Author: Janet Skeslien Charles

A quilting friend passed this book to me quite awhile ago. She said at the time it took her awhile to get into it so I put off reading it. I didn’t have any trouble with it at all and I’m a little sorry I took so long to start it.

Although a work of fiction it is based on the very real American Library in Paris, where the author worked for a time. The story tells about the struggles the staff encountered during the Second World War and, in particularly, during the occupation of Paris.

I’ll be wrapping this one up and sending it to a friend who will be having knee surgery at the end of the month.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: Ian Rankin

On our recent trip to Victoria we picked up a couple of Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus books. I didn’t know it at the time but this book is the first one in the series. I’ve never read a Rebus book that I didn’t like so I’ve decided to read the entire series – provided I can get the ones we don’t own from the library.

This one probably wasn’t my favourite of the ones I’ve already read but it was still good.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Joyce Carol Oates

I’ve had this book on my list for a long time, and I’ve also had the book for quite awhile but it was in the bookcase on Texada and I never seemed to be needing a book while I was there. The book was worth the wait – I loved it.

This is the story of one family – Mum, Dad, three boys and a girl. They are well respected in their small community; they are well adjusted and a bit quirky. One night their daughter is assaulted and the family begins to unravel. The story is told by the youngest son but every member of the family is highlighted – their back story as well as the way they unravel.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: Tatiana de Rosnay

This book was on my list for ages; I even had it downloaded to my Kindle. But during a Texada Library sale I was able to pick up the real thing. It sat in the cupboard on Texada for ages but I finally pulled it out. It didn’t take long to read.

Julia and her family are about to move into the Paris apartment that was previously the home of her husband’s grandmother. In the course of research for her job she came to learn of the Vel’ d’Hiv – the rounding up of Jewish citizens in Paris during the occupation. Little did she know that her husband’s family were living in an apartment that had been the previous home of a Jewish family. Sarah was one of the thousands of children that had been rounded up and sent to various camps.

I’ve read so many books about the occupation and the treatment of the Jewish people that maybe I was a bit desensitize. It seemed to me though that the actions of Julia were quite selfish and indulgent, although there was a good conclusion to the story.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Update: December 12, 2022

I recently came across a review of this book from an older version of my website. Most obvious from the two reading is that the first time around “I found the ending a bit contrived” whereas on the second reading I liked the conclusion.

Here is the original review:

The book starts out telling the story of a young French girl, Sarah, living in Paris during the Second World War. She and her family, with the exception of her brother, are arrested and sent to concentration camps in Poland. Sarah’s story is alternated with the present-day story of Julia Jarmond, an American journalist who has married into a well-to-do French family. These two stories intersect in a most interesting way. I loved the book, but I found the ending a bit contrived.