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The Paris Network
Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page.
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2022
2280 people are currently reading
2594 people want to read
About the author
Siobhan Curham
39 books467 followersHi, I’m Siobhan - which for those of you not familiar with the wonder of Irish names, is actually pronounced, Shiv-on!
I’m an award-winning author of over 50 books, fiction and non-fiction, for adults, young adults and children, and my first book was published back in 2000, so I’ve been at this writing game for almost a quarter of a century now.
I’m also a former council estate kid and a university drop-out - I dropped out because I didn’t think I had what it took to make it in the middle class world of publishing. Thankfully I managed to overcome my self doubt and fear and achieve my writing dreams, and now I love helping others do the same through my mentoring, courses and talks.
I don’t know about you, but during the pandemic I felt as if my life had collapsed in on itself and I’d had to shrink myself to fit this strange new world of lockdowns and zoom calls (oh, so many Zoom calls!) and working from home and working alone. Even when things returned to some semblance of normal back in 2022, I felt that I’d lost sight of who I was and I’d definitely lost my joy for living.
Then, an unexpected trip to Jamaica changed everything, jolting me back to life and reminding me of who I truly am. In a bid to never lose sight of myself and my sense of wonder and purpose again, I started travelling more and writing a weekly Substack letter called Wonderstruck. And in September 2023 I gave up my home in the UK and pretty much all of my worldly goods to solo travel the world while I write my books and mentor other writers.
I send Wonderstruck out to my subscribers every Sunday morning, writing about the places I visit and the lessons I learn there. My sole aim for writing this letter is to inspire others to rediscover their own sense of purpose, wonder and adventure.
If you've enjoyed reading any of my books I'd love it if you joined the Wonderstruck community over on Substack.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my books, I really appreciate it!
Siobhan
Substack: siobhancurham.substack.com
Facebook: Siobhan Curham Author
Instagram: @SiobhanCurhamAuthor
Twitter: @SiobhanCurham
For more information about my books, mentoring and courses, please visit: http://www.siobhancurham.com
I’m an award-winning author of over 50 books, fiction and non-fiction, for adults, young adults and children, and my first book was published back in 2000, so I’ve been at this writing game for almost a quarter of a century now.
I’m also a former council estate kid and a university drop-out - I dropped out because I didn’t think I had what it took to make it in the middle class world of publishing. Thankfully I managed to overcome my self doubt and fear and achieve my writing dreams, and now I love helping others do the same through my mentoring, courses and talks.
I don’t know about you, but during the pandemic I felt as if my life had collapsed in on itself and I’d had to shrink myself to fit this strange new world of lockdowns and zoom calls (oh, so many Zoom calls!) and working from home and working alone. Even when things returned to some semblance of normal back in 2022, I felt that I’d lost sight of who I was and I’d definitely lost my joy for living.
Then, an unexpected trip to Jamaica changed everything, jolting me back to life and reminding me of who I truly am. In a bid to never lose sight of myself and my sense of wonder and purpose again, I started travelling more and writing a weekly Substack letter called Wonderstruck. And in September 2023 I gave up my home in the UK and pretty much all of my worldly goods to solo travel the world while I write my books and mentor other writers.
I send Wonderstruck out to my subscribers every Sunday morning, writing about the places I visit and the lessons I learn there. My sole aim for writing this letter is to inspire others to rediscover their own sense of purpose, wonder and adventure.
If you've enjoyed reading any of my books I'd love it if you joined the Wonderstruck community over on Substack.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my books, I really appreciate it!
Siobhan
Substack: siobhancurham.substack.com
Facebook: Siobhan Curham Author
Instagram: @SiobhanCurhamAuthor
Twitter: @SiobhanCurham
For more information about my books, mentoring and courses, please visit: http://www.siobhancurham.com
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February 15, 2022
The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham
Narrated by Laurence Bouvard
The Paris Network takes place in two timelines, 1939 and several years after that, and 1993. In 1939 La Vallee du Cerf, France, Laurence Sidot has turned her family store into The Book Dispensary. Laurence's parents are dead and there are rumors of horrible things happening inside and outside of France. Surely the rumors aren't true. Sadly, Laurence and the people of her town learn first hand how bad things can get when the Germans take over her town. Soon people that Laurence has grown up with are being carted away or shot and she cannot stand by and watch these atrocities happen. Whether it's by reading all the books on the banned list or actively participating as a member of the French Resistance, Laurence is going to fight back.
In 1993, Jeanne's mother has just died and she learns she has inherited a bookstore, in a tiny French village, from a woman named Laurence. Her dad can tell her little about this woman because he only knew her a short time but he knows he loved Laurence and that she was a hero. Jeanne and her father travel to La Vallee du Cerf to attempt to claim her property and to find out what happened to Laurence after the village priest handed baby Jeanne off to Jeanne's pilot father.
Books play a big part in this story, both past and present. The banned books give insight into just some of the ways the Nazis wanted to curtail ability to reason among the people they were persecuting. Books became a way of passing on messages among the resistance and quoting books in pamphlets allowed Laurence to spread the word of just what the Nazis had planned for the people they were conquering. As her village people starve, Laurence does what she can for them, including helping pilots to land and distribute supplies to help her people fight for their lives.
The dual timeline works very well for me in this story. We know early on that the woman Jeanne thought was her mom was not her birth mother. But to find out the fate of her birth mother, Jeanne must visit the village of La Vallee du Cerf and piece together what happened there. Now she understands why the woman she thought was her mother seemed to resent her so much. The narrator of this audiobook brings this story to life.
Publication: February 15th 2022
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Laurence Bouvard
The Paris Network takes place in two timelines, 1939 and several years after that, and 1993. In 1939 La Vallee du Cerf, France, Laurence Sidot has turned her family store into The Book Dispensary. Laurence's parents are dead and there are rumors of horrible things happening inside and outside of France. Surely the rumors aren't true. Sadly, Laurence and the people of her town learn first hand how bad things can get when the Germans take over her town. Soon people that Laurence has grown up with are being carted away or shot and she cannot stand by and watch these atrocities happen. Whether it's by reading all the books on the banned list or actively participating as a member of the French Resistance, Laurence is going to fight back.
In 1993, Jeanne's mother has just died and she learns she has inherited a bookstore, in a tiny French village, from a woman named Laurence. Her dad can tell her little about this woman because he only knew her a short time but he knows he loved Laurence and that she was a hero. Jeanne and her father travel to La Vallee du Cerf to attempt to claim her property and to find out what happened to Laurence after the village priest handed baby Jeanne off to Jeanne's pilot father.
Books play a big part in this story, both past and present. The banned books give insight into just some of the ways the Nazis wanted to curtail ability to reason among the people they were persecuting. Books became a way of passing on messages among the resistance and quoting books in pamphlets allowed Laurence to spread the word of just what the Nazis had planned for the people they were conquering. As her village people starve, Laurence does what she can for them, including helping pilots to land and distribute supplies to help her people fight for their lives.
The dual timeline works very well for me in this story. We know early on that the woman Jeanne thought was her mom was not her birth mother. But to find out the fate of her birth mother, Jeanne must visit the village of La Vallee du Cerf and piece together what happened there. Now she understands why the woman she thought was her mother seemed to resent her so much. The narrator of this audiobook brings this story to life.
Publication: February 15th 2022
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
May 2, 2022
The magical power of books. ✨
The Paris Network tells the stories of both Laurence and Jeanne.
1993. Jeanne attends her mother’s funeral and questions why she never felt connected to her. Soon Jeanne finds out from her father that her birth mother was actually someone he met during the war. As a newborn, Jeanne was sent away with her father to America with the deed to her biological mother’s bookstore. With this new information, Jeanne travel to France in the hopes of unraveling the mystery of her mother’s past.
1940 to 1943. Laurence owns a bookstore where she writes literary ‘prescriptions’ to help customers through tough times. When the Germans occupy France, Laurence is determined to fight for the liberty of her country. Through her book connections in Paris, she joins the French resistance, helping to transport supplies. Laurence forms a secret bookclub where the members read banned books. She is also asked to read and share her thoughts on new forbidden stories that came out during the war years.
When out on a mission one night, Laurence meets a charming American pilot. As they get to know one another and fall in love, their lives change forever... With Laurence’s eagerness and strong will to encourage her community to stay strong in the pursuit of freedom, she gets herself into a dangerous situation. Can Laurence hold forth her bravery as she is faced with unimaginable fear? How does her courageous story end?
There were many aspects that I loved about this story. The two main characters were likable and easy to connect with. The characters and friendships were endearing and nicely developed. I liked how both Laurence and Jeanne came to simple but important realizations by the end. Laurence sees that amongst the evil forces in the war, people aren’t entirely bad. Jeanne learns that even if life hasn’t always gone her way, there is always something to appreciate.
This book had excellent pacing. There was a steady build to the mystery. The story was gripping from the beginning, and it kept my attention throughout. The dual timeline was also well done and progressively connected. I liked that there was a stronger focus on past storyline with more chapters dedicated to it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this captivating WWII novel! It had a bit of everything, including romance, mystery, action, and tragedy. The Paris Network is a beautiful and heart-wrenching love story showing how books can help guide us through the darkest of times. 💛
The Paris Network tells the stories of both Laurence and Jeanne.
1993. Jeanne attends her mother’s funeral and questions why she never felt connected to her. Soon Jeanne finds out from her father that her birth mother was actually someone he met during the war. As a newborn, Jeanne was sent away with her father to America with the deed to her biological mother’s bookstore. With this new information, Jeanne travel to France in the hopes of unraveling the mystery of her mother’s past.
1940 to 1943. Laurence owns a bookstore where she writes literary ‘prescriptions’ to help customers through tough times. When the Germans occupy France, Laurence is determined to fight for the liberty of her country. Through her book connections in Paris, she joins the French resistance, helping to transport supplies. Laurence forms a secret bookclub where the members read banned books. She is also asked to read and share her thoughts on new forbidden stories that came out during the war years.
When out on a mission one night, Laurence meets a charming American pilot. As they get to know one another and fall in love, their lives change forever... With Laurence’s eagerness and strong will to encourage her community to stay strong in the pursuit of freedom, she gets herself into a dangerous situation. Can Laurence hold forth her bravery as she is faced with unimaginable fear? How does her courageous story end?
There were many aspects that I loved about this story. The two main characters were likable and easy to connect with. The characters and friendships were endearing and nicely developed. I liked how both Laurence and Jeanne came to simple but important realizations by the end. Laurence sees that amongst the evil forces in the war, people aren’t entirely bad. Jeanne learns that even if life hasn’t always gone her way, there is always something to appreciate.
This book had excellent pacing. There was a steady build to the mystery. The story was gripping from the beginning, and it kept my attention throughout. The dual timeline was also well done and progressively connected. I liked that there was a stronger focus on past storyline with more chapters dedicated to it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this captivating WWII novel! It had a bit of everything, including romance, mystery, action, and tragedy. The Paris Network is a beautiful and heart-wrenching love story showing how books can help guide us through the darkest of times. 💛
October 1, 2024
In a Nutshell: The historical part of this book is very good (not excellent, but definitely good.) The rest of the book, nope.
Story:
Where the book clicked for me:
✔ As a book lover, I relished the attention and love that books get in this story. While their impact may have been a bit exaggerated, they still get a pride of place in the plot, right from the bookstore to book club discussions, to books published clandestinely to banned books to authors. I enjoyed every book-related reference.
✔ The historical timeline starts off like a typical WWII fiction but soon becomes interesting. It provides an interesting glimpse into the French resistance fighters. Their strategies, their minor and major acts of defiance, and their planned organisation all make a good impact.
✔ Laurence makes for an interesting leading lady. While all alone in the world, she still makes the best of her situation and uses her brain and her guts more than her emotions alone. I simply loved her progress through the book.
✔ There is no forced romantic track in the contemporary timeline. Much appreciated decision, this. I am fed up of seeing every single woman mandatorily having to find a guy by the end of the story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ The 1990s timeline was a big dud for me. There are so many flaws in it, and so many things are just unbelievable. Like, would an arthritic man in his late70s-early80s who uses a cane to walk, be able to climb a wall?
❌ Why are all the revelations dragged out? If you knew your father knows some details related to your past, would you allow him to keep his silence, go all the way to France, and then discover the secrets over the period of a few days, OR would you pester him until he is badgered into revealing everything he knows? The whole timeline could have been over in ten minutes flat if everyone just revealed whatever they knew to Jeanne as soon as they met her.
❌ There are so many essential bits of information not revealed. For me, knowing a character’s approximate age helps a lot in understanding their behaviour. Laurence’s age isn’t revealed at all. Why Wendell didn’t come to France earlier even though he thought that the information given to him about someone crucial was false, not revealed. How Lorilee came into the picture, not revealed. Why Jean was asked to resign from her job, not revealed. Jeanne is supposed to have a brother named Danny. He hardly even makes an appearance in the whole book.
❌ Jean is supposed to be almost fifty years old, yet she acts so immaturely. It was tough to accept her as a middle-aged woman as she sounded like a stubborn and ignorant teenager in almost every scene. There is a constant reference to her police background but looking at the way she interviewed everyone, she must have made for a very poor detective as not a single person gave her complete information immediately. Her skills come in handy only once in her entire track, yet we are reminded of her career time and again.
❌ There seem to be some anachronisms in the dialogues. For instance, would a person in 1940s France use the phrase “be an item” to denote dating? When did “Ooh La La” become a phrase used to express shock?
The book would have worked far better for me if it had ditched the contemporary timeline altogether and stuck to the historical story. Yes, the book would have been shorter, but it would have been far more impactful. Jeanne’s story could have been put as a prologue and epilogue to provide a foundation and closure respectively to the WWII events.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at about 14 hours and is narrated by Laurence Bouvard. She has a lovely voice, but let’s just say, her task was difficult because of the dual French and American perspective. And she further added to the complication by voicing some of the characters with accents. Unfortunately, it is not easy to switch between accents and the inconsistency stands out glaringly. I didn’t understand some of her narrative decisions. Like, if Wendell has such a strong Southern drawl, how come Jeanne speaks in a neutral American accent? Laurence’s timeline is in first person and Laurence is French. So her entire timeline could (should?) have been narrated with a French accent. Instead what we get is, internal monologues narrated in an American accent, Laurence’s first person dialogues narrated in a mixed French-American accent, and the other French characters dialogues narrated in a French accent. It is just distracting to hear the constant switching on and off of French accents within the French timeline. Furthermore, her accent is not always spot on. For example, the French pronounce Paris as “Pah-ree”, not “PariS”. Can’t blame her entirely, it was a complicated audiobook to narrate. Having two narrators might have helped, maybe?
Overall, not as good an experience for me as I had expected. The historical timeline gets 4 stars, but the contemporary one just about merits a 2. Hence, 3 stars. Of course, I read a LOT of historical fiction, and hence a story really has to stand out if it has to impress me. Maybe those who aren’t regular readers of this genre might enjoy this book more. The strong GR rating seems to suggest that many readers enjoyed it, so do read other opinions before you make up your mind.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Paris Network”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
Story:
1939 onwards, somewhere near Paris: Laurence runs a little bookstore with a twist. She calls herself the book doctor and loves to give “prescriptions” of books/poems to her customers as per their emotional requirements. When the Germans come to her town in 1940, she finds the changes in her life overwhelming and thus begins resistance against the Nazis, both through her own little ways of protest and through an underground resistance network. Taking inspiration from her role model, Laurence decides to do what she can to see her beloved France free of the Germans.
1990s USA. On the funeral day of her mother, Jeanne seems to be uncovering some family secrets. One of these is through a box her father Wendell gives her. It contains the deeds to a bookstore in France, owned by someone named Laurence. What connection Jeanne has with Laurence is what you will discover on reading the story.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Laurence and third person perspective of Jeanne.
Where the book clicked for me:
✔ As a book lover, I relished the attention and love that books get in this story. While their impact may have been a bit exaggerated, they still get a pride of place in the plot, right from the bookstore to book club discussions, to books published clandestinely to banned books to authors. I enjoyed every book-related reference.
✔ The historical timeline starts off like a typical WWII fiction but soon becomes interesting. It provides an interesting glimpse into the French resistance fighters. Their strategies, their minor and major acts of defiance, and their planned organisation all make a good impact.
✔ Laurence makes for an interesting leading lady. While all alone in the world, she still makes the best of her situation and uses her brain and her guts more than her emotions alone. I simply loved her progress through the book.
✔ There is no forced romantic track in the contemporary timeline. Much appreciated decision, this. I am fed up of seeing every single woman mandatorily having to find a guy by the end of the story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ The 1990s timeline was a big dud for me. There are so many flaws in it, and so many things are just unbelievable. Like, would an arthritic man in his late70s-early80s who uses a cane to walk, be able to climb a wall?
❌ Why are all the revelations dragged out? If you knew your father knows some details related to your past, would you allow him to keep his silence, go all the way to France, and then discover the secrets over the period of a few days, OR would you pester him until he is badgered into revealing everything he knows? The whole timeline could have been over in ten minutes flat if everyone just revealed whatever they knew to Jeanne as soon as they met her.
❌ There are so many essential bits of information not revealed. For me, knowing a character’s approximate age helps a lot in understanding their behaviour. Laurence’s age isn’t revealed at all. Why Wendell didn’t come to France earlier even though he thought that the information given to him about someone crucial was false, not revealed. How Lorilee came into the picture, not revealed. Why Jean was asked to resign from her job, not revealed. Jeanne is supposed to have a brother named Danny. He hardly even makes an appearance in the whole book.
❌ Jean is supposed to be almost fifty years old, yet she acts so immaturely. It was tough to accept her as a middle-aged woman as she sounded like a stubborn and ignorant teenager in almost every scene. There is a constant reference to her police background but looking at the way she interviewed everyone, she must have made for a very poor detective as not a single person gave her complete information immediately. Her skills come in handy only once in her entire track, yet we are reminded of her career time and again.
❌ There seem to be some anachronisms in the dialogues. For instance, would a person in 1940s France use the phrase “be an item” to denote dating? When did “Ooh La La” become a phrase used to express shock?
The book would have worked far better for me if it had ditched the contemporary timeline altogether and stuck to the historical story. Yes, the book would have been shorter, but it would have been far more impactful. Jeanne’s story could have been put as a prologue and epilogue to provide a foundation and closure respectively to the WWII events.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at about 14 hours and is narrated by Laurence Bouvard. She has a lovely voice, but let’s just say, her task was difficult because of the dual French and American perspective. And she further added to the complication by voicing some of the characters with accents. Unfortunately, it is not easy to switch between accents and the inconsistency stands out glaringly. I didn’t understand some of her narrative decisions. Like, if Wendell has such a strong Southern drawl, how come Jeanne speaks in a neutral American accent? Laurence’s timeline is in first person and Laurence is French. So her entire timeline could (should?) have been narrated with a French accent. Instead what we get is, internal monologues narrated in an American accent, Laurence’s first person dialogues narrated in a mixed French-American accent, and the other French characters dialogues narrated in a French accent. It is just distracting to hear the constant switching on and off of French accents within the French timeline. Furthermore, her accent is not always spot on. For example, the French pronounce Paris as “Pah-ree”, not “PariS”. Can’t blame her entirely, it was a complicated audiobook to narrate. Having two narrators might have helped, maybe?
Overall, not as good an experience for me as I had expected. The historical timeline gets 4 stars, but the contemporary one just about merits a 2. Hence, 3 stars. Of course, I read a LOT of historical fiction, and hence a story really has to stand out if it has to impress me. Maybe those who aren’t regular readers of this genre might enjoy this book more. The strong GR rating seems to suggest that many readers enjoyed it, so do read other opinions before you make up your mind.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Paris Network”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
February 18, 2022
“She wanted to save her country. She would risk her life for love”
Warning! I’m not usually much of a crier over books or films, however I defy this story not to bring tears to the eyes of the most steadfast reader!
Whilst the ‘bare bones’ of this WWII premise may sound all too familiar, believe me, there is an amazing twist in this particular telling of the tale, which for all my fellow bibliomanes and bibliophiles, will take this story to a whole new level, as well as evoking some pretty strong feelings and emotions – but to say any more would give away far too many ‘spoilers’!
This multi-layered story is so much more than a poignant and beautifully portrayed war time romance, although that is obviously its core theme. However, wrapped around that, there is a layer of social and cultural history, which shines a spotlight on just how frightening it was to live in a war time occupied France, how terrifying it was to be Jewish in a Nazi occupied country, how dangerous it was to belong to the local French Resistance movement and how courageous were the allied forces who sought to help liberate an oppressed population. Peel back the layers even further and surrounding all of that, there is a contemporary coming of age story, of finding oneself, discovering your family roots and experiencing a true and honest sense of belonging and inclusion; that totally connective feeling of coming home!
A small town, just outside Paris, France in 1939: –
The war is no longer a distant and passive event for this small rural population, as the German troops flex their military muscle and invade France. Their mighty, destructive footprint spreads way beyond the Parisian environs, as the troops make themselves at home and settle in for the duration. The new regime is harsh and unforgiving as it takes what it wants from the community, is brutal and swift in meting out justice against any form of subversion, whilst at the same time being more than willing to openly bestow benefits on those who would collaborate with their new masters, pitting friends and family against one another. For Laurence there is much to lose, as her ‘Bookshop Dispensary’ immediately comes under intense scrutiny, with whole shelves of books whose authors and content the occupiers deem to be inappropriate, needing to be removed from sale. For Laurence and a small group of trusted friends, what begins as any small acts of defiance they can commit to disrupt the newly imposed status quo, soon becomes a much more organised, if small scale off-shoot, of a quickly spreading French Resistance Movement. Can Laurence keep her heart, her head and show her true courage, when the situation becomes desperate and the reprisals are too terrible to countenance?
Fast forward to the USA in 1993: –
A deliberately vindictive, throw-away comment at her late mother’s wake, sets off an unimaginably traumatic and emotionally charged chain of events for Jeanne and her father Wendell, as Jeanne goes in search of a past she doesn’t remember, Wendell seeks the answers to questions he has been unable to ask, and they both try to connect with the one person who shaped their lives together and made them the people they are today. A distraught Wendell, comes clean with Jeanne about the truth of her birth and shares with her the scant few possessions he was untrusted with by her mother, during his dangerous mission to rescue the most precious of cargo from a certain death. Jeanne and Wendell decide to return to France, in search of the closure they both so badly need, little knowing that the experiences they are about to share, will forge a new and even stronger bond between them and despite the individual decisions they consequently make about their respective futures, the new and genuine friendships they make along the way will change them forever.
Author Siobhan Curham has crafted a fluid and richly atmospheric, desperately intense, dual timeline story, with strong women at its heart; which tells of bravery, courage, happiness, loss, love and longing; together with a powerful strength and resilience in the face of adversity, of loyalty to friends and those who are held most dear, a sense of doing the right thing and of fearlessly and selflessly fighting for a just cause against the common enemy.
The alternating timeline of the story, was beautifully structured and seamlessly written in short, well signposted chapters, which drew me into the action, totally immersed me in the unfolding events and held me captive in its thrall until the very last page; when the slightly claustrophobic air of suspense, suspicion and tension, finally gave way like a gentle sigh and the release of a long-held breath, to a future full of calm fulfilment and promise. The compelling and profoundly touching words of the narrative and dialogue flowed effortlessly from the pages, surrounding me and allowing me to bask in their vividly visual descriptive sense of time and place, which had me at Laurence’s shoulder as she typed her ‘prescriptions’, sat in front of the fireplace as the the ladies discussed their latest illicit reading and rushing to the forest clearing with the brave Pere Rambert, as he discharges his final promise to Laurence and places his precious bundle into safe hands.
Siobhan affords that same attention to detail and and visual inclusion, to her cast of characters, no matter how small a part they play in the whole. They are well developed and defined, and whilst not all are easy to connect or empathise with, the overall dynamics and synergy between them, makes them completely investable, genuine and authentic in their individual roles. A complex jigsaw of human emotions were laid bare, when the fragility of the lines between life and death, defeat and survival, love and hate, trust and duplicity, were drawn. However a raw addictive passion and the will to survive, overcame all the odds making them stronger, determined and more united as time went on.
Ultimately, this strangely uplifting tragedy, is the culmination of an all too brief affair between a man and a woman, whose everlasting love transcends everything, including death and whose enduring memory lives on in the life of their daughter. I was afforded a unique and individual experience, by an author who fired my imagination and stimulated my senses beyond all expectations, making this a journey which you really need to make for yourself, to see where it leads you!
To connect with the author, or to share some of my personal favourite memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
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Warning! I’m not usually much of a crier over books or films, however I defy this story not to bring tears to the eyes of the most steadfast reader!
Whilst the ‘bare bones’ of this WWII premise may sound all too familiar, believe me, there is an amazing twist in this particular telling of the tale, which for all my fellow bibliomanes and bibliophiles, will take this story to a whole new level, as well as evoking some pretty strong feelings and emotions – but to say any more would give away far too many ‘spoilers’!
This multi-layered story is so much more than a poignant and beautifully portrayed war time romance, although that is obviously its core theme. However, wrapped around that, there is a layer of social and cultural history, which shines a spotlight on just how frightening it was to live in a war time occupied France, how terrifying it was to be Jewish in a Nazi occupied country, how dangerous it was to belong to the local French Resistance movement and how courageous were the allied forces who sought to help liberate an oppressed population. Peel back the layers even further and surrounding all of that, there is a contemporary coming of age story, of finding oneself, discovering your family roots and experiencing a true and honest sense of belonging and inclusion; that totally connective feeling of coming home!
A small town, just outside Paris, France in 1939: –
The war is no longer a distant and passive event for this small rural population, as the German troops flex their military muscle and invade France. Their mighty, destructive footprint spreads way beyond the Parisian environs, as the troops make themselves at home and settle in for the duration. The new regime is harsh and unforgiving as it takes what it wants from the community, is brutal and swift in meting out justice against any form of subversion, whilst at the same time being more than willing to openly bestow benefits on those who would collaborate with their new masters, pitting friends and family against one another. For Laurence there is much to lose, as her ‘Bookshop Dispensary’ immediately comes under intense scrutiny, with whole shelves of books whose authors and content the occupiers deem to be inappropriate, needing to be removed from sale. For Laurence and a small group of trusted friends, what begins as any small acts of defiance they can commit to disrupt the newly imposed status quo, soon becomes a much more organised, if small scale off-shoot, of a quickly spreading French Resistance Movement. Can Laurence keep her heart, her head and show her true courage, when the situation becomes desperate and the reprisals are too terrible to countenance?
Fast forward to the USA in 1993: –
A deliberately vindictive, throw-away comment at her late mother’s wake, sets off an unimaginably traumatic and emotionally charged chain of events for Jeanne and her father Wendell, as Jeanne goes in search of a past she doesn’t remember, Wendell seeks the answers to questions he has been unable to ask, and they both try to connect with the one person who shaped their lives together and made them the people they are today. A distraught Wendell, comes clean with Jeanne about the truth of her birth and shares with her the scant few possessions he was untrusted with by her mother, during his dangerous mission to rescue the most precious of cargo from a certain death. Jeanne and Wendell decide to return to France, in search of the closure they both so badly need, little knowing that the experiences they are about to share, will forge a new and even stronger bond between them and despite the individual decisions they consequently make about their respective futures, the new and genuine friendships they make along the way will change them forever.
Author Siobhan Curham has crafted a fluid and richly atmospheric, desperately intense, dual timeline story, with strong women at its heart; which tells of bravery, courage, happiness, loss, love and longing; together with a powerful strength and resilience in the face of adversity, of loyalty to friends and those who are held most dear, a sense of doing the right thing and of fearlessly and selflessly fighting for a just cause against the common enemy.
The alternating timeline of the story, was beautifully structured and seamlessly written in short, well signposted chapters, which drew me into the action, totally immersed me in the unfolding events and held me captive in its thrall until the very last page; when the slightly claustrophobic air of suspense, suspicion and tension, finally gave way like a gentle sigh and the release of a long-held breath, to a future full of calm fulfilment and promise. The compelling and profoundly touching words of the narrative and dialogue flowed effortlessly from the pages, surrounding me and allowing me to bask in their vividly visual descriptive sense of time and place, which had me at Laurence’s shoulder as she typed her ‘prescriptions’, sat in front of the fireplace as the the ladies discussed their latest illicit reading and rushing to the forest clearing with the brave Pere Rambert, as he discharges his final promise to Laurence and places his precious bundle into safe hands.
Siobhan affords that same attention to detail and and visual inclusion, to her cast of characters, no matter how small a part they play in the whole. They are well developed and defined, and whilst not all are easy to connect or empathise with, the overall dynamics and synergy between them, makes them completely investable, genuine and authentic in their individual roles. A complex jigsaw of human emotions were laid bare, when the fragility of the lines between life and death, defeat and survival, love and hate, trust and duplicity, were drawn. However a raw addictive passion and the will to survive, overcame all the odds making them stronger, determined and more united as time went on.
Ultimately, this strangely uplifting tragedy, is the culmination of an all too brief affair between a man and a woman, whose everlasting love transcends everything, including death and whose enduring memory lives on in the life of their daughter. I was afforded a unique and individual experience, by an author who fired my imagination and stimulated my senses beyond all expectations, making this a journey which you really need to make for yourself, to see where it leads you!
To connect with the author, or to share some of my personal favourite memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
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February 22, 2022
My real mother was a member of the French Resistance and owned a bookstore?
Why didn't you ever tell me, father?
Jeanne finds out the day of her "mother's" funeral that she wasn't her real mother.
THE PARIS NETWORK goes back and forth in time as we learn of the lives of the characters both then and now. Jeanne present day and Laurence in the past.
You will feel Laurence’s tension as the Nazis take control of the small town and feel Jeanne’s disappointment of the news about her mother as well as the excitement of the news about the bookstore and that her mother was French and was born in France.
Very well researched with marvelous characters, “book prescriptions,” WWII, secrets kept, a mystery to solve, and a bookstore. Who could ask for more?
Absolutely a must read for historical fiction fans and those readers who love dual timelines and wondering what the characters' stories really are.
You won't want it to end because of the wonderful writing, the terrific story line, and the characters. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Why didn't you ever tell me, father?
Jeanne finds out the day of her "mother's" funeral that she wasn't her real mother.
THE PARIS NETWORK goes back and forth in time as we learn of the lives of the characters both then and now. Jeanne present day and Laurence in the past.
You will feel Laurence’s tension as the Nazis take control of the small town and feel Jeanne’s disappointment of the news about her mother as well as the excitement of the news about the bookstore and that her mother was French and was born in France.
Very well researched with marvelous characters, “book prescriptions,” WWII, secrets kept, a mystery to solve, and a bookstore. Who could ask for more?
Absolutely a must read for historical fiction fans and those readers who love dual timelines and wondering what the characters' stories really are.
You won't want it to end because of the wonderful writing, the terrific story line, and the characters. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
February 19, 2022
3.3 Stars
One Liner: A few hits and misses
*Minority Opinion*
Paris, 1940: Laurence has her bookshop, The Book Dispensary, and sells books, prescribing poems/ quotes to the buyers. The talk of war seems nothing more than a distant nightmare until it cuts too close to home. The Nazi army camps in her village, and Laurence is determined to not bow down. Becoming a part of the Resistance seems like a natural thing to do.
But when an unexpected development puts her in grave danger, Laurence knows she has little to no chances of survival.
America, 1993: Jeanne discovers that her life wasn’t what she assumed it to be. Being a female cop forced into early retirement before her 50th birthday was bad enough. But the truth is disturbing and fills her with questions. What is the story behind the bookstore she inherited? What does a tiny village in France have to do with her? Where do Laurence and Jeanne’s lives merge and how?
What I Like:
• The portrayal of resistance is beautiful. It isn’t just about picking up arms or getting into physical fights. Laurence shows how her kind of resistance is equally important.
• After reading graphic descriptions of the atrocities multiple times, a lighter version was enough for me.
• Books play a vital role in the story. There’s a list of the resistance book club reads at the end.
• The side characters are intriguing in Laurence’s track. Together, they create the atmosphere needed for the setting.
• There’s no forced love track for Jeanne, which I appreciate.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
• The dual timeline books always have the risk of imbalance, and it happened here. The focus is more on the past (which I like). The contemporary track feels more like a prop. In fact, the contemporary track could be removed and substituted with an epilogue (either in the third person or from Wendell’s POV). That would make the book even better (not to mention cut it down from 400+ pages to around 350).
• I understand the importance of hope, but reading so many hopefully’s annoyed me. The same goes for the number of times we are reminded about Jeanne being a cop. It makes no difference to the story.
• I’m not sure if I missed or if there’s no proper reason provided for Gigi’s behavior (whatever is shared and hinted at is not enough). Her character arc is odd, and I still don’t understand why she has so much space.
To sum up, The Paris Network is a decent book based on true events but doesn’t have the wow factor. Pretty much a mixed bag for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheParisNetwork
P.S: Mine is a minority opinion, so please read the other reviews before deciding.
One Liner: A few hits and misses
*Minority Opinion*
Paris, 1940: Laurence has her bookshop, The Book Dispensary, and sells books, prescribing poems/ quotes to the buyers. The talk of war seems nothing more than a distant nightmare until it cuts too close to home. The Nazi army camps in her village, and Laurence is determined to not bow down. Becoming a part of the Resistance seems like a natural thing to do.
But when an unexpected development puts her in grave danger, Laurence knows she has little to no chances of survival.
America, 1993: Jeanne discovers that her life wasn’t what she assumed it to be. Being a female cop forced into early retirement before her 50th birthday was bad enough. But the truth is disturbing and fills her with questions. What is the story behind the bookstore she inherited? What does a tiny village in France have to do with her? Where do Laurence and Jeanne’s lives merge and how?
What I Like:
• The portrayal of resistance is beautiful. It isn’t just about picking up arms or getting into physical fights. Laurence shows how her kind of resistance is equally important.
• After reading graphic descriptions of the atrocities multiple times, a lighter version was enough for me.
• Books play a vital role in the story. There’s a list of the resistance book club reads at the end.
• The side characters are intriguing in Laurence’s track. Together, they create the atmosphere needed for the setting.
• There’s no forced love track for Jeanne, which I appreciate.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
• The dual timeline books always have the risk of imbalance, and it happened here. The focus is more on the past (which I like). The contemporary track feels more like a prop. In fact, the contemporary track could be removed and substituted with an epilogue (either in the third person or from Wendell’s POV). That would make the book even better (not to mention cut it down from 400+ pages to around 350).
• I understand the importance of hope, but reading so many hopefully’s annoyed me. The same goes for the number of times we are reminded about Jeanne being a cop. It makes no difference to the story.
• I’m not sure if I missed or if there’s no proper reason provided for Gigi’s behavior (whatever is shared and hinted at is not enough). Her character arc is odd, and I still don’t understand why she has so much space.
To sum up, The Paris Network is a decent book based on true events but doesn’t have the wow factor. Pretty much a mixed bag for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheParisNetwork
P.S: Mine is a minority opinion, so please read the other reviews before deciding.
February 15, 2022
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A FIGHTER IN ORDER TO FIGHT BACK
Often when you read stories about resistance fighters during World War II there's a clear emphasis on the fighting. But this was a different story of resistance, a story of resisting in small, quiet and yet impactful ways. It's a much needed addition to WWII literature.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Resistance: What is resistance? Do you have to spy on the enemy, shoot a gun, kill a man and blow up railways? Or can it be something as mundane as reading a book? That is the central theme of this book, and I was fully enthralled by it. I really liked how it showed how even everyday activities can become means of resistance. It is definitely something I would like to see more of in future WWII literature. A little can be just as impactful as a lot if done right.
Emotional: There is no denying that I got swept up in the emotions of this book. I was invested in the characters and the plotline, which made the emotions all the more real.
Timelines: Normally dual timelines can go either way - I either love it or I hate it. For a dual timeline to work, the two timelines have to each contribute something important to the overall story and be tied together neatly and effectively. Both things were accomplished here. We follow both Laurence in WWII France and Jeanne, her daughter, trying to piece her mother's life back together in the 1990's. What I liked the most about the dual timeles was how they each served to drive the other story forward and heighten the mystery of what actually happened to Laurence. It was very well done.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Often when you read stories about resistance fighters during World War II there's a clear emphasis on the fighting. But this was a different story of resistance, a story of resisting in small, quiet and yet impactful ways. It's a much needed addition to WWII literature.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Resistance: What is resistance? Do you have to spy on the enemy, shoot a gun, kill a man and blow up railways? Or can it be something as mundane as reading a book? That is the central theme of this book, and I was fully enthralled by it. I really liked how it showed how even everyday activities can become means of resistance. It is definitely something I would like to see more of in future WWII literature. A little can be just as impactful as a lot if done right.
Emotional: There is no denying that I got swept up in the emotions of this book. I was invested in the characters and the plotline, which made the emotions all the more real.
Timelines: Normally dual timelines can go either way - I either love it or I hate it. For a dual timeline to work, the two timelines have to each contribute something important to the overall story and be tied together neatly and effectively. Both things were accomplished here. We follow both Laurence in WWII France and Jeanne, her daughter, trying to piece her mother's life back together in the 1990's. What I liked the most about the dual timeles was how they each served to drive the other story forward and heighten the mystery of what actually happened to Laurence. It was very well done.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me for more book loving content!
Blog ✨ Facebook ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter
Blog Post: 10 Criminally Underrated YA Books with an LGBTQ Twist
January 30, 2022
This is the first book I’ve read by Siobhan Curham and I must admit, I will definitely be reading more. This is a dual timeline story that takes you to WWII France and then back to 1993 United States and back to France. This beautifully written heartbreaking, poiGrant, and yes, joyful story this is.
Laurence is a bookstore owner in war torn France, who is known for the prescriptions she writes for her customers. When the Germans come to town she joins the resistance. 1993 US, Jeanne attends her mother’s funeral, but due to a comment from her aunt, she confronts her father and finds out her mother was not her birth mother, which then sends her on a journey with her father to find out more about her birth mother.
This book will pull on your heartstrings early on and keep hold of them until the finish. I absolutely adored this book and will definitely be looking for more of Siobhan Curhham’s books.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. All opinions above are my own and were no way influenced by the publisher.
Laurence is a bookstore owner in war torn France, who is known for the prescriptions she writes for her customers. When the Germans come to town she joins the resistance. 1993 US, Jeanne attends her mother’s funeral, but due to a comment from her aunt, she confronts her father and finds out her mother was not her birth mother, which then sends her on a journey with her father to find out more about her birth mother.
This book will pull on your heartstrings early on and keep hold of them until the finish. I absolutely adored this book and will definitely be looking for more of Siobhan Curhham’s books.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. All opinions above are my own and were no way influenced by the publisher.
March 20, 2022
I loved this book beautiful written. I didn't want to end it. I will be reading more of the authors books......
February 9, 2022
The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham is an excellent dual timeline historical fiction that has it all: history, mystery, suspense, intrigue, and kept me guessing until the very end.
I have really enjoyed every book by Ms. Curham that I have read thus far and this one is no exception. I guess one could say at this point I am a huge fan. She seems to deliver such an excellent historical fiction novel experience that has every element that I could hope for in a great book.
I devoured this gem in less than two days. What can I say? I was hooked.
The book weaves between present day and WWII. Here we see two separate stories between two generations of women within the same family ( Jeanne and Laurence) and the author does a tremendous job at bringing both women’s stories together and ties it all up seamlessly.
I also learned more about a different facet of Resistance within France…that of the covert book sellers, distributers, and publishers of the “controversial and banned “ books. I knew the list was long, and the “reasons” the Nazis created the list, and the burning of said books, but this novel sheds more light on this complicated and horrendous process. I appreciate the author’s research and ability to bring this subject matter into the spotlight.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Bookouture for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/15/22.
From the Publisher:
Book Description:
Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page.
Author Bio:
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.
https://www.facebook.com/Siobhan-Curh...
https://www.instagram.com/SiobhanCurham/
https://twitter.com/SiobhanCurham
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09NDWYHWMsocial
Audio:
UK: zpr.io/cSqeybP5cfya
US: zpr.io/bS7LKZ5hXuVG
Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the...
I have really enjoyed every book by Ms. Curham that I have read thus far and this one is no exception. I guess one could say at this point I am a huge fan. She seems to deliver such an excellent historical fiction novel experience that has every element that I could hope for in a great book.
I devoured this gem in less than two days. What can I say? I was hooked.
The book weaves between present day and WWII. Here we see two separate stories between two generations of women within the same family ( Jeanne and Laurence) and the author does a tremendous job at bringing both women’s stories together and ties it all up seamlessly.
I also learned more about a different facet of Resistance within France…that of the covert book sellers, distributers, and publishers of the “controversial and banned “ books. I knew the list was long, and the “reasons” the Nazis created the list, and the burning of said books, but this novel sheds more light on this complicated and horrendous process. I appreciate the author’s research and ability to bring this subject matter into the spotlight.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Bookouture for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/15/22.
From the Publisher:
Book Description:
Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page.
Author Bio:
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.
https://www.facebook.com/Siobhan-Curh...
https://www.instagram.com/SiobhanCurham/
https://twitter.com/SiobhanCurham
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09NDWYHWMsocial
Audio:
UK: zpr.io/cSqeybP5cfya
US: zpr.io/bS7LKZ5hXuVG
Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the...
February 13, 2022
An incredibly powerful and moving story!
February 7, 2022
Laurence Sidot, the owner of The Book Dispensary in La Vallee du Cerf, France seeks out books for her customers. As WWII starts the Nazis start banning books. Laurence ends up joining the resistance, and created a book club. Members are aware they are in danger of reading banned books. The Resistance uses her books for “coded messages” to pass along messages. One day she helps protect an American pilot.
Add in danger, romance, and fighting for a cause, this novel draws the reader in. I absolutely devoured this audio. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Siobhan for this advanced audio copy. The narrator was wonderful as well. This book publishes February 15, 2022
Add in danger, romance, and fighting for a cause, this novel draws the reader in. I absolutely devoured this audio. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Siobhan for this advanced audio copy. The narrator was wonderful as well. This book publishes February 15, 2022
February 16, 2022
I have read a number of French occupation World War II books lately, and this one fits right with those. That portion of the war - the way many citizens of France quietly fought for freedom - was not something that I learned about in school. This is the first book I've read that used books to fight back.
The main character in this book is a bookstore owner, She was able to keep her store open and travel to and from Paris under the guise of purchasing new stock for the store. Through her Paris contacts, she was able to join the resistance through spreading banned books, while also physically assisting with drops of goods by allied pilots.
I love the way the main character used books as a form of medicine. She actually wrote poem and book prescriptions for townspeople with the emotional struggles that came along with war and the occupation. The author did a nice job of creating a strong female character, but she wasn't fearless. She had her flaws just like everyone else, and that was what made her feel so human.
The main character in this book is a bookstore owner, She was able to keep her store open and travel to and from Paris under the guise of purchasing new stock for the store. Through her Paris contacts, she was able to join the resistance through spreading banned books, while also physically assisting with drops of goods by allied pilots.
I love the way the main character used books as a form of medicine. She actually wrote poem and book prescriptions for townspeople with the emotional struggles that came along with war and the occupation. The author did a nice job of creating a strong female character, but she wasn't fearless. She had her flaws just like everyone else, and that was what made her feel so human.
February 8, 2023
I have a love-hate relationship with dual timeline books. I love them when there are two great stories that wind their way together. I'm disappointed when there is only one real story and the other timeline is simply used as a literary device to tell the other story. The Paris Network is a great example of the former!
This book really had two great stories that meshed together well to solve a decades-old mystery and it really kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I also appreciate when historical fiction teaches me something about history and is not simply set in an earlier timeline. With all the WWII novels out lately, it is difficult to include anything unique, but I felt like she succeeded in some obscure tidbit of history.
I would recommend it and it would make a good book club choice.
This book really had two great stories that meshed together well to solve a decades-old mystery and it really kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I also appreciate when historical fiction teaches me something about history and is not simply set in an earlier timeline. With all the WWII novels out lately, it is difficult to include anything unique, but I felt like she succeeded in some obscure tidbit of history.
I would recommend it and it would make a good book club choice.
February 15, 2022
“I am not afraid, I was born to do this”
My mind is spinning thinking about this book...a masterpiece is one of the ways I wish to describe it.
Laurence is a young woman living in France, she owns a bookstore previously occupied by her mother’s dressmaking crafts, but since she’s died Laurence has decided to truly embrace her passion, books and sharing her love for them to all those she can.
She used what she calls a prescription which consists of books, poems, & short stories meant to be seen as an ailment in anyone’s time of need. It is on of the many unique things Laurence has offered to those around her.
In a matter of seconds her whirlwind dream of owning her bookstore is taken over with occupation of France as Germans invade her home leaving her with no option but to continue as she was before, but it’s not so easy when every fiber of her being is screaming at her for being so naive and allowing this to happen. How can she sit back and watch as Germans kill those she loved and take away her future, her liberty.
She begins to slowly fight in small and silent ways, reading banned books, delivering leaflets, even smoking until she coughs. The thing I admire most about Laurence is her adversity in the most trying and empty times. Eventually moving towards more dangerous waters...
“We need stories more than we need food” one of many quotes I chose to remember. The short but impactful relationship between Laurence and Wendell while brief they were destined to meet, their love as unique as a white deer frolicking in the forest, a blessing created amidst pain and death. “At least now you have experienced the intensity of true love”
This is not merely a romance but a story of a strong and resilient woman who fought against the tyrants who wished to control and silence her freedom, I will never forget her heroism.
I loved every character with my whole heart especially those who were there for Laurence when she truly needed someone, Charlotte, Odette, Madame Bonheur, Peré, Wendell, and many more. Her future was safe because of them, her life would live on no matter what happened.
The ending was painful and unexpected I wish that it could have ended differently but I think there’s beauty in the final moments of a story, you reach a standstill and beckon for more but in the end you are left with silence, she merely shouted “Liberté.”
Adieu Laurence and Merci Beau cul....
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookotour, and of course a big thank you to Siobhan Curham for writing this incredible and beautiful piece of work I simply can’t wait to own a copy of my own!
My mind is spinning thinking about this book...a masterpiece is one of the ways I wish to describe it.
Laurence is a young woman living in France, she owns a bookstore previously occupied by her mother’s dressmaking crafts, but since she’s died Laurence has decided to truly embrace her passion, books and sharing her love for them to all those she can.
She used what she calls a prescription which consists of books, poems, & short stories meant to be seen as an ailment in anyone’s time of need. It is on of the many unique things Laurence has offered to those around her.
In a matter of seconds her whirlwind dream of owning her bookstore is taken over with occupation of France as Germans invade her home leaving her with no option but to continue as she was before, but it’s not so easy when every fiber of her being is screaming at her for being so naive and allowing this to happen. How can she sit back and watch as Germans kill those she loved and take away her future, her liberty.
She begins to slowly fight in small and silent ways, reading banned books, delivering leaflets, even smoking until she coughs. The thing I admire most about Laurence is her adversity in the most trying and empty times. Eventually moving towards more dangerous waters...
“We need stories more than we need food” one of many quotes I chose to remember. The short but impactful relationship between Laurence and Wendell while brief they were destined to meet, their love as unique as a white deer frolicking in the forest, a blessing created amidst pain and death. “At least now you have experienced the intensity of true love”
This is not merely a romance but a story of a strong and resilient woman who fought against the tyrants who wished to control and silence her freedom, I will never forget her heroism.
I loved every character with my whole heart especially those who were there for Laurence when she truly needed someone, Charlotte, Odette, Madame Bonheur, Peré, Wendell, and many more. Her future was safe because of them, her life would live on no matter what happened.
The ending was painful and unexpected I wish that it could have ended differently but I think there’s beauty in the final moments of a story, you reach a standstill and beckon for more but in the end you are left with silence, she merely shouted “Liberté.”
Adieu Laurence and Merci Beau cul....
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookotour, and of course a big thank you to Siobhan Curham for writing this incredible and beautiful piece of work I simply can’t wait to own a copy of my own!
April 21, 2025
Are you a diehard bibliomane? Would you be brave enough to join a book club whose reading list was punishable by death?
Laurence Sidot, owner of The Book Dispensary in La Vallee du Cerf, France, sees herself as a literary pharmacist who prescribes reading material based on her customer’s ailments. When WW2 starts and the Nazis start banning books, Laurence fights back by joining French Resistance, helping the underground publishing company, and organizing a book club. Each book selected is a banned book and members are constantly aware of the danger in possessing it and so they meet in the utmost secrecy. The Resistance use her shop as a ‘letter box’ for passing along coded messages and as a refuge for Resistance members. Everything changes the day she decides to hide an American pilot.
Easily one of my favourite reads of 2022, Curham’s book is the perfect balance of historical fiction, romance and little known facts about wartime. I learned about nenette dolls, BOFs, Mae Wests, Les Editions de Minuit, Sorlot’s French edition of Mein Kampf, and the list of banned books the Nazis provided booksellers. The romance was believable, the dual timeline was expertly executed, and the love of books was prevalent. Dispenser of words! Reading for liberty! Fabulous anchors for a perfect read. I don’t ever want to forget what can happen if people turn a blind eye to hatred and prejudice and want to remember the courage of those who were willing to risk everything for the written word and liberty.
Curham’s book truly is a celebration of the power of the written word and the bravery of all those who fought for freedom.
“Lifelong friends are as easy to read as well-loved books.”
“Don’t you just love the way stories give us the ability to travel anywhere in the world, at any time in history?”
I was gifted this advance copy by Siobhan Curham, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Laurence Sidot, owner of The Book Dispensary in La Vallee du Cerf, France, sees herself as a literary pharmacist who prescribes reading material based on her customer’s ailments. When WW2 starts and the Nazis start banning books, Laurence fights back by joining French Resistance, helping the underground publishing company, and organizing a book club. Each book selected is a banned book and members are constantly aware of the danger in possessing it and so they meet in the utmost secrecy. The Resistance use her shop as a ‘letter box’ for passing along coded messages and as a refuge for Resistance members. Everything changes the day she decides to hide an American pilot.
Easily one of my favourite reads of 2022, Curham’s book is the perfect balance of historical fiction, romance and little known facts about wartime. I learned about nenette dolls, BOFs, Mae Wests, Les Editions de Minuit, Sorlot’s French edition of Mein Kampf, and the list of banned books the Nazis provided booksellers. The romance was believable, the dual timeline was expertly executed, and the love of books was prevalent. Dispenser of words! Reading for liberty! Fabulous anchors for a perfect read. I don’t ever want to forget what can happen if people turn a blind eye to hatred and prejudice and want to remember the courage of those who were willing to risk everything for the written word and liberty.
Curham’s book truly is a celebration of the power of the written word and the bravery of all those who fought for freedom.
“Lifelong friends are as easy to read as well-loved books.”
“Don’t you just love the way stories give us the ability to travel anywhere in the world, at any time in history?”
I was gifted this advance copy by Siobhan Curham, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 6, 2022
Liberty
A heartbreaking tale of courage and love during WWII. A group of young women led by the bookstore owner Laurence resist the Nazi's by reading banned books. Then Laurence is drawn into the network of the French Resistance movement. Her involvement becomes dangerous putting not only herself but the whole network at risk.
It is a story of love and betrayal, of friendship and courage. When Laurence helps a downed American pilot hide from the Nazi's it has consequences that last beyond the war. One last act of defiance puts not only her life but those of others in the town at risk. This is when Laurence must be the most courageous.
Years later when her mother dies a young lady Jeanne finds a box with information linking her to a bookstore in France and a woman named Laurence. Now Jeanne is on a quest to find more information on how she is mysteriously connected with this bookstore and this woman in France.
I loved how the author put the two stories together. I don't generally like both stories of a dual story line, however this one was so well written that I loved both story lines. The book was riveting and suspenseful. It kept me reading and even though I wanted to find out what happened next, I didn't want it to end.
It was beautiful and sad, filled with love and courage. A wonderful read, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Siobhan Curham for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
A heartbreaking tale of courage and love during WWII. A group of young women led by the bookstore owner Laurence resist the Nazi's by reading banned books. Then Laurence is drawn into the network of the French Resistance movement. Her involvement becomes dangerous putting not only herself but the whole network at risk.
It is a story of love and betrayal, of friendship and courage. When Laurence helps a downed American pilot hide from the Nazi's it has consequences that last beyond the war. One last act of defiance puts not only her life but those of others in the town at risk. This is when Laurence must be the most courageous.
Years later when her mother dies a young lady Jeanne finds a box with information linking her to a bookstore in France and a woman named Laurence. Now Jeanne is on a quest to find more information on how she is mysteriously connected with this bookstore and this woman in France.
I loved how the author put the two stories together. I don't generally like both stories of a dual story line, however this one was so well written that I loved both story lines. The book was riveting and suspenseful. It kept me reading and even though I wanted to find out what happened next, I didn't want it to end.
It was beautiful and sad, filled with love and courage. A wonderful read, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Siobhan Curham for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
February 24, 2022
I listened to this one on audio and I really enjoyed the story very much, although I did feel there was something missing with the later of the dual time zones, not sure what though.
Based in a book shop on the outskirts of Paris, which is always going to be a winner for me.
The narrator was 75% there, until the character change in my opinion.
I would recommend you listen or read it to see what you think.
Based in a book shop on the outskirts of Paris, which is always going to be a winner for me.
The narrator was 75% there, until the character change in my opinion.
I would recommend you listen or read it to see what you think.
March 2, 2022
What a beautiful, beautiful book! I laughed. I cried. I was moved. Powerful. Absorbing . Wonderful. A masterpiece
September 11, 2025
The Paris Network is a WW2 historical fiction (or at least it seems so), set in France with dual timelines following a mother and daughter. There isn’t much mystery, since most of the relationships are revealed in the first couple of chapters, which allows readers to focus on the storylines without constantly trying to “figure something out.”
I enjoyed this book, especially the past timeline, and the way the Resistance was portrayed. I loved how the written word made such an impact on people’s lives and how the story reminded us of the importance and strength of books throughout The Paris Network. Laurence was, in my opinion, a fascinating and unique character, and I could feel her strength while reading. I also have huge respect for books that teach me something new, and this one definitely did. I don’t have enough time in this lifetime to read everything I’d like, but all the books mentioned in The Paris Network feel worth checking out.
That being said, there were a few inconsistencies that left me confused. First, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the writing style. Some words or phrases were repeated too often, without adding to the story’s impact. Second, the character of Gigi felt either overdeveloped or underdeveloped. If she was meant to be an important character, then parts of her story were missing—possibly even her point of view, especially towards the end. But if she was just meant to be a passing character, then there was too much of her without adding value to the story. I also wish there had been one more chapter about Wendell and Jeanne—their union, their escape, and the beginning of their life together.
Finally, I couldn’t quite figure out which parts of the book were based on real facts. The books and bookstores, certainly, but did Laurence and the other characters exist in some form? Even the author’s note was confusing: in one place it says “inspired by true events,” and in another “rooted in facts.” Call me picky, but to me those don’t mean the same thing. I’m a sucker for true stories, so I would have loved a clear answer to this.
I enjoyed this book, especially the past timeline, and the way the Resistance was portrayed. I loved how the written word made such an impact on people’s lives and how the story reminded us of the importance and strength of books throughout The Paris Network. Laurence was, in my opinion, a fascinating and unique character, and I could feel her strength while reading. I also have huge respect for books that teach me something new, and this one definitely did. I don’t have enough time in this lifetime to read everything I’d like, but all the books mentioned in The Paris Network feel worth checking out.
That being said, there were a few inconsistencies that left me confused. First, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the writing style. Some words or phrases were repeated too often, without adding to the story’s impact. Second, the character of Gigi felt either overdeveloped or underdeveloped. If she was meant to be an important character, then parts of her story were missing—possibly even her point of view, especially towards the end. But if she was just meant to be a passing character, then there was too much of her without adding value to the story. I also wish there had been one more chapter about Wendell and Jeanne—their union, their escape, and the beginning of their life together.
Finally, I couldn’t quite figure out which parts of the book were based on real facts. The books and bookstores, certainly, but did Laurence and the other characters exist in some form? Even the author’s note was confusing: in one place it says “inspired by true events,” and in another “rooted in facts.” Call me picky, but to me those don’t mean the same thing. I’m a sucker for true stories, so I would have loved a clear answer to this.
February 15, 2022
I was first introduced to the writing of Siobhan Curham when I read Beyond This Broken Sky in April 2021. Like the earlier book, The Paris Network alternates between two timelines. The first, set in 1993, concerns Jeanne who, following the death of her mother, discovers that her father has a secret in his past, one that directly affects her. The second is set in wartime France in which the reader witnesses the events following the occupation of France by the Nazis through the eyes of Laurence, owner of a bookshop called The Book Dispensary.
I confess I wasn’t completely won over by the dual timeline structure. Perhaps because Laurence’s story was so powerful or because it was written in the first person, the sections concerning Jeanne felt very much secondary and I found myself eager to immerse myself again in Laurence’s story.
In her author’s note, Siobhan describes how her discovery of the important role books played during the German occupation of France inspired the writing of The Paris Network. As a booklover myself, this was an aspect of the book I really enjoyed. I loved the idea of Laurence dispensing literary ‘prescriptions’ to her customers in the form of books, or more often poems, individually tailored to their circumstances; to provide comfort, inspiration or solace. It’s just one way the author demonstrates the essential role that books play in Laurence’s life. They also provide her with sustenance through dark times. In fact, at one point she says, ‘Today for lunch I am dining on an appetiser of Little Women before a hearty feast of Flaubert’. This is all the more poignant given the food shortages the people of Laurence’s village experience as the German stranglehold on the population increases.
Books also become a form of resistance as Laurence creates a book club who read works of literature banned by the Nazis, including those illicitly published by the Resistance movement. (A list of the poems and books that feature can be found at the end of the book.) But Laurence is also inspired by General de Gaulle’s rallying call to the people of France to carry out other acts of resistance: secretly listening to BBC radio broadcasts even though radios are banned, painting V for victory signs or the word ‘Liberty’ on buildings, carrying coded messages and delivering leaflets for the Resistance or defying petty rules such as the ban on drinking wine on Sundays or the wearing of trousers by women.
However, acts of resistance have consequences and German reprisals for acts of sabotage or in defiance of rules are increasingly swift and savage, as Laurence discovers. Wartime relationships often form quickly and can be fleeting. Such is the case for Laurence. Facing a heartbreaking choice, she has to channel all the strength and courage of her heroine Joan of Arc. As Jeanne and her father Wendell put together the final pieces of Laurence’s story, I was reminded of a famous quotation from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.
I confess I wasn’t completely won over by the dual timeline structure. Perhaps because Laurence’s story was so powerful or because it was written in the first person, the sections concerning Jeanne felt very much secondary and I found myself eager to immerse myself again in Laurence’s story.
In her author’s note, Siobhan describes how her discovery of the important role books played during the German occupation of France inspired the writing of The Paris Network. As a booklover myself, this was an aspect of the book I really enjoyed. I loved the idea of Laurence dispensing literary ‘prescriptions’ to her customers in the form of books, or more often poems, individually tailored to their circumstances; to provide comfort, inspiration or solace. It’s just one way the author demonstrates the essential role that books play in Laurence’s life. They also provide her with sustenance through dark times. In fact, at one point she says, ‘Today for lunch I am dining on an appetiser of Little Women before a hearty feast of Flaubert’. This is all the more poignant given the food shortages the people of Laurence’s village experience as the German stranglehold on the population increases.
Books also become a form of resistance as Laurence creates a book club who read works of literature banned by the Nazis, including those illicitly published by the Resistance movement. (A list of the poems and books that feature can be found at the end of the book.) But Laurence is also inspired by General de Gaulle’s rallying call to the people of France to carry out other acts of resistance: secretly listening to BBC radio broadcasts even though radios are banned, painting V for victory signs or the word ‘Liberty’ on buildings, carrying coded messages and delivering leaflets for the Resistance or defying petty rules such as the ban on drinking wine on Sundays or the wearing of trousers by women.
However, acts of resistance have consequences and German reprisals for acts of sabotage or in defiance of rules are increasingly swift and savage, as Laurence discovers. Wartime relationships often form quickly and can be fleeting. Such is the case for Laurence. Facing a heartbreaking choice, she has to channel all the strength and courage of her heroine Joan of Arc. As Jeanne and her father Wendell put together the final pieces of Laurence’s story, I was reminded of a famous quotation from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.
January 18, 2022
So I dont like dual timelines and I dont like first person, YET, one of the best books I have read all year has both. I was lucky to get an early copy. I loved this storyline so much and what's more it's given me a push to read the less famous books Steinbeck and others have written. I started reading this last night and finished it this morning. I couldnt stop. It made me laugh and cry. Brilliant. The story of an extremely brave resistance woman in France who never killed anyone but inspired hundreds of people. The story is fiction, no idea how much of it is based on a true story but I honestly dont care. Siobhan, this book was Amazing.
January 15, 2022
I really liked the dual timeline. I liked the Main characters story. I liked that it was about how to resist in the small ways. And never let the fire die. I liked that it was about the small sunshines in a dark era. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
March 4, 2022
The Paris Network takes place in two timelines, during WW2 beginning in 1939 and 1993. In 1939 La Vallee du Cerf, France, Laurence Sidot has turned her family store into The Book Dispensary. As the name hints to a pharmacy, she calls herself the book doctor and gives “prescriptions” of books/poems to her customers based on their emotional requirements. Laurence's parents are dead and there are rumors of horrible things happening inside and outside of France. When the Germans take over her town, people she has known for years are shot and deported. Laurence decides to fight back. Her response varies from reading all the books on the banned list to actively participating as a member of the French Resistance. In 1993, Jeanne's mother has died and after the funeral, she finds a a dusty old box in her father’s garage. From it's contents she learns she has inherited a bookstore, in a tiny French village, from a woman named Laurence. Her dad tells her little about this woman that he once knew so they travel to La Vallee du Cerf to attempt to claim her property and to find out who she was and what happened to Laurence.
This story is told from two POVs, Laurence and Jeanne. With most dual timeline stories, I preferrred the past story more than the present. Laurence made a great heroine. She is smart and intuitive and uses her brain to get herself out of trouble more than once. I enjoyed seeing her character grow in this story. Jeanne was an okay character, but didn't pull me in like Laurence. I was intrigued by Laurence's storyline. I learned more about the resistance and the way their various activities were carried out. Of course, I loved the pride of place books played. From the "book prescriptions" to book discussions, hiding and reading banned books to publishing of them, my bookish brain was engaged. I found it interesting how much the Nazis tried to cow the citizens by numbing their brains. The present day timeline didn't capture me as much as I would like, but it was used to shed light on the past, as well as show the reverence people had for Laurence. I would have been happy if it has just been the historical story, bookended by the 1993 one. I did a read/listen and definitely preferred reading. The audiobook was hard to follow at times as the narrator used the same voice when narrating both character parts, including their inner thoughts. Dialogue however, has individual voices and accents, so maybe it was just me at that time. Overall, the historical timeline was interesting and educational and I recommend this book for that reason.
This story is told from two POVs, Laurence and Jeanne. With most dual timeline stories, I preferrred the past story more than the present. Laurence made a great heroine. She is smart and intuitive and uses her brain to get herself out of trouble more than once. I enjoyed seeing her character grow in this story. Jeanne was an okay character, but didn't pull me in like Laurence. I was intrigued by Laurence's storyline. I learned more about the resistance and the way their various activities were carried out. Of course, I loved the pride of place books played. From the "book prescriptions" to book discussions, hiding and reading banned books to publishing of them, my bookish brain was engaged. I found it interesting how much the Nazis tried to cow the citizens by numbing their brains. The present day timeline didn't capture me as much as I would like, but it was used to shed light on the past, as well as show the reverence people had for Laurence. I would have been happy if it has just been the historical story, bookended by the 1993 one. I did a read/listen and definitely preferred reading. The audiobook was hard to follow at times as the narrator used the same voice when narrating both character parts, including their inner thoughts. Dialogue however, has individual voices and accents, so maybe it was just me at that time. Overall, the historical timeline was interesting and educational and I recommend this book for that reason.
February 15, 2022
But stories always win. Stories live on far longer than any humans. I can't lose my faith in the written word. If I do that, I have nothing.
Laurence never had a talent or seamstress skill; hence, after her mother's death, she turned her family store into a town's bookstore. When Nazi-occupied France entered her city, Laurence entered France's most dangerous club - the resistance. From writing a book prescription notes to her fellow townsfolk and passing the cryptic messages to exchanging dangerous packages and sheltering English allies, Laurence has dedicated her life and soul to the French resistance. And when the time came to pay the price - she did it with her head held up high.
It has been a while since I read the book that made me very emotional. Life under Nazi occupation was hard; many people gave up and accepted their fate. I was truly amazed by Laurence's strength and will to stand against the enemy, boost people's faith, and increase the resistance against the intruder, which was simply heroic. To give up your life, your future, and your child for such a high cause are spine chilling. Great WWII novel, phenomenal ending with an emotional story of a young brave soul. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture publisher, for this beautiful yet heartbreaking story.
Laurence never had a talent or seamstress skill; hence, after her mother's death, she turned her family store into a town's bookstore. When Nazi-occupied France entered her city, Laurence entered France's most dangerous club - the resistance. From writing a book prescription notes to her fellow townsfolk and passing the cryptic messages to exchanging dangerous packages and sheltering English allies, Laurence has dedicated her life and soul to the French resistance. And when the time came to pay the price - she did it with her head held up high.
It has been a while since I read the book that made me very emotional. Life under Nazi occupation was hard; many people gave up and accepted their fate. I was truly amazed by Laurence's strength and will to stand against the enemy, boost people's faith, and increase the resistance against the intruder, which was simply heroic. To give up your life, your future, and your child for such a high cause are spine chilling. Great WWII novel, phenomenal ending with an emotional story of a young brave soul. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture publisher, for this beautiful yet heartbreaking story.
November 18, 2022
Jeanne is 49 years old and is forced to retire as a police detective. At the same time her mother, Lorilee, passes away but Jeanne never had a close relationship with her, always feeling that her mother didn't really like her. She discovers a box with a deed to a bookshop in France and her father admits that Lorilee was not her biological mother. She travels to France with her father, Wendell, to learn more about her mother, Laurence.
It was a good story, heartbreaking at times. Laurence owned a book store where she would write book prescriptions for her patrons with quotes or poems to help them through difficult times. She was certainly brave with her work for the Resistance. I liked Laurence but she seemed to be the only character that was really developed. It was written from the perspective of Laurence in 1943 and Jeanne in 1993 and it worked well in this case. As Jeanne would discover something the story would switch to Laurence and fill in the blanks.
Sometimes it read like YA to me. Jeanne didn't always talk or act like a retired police detective and at one point they try to get into Laurence's book shop and her 70+ father who uses a cane hops over a high fence. There were a lot of ohh la la's and them chanting Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Only as an American probably but I kept hearing the commercial. Genevieve was someone that Laurence had grown up. She became a famous actress in Paris and came back during the war but is now called Gigi. She seemed to float through the book and played a large part but the character itself remained in the background. I would have liked to know more about her.
I enjoyed the relationship of Wendell and Laurence but then the ending seemed rushed. I would have liked to know more about how Jeanne was taken from France and how Wendell ended up with Lorilee.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture from providing me with a digital copy.
It was a good story, heartbreaking at times. Laurence owned a book store where she would write book prescriptions for her patrons with quotes or poems to help them through difficult times. She was certainly brave with her work for the Resistance. I liked Laurence but she seemed to be the only character that was really developed. It was written from the perspective of Laurence in 1943 and Jeanne in 1993 and it worked well in this case. As Jeanne would discover something the story would switch to Laurence and fill in the blanks.
Sometimes it read like YA to me. Jeanne didn't always talk or act like a retired police detective and at one point they try to get into Laurence's book shop and her 70+ father who uses a cane hops over a high fence. There were a lot of ohh la la's and them chanting Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Only as an American probably but I kept hearing the commercial. Genevieve was someone that Laurence had grown up. She became a famous actress in Paris and came back during the war but is now called Gigi. She seemed to float through the book and played a large part but the character itself remained in the background. I would have liked to know more about her.
I enjoyed the relationship of Wendell and Laurence but then the ending seemed rushed. I would have liked to know more about how Jeanne was taken from France and how Wendell ended up with Lorilee.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture from providing me with a digital copy.
October 21, 2024
A WWII historical fiction about a woman who owns a bookstore and joins the French resistance. I loved some parts of this but honestly the characters were soooo cringey it made me not like the book as much.
January 27, 2023
Interesting but a bit slow.
June 21, 2022
Solid read that captures the WWII Resistance effort in a small French town.
August 6, 2024
Absorbing, rich, and expressive!
The Paris Network is a sentimental, engaging tale predominately set in France during 1940, as well as 1993, that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Laurence, a young woman who, through determination and resilience, uses her bookshop to help lift the community spirit and help the resistance as much as she possibly can; and Jeanne, a middle-aged woman who, after learning of her real mother’s identity, decides with the help of her father to embark on a journey to discover the true identity of the woman who stole her father’s heart and to claim the inheritance she only just became aware of.
The prose is eloquent and well-turned. The characters are vulnerable, strong, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a heartfelt, touching tale of life, loss, secrets, surprises, separation, heartbreak, betrayal, desperation, tragedy, survival, danger, friendship, the horrors of war, and enduring love.
Overall, The Paris Network is a moving, sincere, evocative tale by Curham inspired by real-life events that I devoured from start to finish and which I highly recommend for anyone who loves a well written WWII time-slip novel.
The Paris Network is a sentimental, engaging tale predominately set in France during 1940, as well as 1993, that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Laurence, a young woman who, through determination and resilience, uses her bookshop to help lift the community spirit and help the resistance as much as she possibly can; and Jeanne, a middle-aged woman who, after learning of her real mother’s identity, decides with the help of her father to embark on a journey to discover the true identity of the woman who stole her father’s heart and to claim the inheritance she only just became aware of.
The prose is eloquent and well-turned. The characters are vulnerable, strong, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a heartfelt, touching tale of life, loss, secrets, surprises, separation, heartbreak, betrayal, desperation, tragedy, survival, danger, friendship, the horrors of war, and enduring love.
Overall, The Paris Network is a moving, sincere, evocative tale by Curham inspired by real-life events that I devoured from start to finish and which I highly recommend for anyone who loves a well written WWII time-slip novel.
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