Luc and Sarah and the terrible dilemma that confronts them. Her perspective reveals suffering, pain, loss and much anguish and this is the one that resonates the most and is the strongest of all the points of view. The fact that she survives Auschwitz is a miracle. Her resolve is admirable as she becomes aware of the sacrifice she must make and this is heartbreaking. The second half of the book is the most intense and very emotional. The ending tears you in two and I defy anyone to have a dry eye.
Overall, this novel has so many elements to it that it makes for compelling reading. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
With thanks to NetGalley and Headline:Headline Review for the arc for an honest review.
This is a fascinating book which although fictional is firmly grounded in fact and it’s clear Ruth Druart has researched well. I like how during the war Jean Luc reluctantly follows orders, he’s not willing working for the Third Reich and you feel his despair at ‘survival collaborating’ and the impact this has on his health and personality. It’s extremely poignant at times as Jean Luc sees abandoned personal items on the railway tracks. Life under Nazi rule is clearly depicted especially the atmosphere in Paris with periods of tension and danger. When the truth of what Jean Luc does to help Sarah becomes apparent its a shock as you recognise his resolve and bravery, the danger he has placed himself and Charlotte in and at times the tension is palpable. As the storyline progresses you find yourself torn between Jean Luc and Sarah and the terrible dilemma that confronts them. Her perspective reveals suffering, pain, loss and much anguish and this is the one that resonates the most and is the strongest of all the points of view. The fact that she survives Auschwitz is a miracle. Her resolve is admirable as she becomes aware of the sacrifice she must make and this is heartbreaking. The second half of the book is the most intense and very emotional. The ending tears you in two and I defy anyone to have a dry eye.
Overall, this novel has so many elements to it that it makes for compelling reading. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
With thanks to NetGalley and Headline:Headline Review for the arc for an honest review.
December 8, 2023
Entre 3,5 y 4⭐
Una novela con una primera mitad más light de lo que supuse por la sinopsis y un último 50% mucho más potente.
Mis impresiones.
La trama, dividida en cuatro partes y un epílogo, se mueve en dos planos temporales, uno en la Francia ocupada de 1944, el otro en Francia y EEUU ya en 1953.
Jean Luc y Charlotte Beauchamps son dos jóvenes franceses que, en 1944, afrontan como pueden la ocupación nazi de su país. Él trabaja en la estación de Bobigny, la estación de la que partían hacia Auschwitz los trenes que salían del campo de tránsito de Drancy con su carga humana de judíos camino del exterminio. Charlotte trabaja en un hospital. Ambos aspiran a rebelarse contra los alemanes y ambos se ven constreñidos por el miedo imperante. En este contexto, uno de los trenes que tenía que salir de Drancy, sufre un percance inesperado. Sarah Laffitte, una joven madre judía, aprovecha el revuelo para entregar su bebé recién nacido (Samuel), a Jean Luc, pidiéndole que lo salve de la muerte. Nueve años después, Sarah y David, su marido, supervivientes de Auschwitz, dan con el paradero del hijo al que buscaban desde que finalizó la guerra. La reunificación familiar no será lo que ellos habían soñado.
Un narrador equisciente nos cuenta la historia a través de los personajes principales, Jean Luc, Charlotte y Sarah. Samuel, el niño salvado, nos narrará la suya en primera persona. Las dos primeras partes de la novela, que nos desgranan la vida de Charlotte y Jean Luc en 1944, sin estar mal, no me transmitieron la dureza que cabía esperar. Se me hicieron un poco lentas. A mi juicio, Druart se extiende demasiado en ellas. En la tercera, cuando Sarah y David Laffitte, así como Samuel, su hijo recién nacido, entran en escena, el libro cambia y cobra interés. A partir de ahí los capítulos volaron.
Es importante tener en cuenta que no es una novela que se centre en lo que fue la ocupación alemana o sus horrores. Inevitablemente estos aparecen reflejados en los andenes de Bobigny, pero el grueso de la trama no va sobre ello, sino sobre Samuel. De cómo Jean Luc y Charlotte consiguen ponerlo a salvo y, ante todo, de cómo transcurre el reencuentro con sus padres biológicos en 1953.
Los personajes están bien trazados. Con ellos me ha ocurrido lo mismo que con la trama. No he podido empatizar ni con Charlotte ni con Jean Luc. Si bien corren un enorme riesgo personal en su propósito de salvar a Samuel, sus decisiones una vez acabada la guerra son muy cuestionables. David y Sarah son la otra cara de la moneda. He sentido una inmensa pena y compasión por ellos. Samuel es otro de los personajes que más me han gustado. Es la víctima inocente de más de una situación imposible. La autora refleja perfectamente como ese niño de nueve años no puede sentir ni entender la complejidad de lo ocurrido. Samuel no quiere perder la única vida que conoce. Su añoranza y sufrimiento, hasta el punto de enfermarle, son tan desgarradores como la tristeza de Sarah.
Son muchas las emociones que me ha suscitado este libro. Rabia, como me ocurre siempre que leo una novela sobre la Francia ocupada, ante esa doblez de los ciudadanos franceses, que no querían ver lo que estaba ocurriendo con sus vecinos judíos, que mayoritariamente les volvieron la espalda, pero que, acabada la guerra, barrieron sus miserias bajo la alfombra y blanquearon su imagen. Desgraciadamente para ellos, lo que aconteció está documentado. Podrán borrarlo de sus memorias, pero no de la memoria de la historia.
Sin embargo, lo que me ha desgarrado ha sido la frustración y el dolor de Sarah, que ve como el tiempo le ha robado a su hijo. El niño que recuperan no sabe ni entiende de las penurias que sufrieron sus padres ni de su enorme sacrificio. Ha sido criado en otro ambiente y ni se adapta ni quiere adaptarse. Si grande es el sufrimiento de Sarah, no menos grande es el de ese niño de nueve años que es Samuel.
Si el final es el esperado, el epílogo, ya en 1968, es precioso. Me emocionó y me arrancó alguna lágrima.
En conclusión. Una novela, que si bien empieza lento, va ganado a medida que avanza. Con el telón de fondo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el desgarro de la separación y lo difícil del reencuentro son su eje central. Recomendable.
Una novela con una primera mitad más light de lo que supuse por la sinopsis y un último 50% mucho más potente.
Mis impresiones.
La trama, dividida en cuatro partes y un epílogo, se mueve en dos planos temporales, uno en la Francia ocupada de 1944, el otro en Francia y EEUU ya en 1953.
Jean Luc y Charlotte Beauchamps son dos jóvenes franceses que, en 1944, afrontan como pueden la ocupación nazi de su país. Él trabaja en la estación de Bobigny, la estación de la que partían hacia Auschwitz los trenes que salían del campo de tránsito de Drancy con su carga humana de judíos camino del exterminio. Charlotte trabaja en un hospital. Ambos aspiran a rebelarse contra los alemanes y ambos se ven constreñidos por el miedo imperante. En este contexto, uno de los trenes que tenía que salir de Drancy, sufre un percance inesperado. Sarah Laffitte, una joven madre judía, aprovecha el revuelo para entregar su bebé recién nacido (Samuel), a Jean Luc, pidiéndole que lo salve de la muerte. Nueve años después, Sarah y David, su marido, supervivientes de Auschwitz, dan con el paradero del hijo al que buscaban desde que finalizó la guerra. La reunificación familiar no será lo que ellos habían soñado.
Un narrador equisciente nos cuenta la historia a través de los personajes principales, Jean Luc, Charlotte y Sarah. Samuel, el niño salvado, nos narrará la suya en primera persona. Las dos primeras partes de la novela, que nos desgranan la vida de Charlotte y Jean Luc en 1944, sin estar mal, no me transmitieron la dureza que cabía esperar. Se me hicieron un poco lentas. A mi juicio, Druart se extiende demasiado en ellas. En la tercera, cuando Sarah y David Laffitte, así como Samuel, su hijo recién nacido, entran en escena, el libro cambia y cobra interés. A partir de ahí los capítulos volaron.
Es importante tener en cuenta que no es una novela que se centre en lo que fue la ocupación alemana o sus horrores. Inevitablemente estos aparecen reflejados en los andenes de Bobigny, pero el grueso de la trama no va sobre ello, sino sobre Samuel. De cómo Jean Luc y Charlotte consiguen ponerlo a salvo y, ante todo, de cómo transcurre el reencuentro con sus padres biológicos en 1953.
Los personajes están bien trazados. Con ellos me ha ocurrido lo mismo que con la trama. No he podido empatizar ni con Charlotte ni con Jean Luc. Si bien corren un enorme riesgo personal en su propósito de salvar a Samuel, sus decisiones una vez acabada la guerra son muy cuestionables. David y Sarah son la otra cara de la moneda. He sentido una inmensa pena y compasión por ellos. Samuel es otro de los personajes que más me han gustado. Es la víctima inocente de más de una situación imposible. La autora refleja perfectamente como ese niño de nueve años no puede sentir ni entender la complejidad de lo ocurrido. Samuel no quiere perder la única vida que conoce. Su añoranza y sufrimiento, hasta el punto de enfermarle, son tan desgarradores como la tristeza de Sarah.
Son muchas las emociones que me ha suscitado este libro. Rabia, como me ocurre siempre que leo una novela sobre la Francia ocupada, ante esa doblez de los ciudadanos franceses, que no querían ver lo que estaba ocurriendo con sus vecinos judíos, que mayoritariamente les volvieron la espalda, pero que, acabada la guerra, barrieron sus miserias bajo la alfombra y blanquearon su imagen. Desgraciadamente para ellos, lo que aconteció está documentado. Podrán borrarlo de sus memorias, pero no de la memoria de la historia.
Sin embargo, lo que me ha desgarrado ha sido la frustración y el dolor de Sarah, que ve como el tiempo le ha robado a su hijo. El niño que recuperan no sabe ni entiende de las penurias que sufrieron sus padres ni de su enorme sacrificio. Ha sido criado en otro ambiente y ni se adapta ni quiere adaptarse. Si grande es el sufrimiento de Sarah, no menos grande es el de ese niño de nueve años que es Samuel.
Si el final es el esperado, el epílogo, ya en 1968, es precioso. Me emocionó y me arrancó alguna lágrima.
En conclusión. Una novela, que si bien empieza lento, va ganado a medida que avanza. Con el telón de fondo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el desgarro de la separación y lo difícil del reencuentro son su eje central. Recomendable.
May 20, 2021
Told in two different timelines, the 1940s and 50s, While Paris Slept is a unique story of courage and love during the most horrific of times. There are some deep secrets to this story that I can’t bear to reveal, even if they are alluded to in the synopsis, so I’ll keep this review on the brief side.
While Paris Slept is a book I highly recommend for fans of historical fiction who enjoy more in depth stories that take their time to unfold in a way you can truly bite into and savor. The characters are lovable and resilient, and the storyline is one you’ll never forget. All for the love of a child. A beautiful book!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
While Paris Slept is a book I highly recommend for fans of historical fiction who enjoy more in depth stories that take their time to unfold in a way you can truly bite into and savor. The characters are lovable and resilient, and the storyline is one you’ll never forget. All for the love of a child. A beautiful book!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 24, 2023
Quite a debut!
Jean Luc gets a baby put into his hands by a Jewish woman on her way to the camps.
There were some decisions in the book that I didn't think very feasible and there was too much information crammed in, it could have done with a bit less. But it was written with warmth and respect.
Jean Luc gets a baby put into his hands by a Jewish woman on her way to the camps.
There were some decisions in the book that I didn't think very feasible and there was too much information crammed in, it could have done with a bit less. But it was written with warmth and respect.
March 30, 2021
It was 1944 in Paris and Jean-Luc Beauchamp had been working with the French Railway Department since he left school at fifteen. Now the Germans had taken it over, and working at Bobigny right next to the camp, Drancy, was becoming too much for Jean-Luc and his fellow workers to bear. They knew the trains would be filled with the Jews who were being moved to special camps, but that’s all Jean-Luc would let his mind dwell on. Until the morning that a young woman prisoner broke away and thrust something in Jean-Luc’s hands. She begged him to keep him safe – the baby was only a month old. What was Jean-Luc going to do with a baby?
Santa Cruz, California, had been home to Jean-Luc, his wife Charlotte and their son Sam, for the past nine years. Their memories of Paris and the war would never leave them, but their lives in California were happy and safe. They had settled in well, learned English and had made friends. But the day two officers from the UN Commission on War Crimes knocked on their front door and took Jean-Luc in for questioning, was the day everything that haunted them, came back with a vengeance. What did they want? They had done nothing wrong…
While Paris Slept is the debut novel by Ruth Druart and I’m astounded that it’s the author first book! A wonderful, heartbreaking story told in two timeframes and in varying voices, the power of love stands out strongly. Also, the strength of a mother’s love for her child and what she would do for that child is outstanding. While Paris Slept is one I’ll remember for a long time to come. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Santa Cruz, California, had been home to Jean-Luc, his wife Charlotte and their son Sam, for the past nine years. Their memories of Paris and the war would never leave them, but their lives in California were happy and safe. They had settled in well, learned English and had made friends. But the day two officers from the UN Commission on War Crimes knocked on their front door and took Jean-Luc in for questioning, was the day everything that haunted them, came back with a vengeance. What did they want? They had done nothing wrong…
While Paris Slept is the debut novel by Ruth Druart and I’m astounded that it’s the author first book! A wonderful, heartbreaking story told in two timeframes and in varying voices, the power of love stands out strongly. Also, the strength of a mother’s love for her child and what she would do for that child is outstanding. While Paris Slept is one I’ll remember for a long time to come. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2023
Catching Up…
I remember when I saw the movie Sophie’s Choice, and I sat there watching Meryl Streep making the most critical decision of her life during that pivotal scene. It was as if I stopped breathing because time stopped during that moment – in my mind. I think the whole theatre was in silence with me.
At the time, I had two sons, one almost 5 and one barely turning 2 when the movie came out.
Which brings me to this book.
And this question.
To what lengths would you go to ensure your child’s survival?
What would you sacrifice in yourself to preserve their well-being?
This may be a different scenario, but it almost had a similar reaction for me. Because parents are having to make difficult decisions.
And…
As I was reading at that pivotal moment, I felt as if I had stopped breathing again.
This author penetrates the heart by exploring two interlinked stories of two couples.
In 1953 Santa Cruz, CA, Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps are the proud parents of Sam, the all-American kid. They are adapting to their new country, speaking only English, and never revisiting the trauma they fled in Paris 9 years earlier.
But then…
Inspectors take Jean-Luc in for questioning, and his life begins to unravel.
Back in 1944, Jean-Luc maintains tracks for the French national railway, now under German control. He’s nervous as he hears rumors of the deportation of Jews. But the evidence is mounting. He feels he must do something, but he does not know how.
And then…
A frantic young mother, Sarah Laffitte, thrusts her weeks-old son into his arms. (This was that pivotal moment for me, when my breathing stopped.)
Druart keeps suspense moving throughout, even as readers’ slowly gain knowledge about some of the characters’ fates.
As readers we can’t help but feel the weight of the Nazi occupation and its impact on Sarah, her husband David, even Jean-Luc and Charlotte, as well as a nurse that he meets at a German hospital.
Even Sam’s physical and emotional reactions are convincing.
There are no villains among the five main characters.
But…
There are clearly the choices that have been made and the repercussions of those choices.
Even as I say this…
I do want to say…
The ending…
Is as beautiful as one could hope for …
Oh…
And have some Kleenex handy.
I remember when I saw the movie Sophie’s Choice, and I sat there watching Meryl Streep making the most critical decision of her life during that pivotal scene. It was as if I stopped breathing because time stopped during that moment – in my mind. I think the whole theatre was in silence with me.
At the time, I had two sons, one almost 5 and one barely turning 2 when the movie came out.
Which brings me to this book.
And this question.
To what lengths would you go to ensure your child’s survival?
What would you sacrifice in yourself to preserve their well-being?
This may be a different scenario, but it almost had a similar reaction for me. Because parents are having to make difficult decisions.
And…
As I was reading at that pivotal moment, I felt as if I had stopped breathing again.
This author penetrates the heart by exploring two interlinked stories of two couples.
In 1953 Santa Cruz, CA, Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps are the proud parents of Sam, the all-American kid. They are adapting to their new country, speaking only English, and never revisiting the trauma they fled in Paris 9 years earlier.
But then…
Inspectors take Jean-Luc in for questioning, and his life begins to unravel.
Back in 1944, Jean-Luc maintains tracks for the French national railway, now under German control. He’s nervous as he hears rumors of the deportation of Jews. But the evidence is mounting. He feels he must do something, but he does not know how.
And then…
A frantic young mother, Sarah Laffitte, thrusts her weeks-old son into his arms. (This was that pivotal moment for me, when my breathing stopped.)
Druart keeps suspense moving throughout, even as readers’ slowly gain knowledge about some of the characters’ fates.
As readers we can’t help but feel the weight of the Nazi occupation and its impact on Sarah, her husband David, even Jean-Luc and Charlotte, as well as a nurse that he meets at a German hospital.
Even Sam’s physical and emotional reactions are convincing.
There are no villains among the five main characters.
But…
There are clearly the choices that have been made and the repercussions of those choices.
Even as I say this…
I do want to say…
The ending…
Is as beautiful as one could hope for …
Oh…
And have some Kleenex handy.
September 14, 2025
Cărțile inspirate de cel de al doilea razboi mondial sunt întotdeauna sensibile și emoționante, dar aceasta este mai specială. Povestea lui Sam, băiețelul cu două familii este tulburătoare, îți rupe sufletul, sacrificiul părinteasc este sacrificiul suprem.
November 4, 2021
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*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart. (2021).
Paris, 1944. A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left is hope.
Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc thought he had left it all behind, with a scar on his face a small price for surviving the Nazi occupation. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door in his new American life.
On a darkened platform, two destinies became entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.
I've said it before, I'm always a bit hesitant with WW2 fiction because there's so many novels out there and they all seem to be published at the same time in waves so it's hard to not compare. However, I can happily report this novel is one of the standouts that has an original storyline. It's hard to believe this was a debut novel because it's extraordinary well-written and absorbing. It's hard to go into detail with no spoilers for this particular book. However I can say that it is an emotional read at times, with the characters facing truly horrible situations. Even though your heart break will at points, the love characters have for one another shines through and is quite beautiful.
Overall: I highly recommend this fantastic novel for anyone that enjoys historical fiction.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart. (2021).
Paris, 1944. A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left is hope.
Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc thought he had left it all behind, with a scar on his face a small price for surviving the Nazi occupation. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door in his new American life.
On a darkened platform, two destinies became entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.
I've said it before, I'm always a bit hesitant with WW2 fiction because there's so many novels out there and they all seem to be published at the same time in waves so it's hard to not compare. However, I can happily report this novel is one of the standouts that has an original storyline. It's hard to believe this was a debut novel because it's extraordinary well-written and absorbing. It's hard to go into detail with no spoilers for this particular book. However I can say that it is an emotional read at times, with the characters facing truly horrible situations. Even though your heart break will at points, the love characters have for one another shines through and is quite beautiful.
Overall: I highly recommend this fantastic novel for anyone that enjoys historical fiction.
Read
September 20, 2020While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind’s capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. It is at once a story of wartime courage and desperation, and of the many ways in which war reverberates through people’s lives for years after the fact. Prepare to question yourself and the characters in the novel, to wonder what you might have done in their place; in short, prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book in which four adults and one child grapple with the true meaning of love and family.
October 18, 2020
While Paris slept is a beautifully written, moving story set in Paris in 1944 and 1950’s America.
Jean-Luc Beauchamp’s is a railway worker and is sent to work in Bobigny, doing maintenance work near the transit camp Drancy. When he meets Sarah, who has been taken by the Nazi and she is on her way to the camp. She fears for her life not only for herself, but for her baby Samuel. She meets Jean-Luc and decides he is a caring man and persuades him to take her baby. Jean-Luc is apprehensive at first but agrees. This action takes him in all sorts of danger crossing the Pyrenees mountains with Charlotte who decides to go with him.
Nine years later Jean- Luc lives with Charlotte in in Santa Cruz California with now Nine-year-old Sam. He is now typical American boy, unaware of his origin. When there is a knock on the door. It’s the Police and they want to arrest Jean-Luc for the kidnapping of Sam or his real name Samuel. His real parents are alive and have been looking for him for all these years.
Thank you Headline and NetGalley for a copy of While Paris slept by Ruth Druart. Wow what can I say this is book for a debut novel it is an amazing book of love, determination, and self-sacrifice. and how far will we go for our children. This is a very emotional story which I adored. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store next. 5 stars from me.
Jean-Luc Beauchamp’s is a railway worker and is sent to work in Bobigny, doing maintenance work near the transit camp Drancy. When he meets Sarah, who has been taken by the Nazi and she is on her way to the camp. She fears for her life not only for herself, but for her baby Samuel. She meets Jean-Luc and decides he is a caring man and persuades him to take her baby. Jean-Luc is apprehensive at first but agrees. This action takes him in all sorts of danger crossing the Pyrenees mountains with Charlotte who decides to go with him.
Nine years later Jean- Luc lives with Charlotte in in Santa Cruz California with now Nine-year-old Sam. He is now typical American boy, unaware of his origin. When there is a knock on the door. It’s the Police and they want to arrest Jean-Luc for the kidnapping of Sam or his real name Samuel. His real parents are alive and have been looking for him for all these years.
Thank you Headline and NetGalley for a copy of While Paris slept by Ruth Druart. Wow what can I say this is book for a debut novel it is an amazing book of love, determination, and self-sacrifice. and how far will we go for our children. This is a very emotional story which I adored. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store next. 5 stars from me.
September 7, 2020
A young couple flee Paris in 1944 during the occupation to save a babies life.
Nine years later they are found in America and their new life is in jeopardy.
A story of hope, sacrifice, love and survival that tugs at your heartstrings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nine years later they are found in America and their new life is in jeopardy.
A story of hope, sacrifice, love and survival that tugs at your heartstrings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2021
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I received it through Goodreads First Reads and I was so excited. I was really drawn into the story by the engaging and complex characters of Jean Luc and Charlotte. Throughout I had wished Sarah and David would be depicted as richly but I understood not every backstory could be told. Then throughout the book my anticipation was building. There are four adults who love this little boy Sam and I couldn't wait to see how they would accommodate his new reality. It comes to a close where the author decides she can't write anymore and the Sarah and David just give up their child. It's ridiculously inaccurate from a historical context and highly offensive. Imagine writing a book about any sort of traumatic event involving children. For example, of this book was about children coming over the border in the US and taken in by ICE. The tragedy for children separated from their parents is horrible. But imagine one woman was able to get her child to be fostered while she was detained. And when she was released she went to find that he child was happy with the foster parents so she decide it's ok, I'll leave him there. She's consoled by having other children. How ridiculous does that sound? Yet this author glazes over the trauma of Sara and David in the Holocaust, doesn't give their characters asuch dimension as Jean Luc and Charlotte so readers will feel comfortable with this solution? That they survived Auschwitz and death marches with the hopes of seeing their son, only to give him up. And the justification is that if you truly move your son you'll do what's best for him. If Jean Luc and Charlotte truly loved Sam, they would have moved back to Paris to help him adjust. (Aside from the flaw of of they truly loved him they would have looked for his parents or relatives after the war.) So much for research and talking to Holocaust survivors. I wonder if the author ran the ending by the woman she spoke to and asked how many parents would give up and send their child away. Probably none. Overall I was disappointed by the build up throughout the book to what felt like a cop out in the last chapter and the epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2021
Exceptional!
July 11, 2021
O livro alterna entre Paris em 1944, onde Sarah, pouco depois de dar à luz e a caminho de Auchwitz, entrega o seu filho a um desconhecido e Califórnia em 1953, onde Jean Luc e a sua mulher Charlotte vivem uma vida tranquila com o filho Sam e onde nem sonham com o passado.
Fiquei lavada em lágrimas com este livro.
É muito mais que um livro sobre segunda guerra.
(Aliás já estou um pouco saturada de histórias passadas em campos de concentração).
Na segunda guerra mundial houve tantas mas tantas histórias tristes, e esta é apenas mais uma.
Muito sobre a relação do Samuel com os pais verdadeiros e os pais adoptivos.
Muito sobre a forma como o tempo transforma as pessoas.
Muito sobre as escolhas que por vezes temos de fazer, por mais que nos custem.
Muito sobre o amor verdadeiro pelo próximo.
A dor de perder um filho muito bem retratada: o desespero, o vale tudo, a loucura.
Adorei este livro. Recomendo.
Um dos poucos romances 5⭐️ que li este ano.
Fiquei lavada em lágrimas com este livro.
É muito mais que um livro sobre segunda guerra.
(Aliás já estou um pouco saturada de histórias passadas em campos de concentração).
Na segunda guerra mundial houve tantas mas tantas histórias tristes, e esta é apenas mais uma.
Muito sobre a relação do Samuel com os pais verdadeiros e os pais adoptivos.
Muito sobre a forma como o tempo transforma as pessoas.
Muito sobre as escolhas que por vezes temos de fazer, por mais que nos custem.
Muito sobre o amor verdadeiro pelo próximo.
A dor de perder um filho muito bem retratada: o desespero, o vale tudo, a loucura.
Adorei este livro. Recomendo.
Um dos poucos romances 5⭐️ que li este ano.
February 16, 2021
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This was an emotive, historical read. Not only does it focus on the war and endurance, but surviving afterwards. The love that a parent can hold for their child is truly explored in Druart’s narrative and I found myself quickly absorbed in this story.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This was an emotive, historical read. Not only does it focus on the war and endurance, but surviving afterwards. The love that a parent can hold for their child is truly explored in Druart’s narrative and I found myself quickly absorbed in this story.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
October 19, 2021
Сърцераздирателна история,разказана от името на повечето герои,в две времеви линии Париж 1944 и Америка 1953. Любовта на майката към детето ѝ е голяма сила. Книгата не е точно за войната,но самата история започва тогава в окупирана Франция и завършва пак там няколко години след нея. Много ми хареса,особено последните глави, които ме разплакаха и не само те естествено. Страхотна книга! Препоръчвам!
May 6, 2021
I wish I could give this wonderful book more stars!! It had me gripped from the first page and I got through this big book quickly as I wanted to know how it ends. Another one set during WW2 which I love. This book had all the elements mystery excitement and sadness. I throughly recommend this one.
March 1, 2021
This emotional book starts in 1953, Santa Cruz, California. Jean-Luc Beauchamp and his wife Charlotte live a nice life with their nine year old son Sam. The family escaped Paris toward the end of World War II and managed to put that life behind them. But Jean-Luc is confronted by two men who arrive at their home asking him about circumstances that occurred back in France which threatens their happy life.
The story, told through multiple perspectives, shifts back to 1944 when Jean-Luc is a railroad worker. He is assigned work near the Drancy internment camp where Jewish families are ultimately sent to the concentration camps. After suffering an injury, he meets Charlotte in the hospital. They have their freedom but gain greater awareness of what is taking place around them. The day Jean-Luc meets a young Jewish mother being sent to Auschwitz changes the course of his life.
Author Ruth Druart has written a heartbreaking story about family, love and sacrifice. While the book describes the horrors that took place during the Holocaust, it focuses more on the aftermath of the war and how lives were changed based on decisions that needed to be made to survive.
While Paris Slept is an impressive debut that was hard to put down. Perfect book club read as it raises many questions with no easy answers.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The story, told through multiple perspectives, shifts back to 1944 when Jean-Luc is a railroad worker. He is assigned work near the Drancy internment camp where Jewish families are ultimately sent to the concentration camps. After suffering an injury, he meets Charlotte in the hospital. They have their freedom but gain greater awareness of what is taking place around them. The day Jean-Luc meets a young Jewish mother being sent to Auschwitz changes the course of his life.
Author Ruth Druart has written a heartbreaking story about family, love and sacrifice. While the book describes the horrors that took place during the Holocaust, it focuses more on the aftermath of the war and how lives were changed based on decisions that needed to be made to survive.
While Paris Slept is an impressive debut that was hard to put down. Perfect book club read as it raises many questions with no easy answers.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
February 27, 2024
This is another painting by numbers, or as I like to call it, writing by numbers historical fiction. It seems to happen a lot with WWII HF, especially lately. The characters are very one dimensional, the plot is hard to follow not because it's complex, but due to the lack of anything really happening. The history is the source material, however a good a WWII HF takes the history that is already there and slays it with their characters and themes etc.
So sorry to be a hater
So sorry to be a hater
April 14, 2021
Pensive, poignant, and insightful!
While Paris Slept is an affecting, heartwrenching tale set in both France during 1944, as well as California during 1953, that takes you into the lives of five people whose lives are unimaginably changed one day when Sarah Laffitte, a Jewish prisoner, hands her newborn child to a Drancy railway worker in order to save his life.
The prose is emotive and charged. The characters are brave, selfless, and compassionate. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, family, tragedy, desperation, secrets, friendship, war, parenthood, unconditional love, and the true meaning of family.
Overall, While Paris Slept is an atmospheric, intense, impactful novel by Druart that sweeps you away to another time and place and reminds you that survival of any form takes unimaginable sacrifice, courage, strength, and often moral and ethical dilemmas.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
While Paris Slept is an affecting, heartwrenching tale set in both France during 1944, as well as California during 1953, that takes you into the lives of five people whose lives are unimaginably changed one day when Sarah Laffitte, a Jewish prisoner, hands her newborn child to a Drancy railway worker in order to save his life.
The prose is emotive and charged. The characters are brave, selfless, and compassionate. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, family, tragedy, desperation, secrets, friendship, war, parenthood, unconditional love, and the true meaning of family.
Overall, While Paris Slept is an atmospheric, intense, impactful novel by Druart that sweeps you away to another time and place and reminds you that survival of any form takes unimaginable sacrifice, courage, strength, and often moral and ethical dilemmas.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2022
Po ilgos pertraukos vėl paėmiau knygą holokausto tema. Nieko ypatingo nesitikėjau, nes ta tema jų labai daug prirašyta ir jau jos man darėsi panašios viena į kitą. Tik ne šį kartą. Puiki knyga apie dvi šeimas, kurias karas susiejo per kūdikį, kurį žydų šeima atidavė, kad jį išgelbėtų, o prancūzų šeima turėjo bėgti jį gelbėdama. Tai istorija apie pasiaukojimą, apie begalinę tėvų meilę vaikui, kai savo pačių laimė aukojama vardan sūnaus laimės ir gerovės.
Nuostabi knyga, privertusi mane ašaroti ir skaityti iki paryčių, nes niekaip negalėjau atsitraukti, kol neperskaičiau iki galo.
Nuostabi knyga, privertusi mane ašaroti ir skaityti iki paryčių, nes niekaip negalėjau atsitraukti, kol neperskaičiau iki galo.
December 22, 2020
I think for fans of World War Two historical fiction, this book will be just the ticket for you! This book has two main parallel timelines, 1944 Paris and 1953 California. The novel follows Charlotte and Jean-Luc living in Nazi Occupied France in the 1940s, who fall in love and make a life changing decision before fleeing to the United States. The implications of their decision back in 1944 comes back to haunt them in their new lives in America.
This book briefly touches on the Jewish experience in Nazi Occupied France and being taken to Auschwitz. But the novel deals with wider issues of identity, heritage, culture and the connection to home. This is a hard hitting historical fiction and beautifully written.
I have decided to give this book three stars only because I feel like historical fiction as a genre is oversaturated with World War Two novels. And while this was a compelling read, this book didn’t add anything particularly unique to this genre. But if you love World War novels, I highly recommend this book. A very strong story.
Thanks to the author Ruth Druart, Headline and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book briefly touches on the Jewish experience in Nazi Occupied France and being taken to Auschwitz. But the novel deals with wider issues of identity, heritage, culture and the connection to home. This is a hard hitting historical fiction and beautifully written.
I have decided to give this book three stars only because I feel like historical fiction as a genre is oversaturated with World War Two novels. And while this was a compelling read, this book didn’t add anything particularly unique to this genre. But if you love World War novels, I highly recommend this book. A very strong story.
Thanks to the author Ruth Druart, Headline and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2023
Una historia que va de menos a más, para mi gusto empieza de una manera pausada pero llega un punto que coge ritmo y ya es no parar.
.
Contada en dos líneas temporales, la Francia ocupada en 1944 y la otra en 1953 entre Francia y EEUU.
.
En 1944 los dos protagonistas se encuentran en Francia afrontando la ocupación, Jean trabajando en la estación de tren los cuales salen para Auschwitz y Charlotte de enfermera.
.
En esta primera parte es el momento en el que ambos se conocen y por varios acontecimientos Sam un recién nacido judío es entregado a Jean por sus padres para salvar su vida.
.
La segunda parte coge más ritmo y se centra en Sam. Hay que tener en cuenta que no es una historia que se centre en el horror nazi, aunque siempre está como telón de fondo, sino de una historia de personajes donde Sam es el principal, de cómo lo ponen a salvo, de la reaparición de sus padres y la unificación familiar …
.
Una historia que consigue que tengas muchas emociones, rabia, pena, frustración…y que se vea este historia desde otro punto de vista.
.
Un epílogo contado en 1968 que es de lo mejor y aunque me ha faltado saber algo más de algún personaje, es una historia que merece la pena.
.
Contada en dos líneas temporales, la Francia ocupada en 1944 y la otra en 1953 entre Francia y EEUU.
.
En 1944 los dos protagonistas se encuentran en Francia afrontando la ocupación, Jean trabajando en la estación de tren los cuales salen para Auschwitz y Charlotte de enfermera.
.
En esta primera parte es el momento en el que ambos se conocen y por varios acontecimientos Sam un recién nacido judío es entregado a Jean por sus padres para salvar su vida.
.
La segunda parte coge más ritmo y se centra en Sam. Hay que tener en cuenta que no es una historia que se centre en el horror nazi, aunque siempre está como telón de fondo, sino de una historia de personajes donde Sam es el principal, de cómo lo ponen a salvo, de la reaparición de sus padres y la unificación familiar …
.
Una historia que consigue que tengas muchas emociones, rabia, pena, frustración…y que se vea este historia desde otro punto de vista.
.
Un epílogo contado en 1968 que es de lo mejor y aunque me ha faltado saber algo más de algún personaje, es una historia que merece la pena.
May 11, 2021
Such a beautiful story that will captivate you.
This one has two time lines splitting between 1944 Paris and 1953 California.
A heartbreaking decision made in German occupied France will come to haunt a couple years later .
Yes, this was a very dark time in history but we are presented with a glimmer of hope,power of love, resilience, and courage.
Explores the length a family will go to while showing love unconditionally.
Pub Date 23 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
This one has two time lines splitting between 1944 Paris and 1953 California.
A heartbreaking decision made in German occupied France will come to haunt a couple years later .
Yes, this was a very dark time in history but we are presented with a glimmer of hope,power of love, resilience, and courage.
Explores the length a family will go to while showing love unconditionally.
Pub Date 23 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
December 6, 2021
Prachtig. Indrukwekkend. Aangrijpend.
Meeslepend.
Meeslepend.
July 24, 2025
Tai ne vien apie antrojo pasaulinio karo įvykius Paryžiuje, bet ir neaprėpiamą tėvų meilę.
January 12, 2021
While Paris Slept – A Powerful Story
Ruth Druart has written a powerful story, of love, family, survival and hope. Set in with the backdrop of Paris during the occupation and the round-up of the Jewish residents, when many looked the other way. A book that takes a look at the round-ups and how some people had no choice to work for the Nazi regime, and that hope did not die, even when tested.
Jean-Luc has been forced to work at Drancy the station and railway yard that the Nazi’s had chosen as the departure point for the rounded-up Jews to be sent east on the cattle trucks. Jean -Luc hates working there, and had attempted to sabotage the railways, but even that backfired.
Usually the trucks had left under the cover of darkness when the French workers were not onsite. That was until a derailment and the workers were roused to put everything back on track so the train could leave. In the chaos at the station, workers trying to get to the lines, the Jews being forced out on to the platform and soldiers screaming orders and dogs barking. Before he knows it a young Jewish mother forces into Jean-Lucs hands a small bundle.
Jean-Luc panics with a baby in hand what was he to do. Under pressure and discovered by a guard he has to get out as quickly as possible, before his actions are discovered. With his girlfriend, Charlotte, they have to escape Paris and France, and so begin a long journey to America.
1953, Jean-Luc is arrested in the USA for kidnapping a child and so begins the question of doing what is right for a child becomes central. Is letting go the right thing to do, or do you fight all the way.
Just some of the questions that are raised in this excellent novel. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, as it is written with a deft touch, and examines what is still a very taboo subject I France and even more so in Paris, the Nazi Occupation. This story will leave you breathless, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
This is an excellent story, that will engross you from beginning to end.
Ruth Druart has written a powerful story, of love, family, survival and hope. Set in with the backdrop of Paris during the occupation and the round-up of the Jewish residents, when many looked the other way. A book that takes a look at the round-ups and how some people had no choice to work for the Nazi regime, and that hope did not die, even when tested.
Jean-Luc has been forced to work at Drancy the station and railway yard that the Nazi’s had chosen as the departure point for the rounded-up Jews to be sent east on the cattle trucks. Jean -Luc hates working there, and had attempted to sabotage the railways, but even that backfired.
Usually the trucks had left under the cover of darkness when the French workers were not onsite. That was until a derailment and the workers were roused to put everything back on track so the train could leave. In the chaos at the station, workers trying to get to the lines, the Jews being forced out on to the platform and soldiers screaming orders and dogs barking. Before he knows it a young Jewish mother forces into Jean-Lucs hands a small bundle.
Jean-Luc panics with a baby in hand what was he to do. Under pressure and discovered by a guard he has to get out as quickly as possible, before his actions are discovered. With his girlfriend, Charlotte, they have to escape Paris and France, and so begin a long journey to America.
1953, Jean-Luc is arrested in the USA for kidnapping a child and so begins the question of doing what is right for a child becomes central. Is letting go the right thing to do, or do you fight all the way.
Just some of the questions that are raised in this excellent novel. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, as it is written with a deft touch, and examines what is still a very taboo subject I France and even more so in Paris, the Nazi Occupation. This story will leave you breathless, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
This is an excellent story, that will engross you from beginning to end.
July 12, 2024
Labai stipri knyga.
January 2, 2023
Mijn eerste boek van 2023 kan ik al terecht een pareltje noemen.
Verhalen waarbij oorlog en Auschwitz een belangrijke rol spelen trekken mij aan, zo ook het verhaal van Sarah en David en Charlotte en Jean Luc
Beiden van Joodse afkomst. Sarah pas bevallen van Samuel wordt samen met David opgepakt en op de trein gezet. Vlak voor ze op de trein gaat geeft ze haar pasgeboren zoon aan Jean Luc. Jean Luc werkzaam als spoorwegarbeider vlucht met de jongen weg.
Charlotte in directie hulpverpleegster leert Jean Luc kennen in het hospitaal.
Daar ontstaat een sterke band. Charlotte beschermend opgevoed krijgt op een dag Jean Luc te zien met in zijn armen Samuel.
Veel tijd hebben ze niet om een beslissing te nemen…. De rest is hun verhaal en te lezen in dit mooie aangrijpende verhaal terwijl Parijs sliep!
Zeker een aanrader en niet te missen als lezer!
Verhalen waarbij oorlog en Auschwitz een belangrijke rol spelen trekken mij aan, zo ook het verhaal van Sarah en David en Charlotte en Jean Luc
Beiden van Joodse afkomst. Sarah pas bevallen van Samuel wordt samen met David opgepakt en op de trein gezet. Vlak voor ze op de trein gaat geeft ze haar pasgeboren zoon aan Jean Luc. Jean Luc werkzaam als spoorwegarbeider vlucht met de jongen weg.
Charlotte in directie hulpverpleegster leert Jean Luc kennen in het hospitaal.
Daar ontstaat een sterke band. Charlotte beschermend opgevoed krijgt op een dag Jean Luc te zien met in zijn armen Samuel.
Veel tijd hebben ze niet om een beslissing te nemen…. De rest is hun verhaal en te lezen in dit mooie aangrijpende verhaal terwijl Parijs sliep!
Zeker een aanrader en niet te missen als lezer!
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