Review: "The Paris Library" by Janet Skeslien Charles

In Froid, Montana, Odile Gustafson, lives next door to Lily, a young 7th grade girl. Odile is not from Froid, as a matter of fact, she is from Paris, France. Lily and Odile become friends and as their relationship deepens, Odile’s amazing past is slowly revealed. Lily realizes that all is not how it seems both in Odile’s life and her own.

The story is told from Odile and Lily’s viewpoint. Slowly the truth emerges about Odile’s past and Lily learns many hard life lessons. The mixture of both perspectives keeps the tale interesting and moving. Each chapter leaves you turning pages to find out what happens next. This is one of my favorite writing styles.

There is a plethora of stories coming to the surface of amazing people and the part they played in World War II. This story is a perfect example. I highly recommend it. It mixes historical fiction with current family drama. You don’t want to miss it.