by Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Tyndale House
ISBN: 979-8-4005-0174-6
First, the cover... stunning, right? Second, Roseanna M. White! Third, I'm on her launch team and she sent me the book for my review!
Summary:
In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.
Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.
For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.
Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.
Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.
For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.
Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.
My Review:
I have been a fan of the author's books for years. WWII is one of my favorite historical time periods to read. I was also intrigued by what this story might hold.
I liked Corinne from the start. She was a character who I could get behind and root for. Trying to learn how to be a spy from her uncle seemed like a task that would take forever. As Corinne learned, being a spy wasn't easy and patience hard to come by.
We also meet Christian, who is sent to Paris to go through the libraries to document and get rid of banned books. Being forced into this "work" that he doesn't have the stomach for gives readers an interesting insight into people who were put in positions working for the Nazi party who wanted to rebel against them, but doing so would've been dangerous! As the layers of his story are peeled back, we begin to understand the choices he made.
Corinne, of course, has no tolerance for the Germans who have invaded her country. Unfortunately, there are a couple who have taken note of her, which puts her in a very precarious position. Trying to keep out of their line of sight becomes harder and harder the more she becomes connected to Christian. There was danger pretty much at every turn, no one was safe, and scrutiny by the Nazi officers was to be avoided at all costs.
While I liked the story, it had a much different feel than her previous stories. I can't put my finger on what the difference is, but it just didn't hit the same for me. There is a faith element that's Catholic in nature so I wasn't really able to connect with that part of the story.
I liked Corinne from the start. She was a character who I could get behind and root for. Trying to learn how to be a spy from her uncle seemed like a task that would take forever. As Corinne learned, being a spy wasn't easy and patience hard to come by.
We also meet Christian, who is sent to Paris to go through the libraries to document and get rid of banned books. Being forced into this "work" that he doesn't have the stomach for gives readers an interesting insight into people who were put in positions working for the Nazi party who wanted to rebel against them, but doing so would've been dangerous! As the layers of his story are peeled back, we begin to understand the choices he made.
Corinne, of course, has no tolerance for the Germans who have invaded her country. Unfortunately, there are a couple who have taken note of her, which puts her in a very precarious position. Trying to keep out of their line of sight becomes harder and harder the more she becomes connected to Christian. There was danger pretty much at every turn, no one was safe, and scrutiny by the Nazi officers was to be avoided at all costs.
While I liked the story, it had a much different feel than her previous stories. I can't put my finger on what the difference is, but it just didn't hit the same for me. There is a faith element that's Catholic in nature so I wasn't really able to connect with that part of the story.
About the Author:
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award–winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at RoseannaMWhite.com.
