The Paris Daughter (by Kristen Harmel)

I have fallen in love with Kristen Harmel’s books. She is one of the authors that I immediately add her book to my “have to buy now” list as soon as I know she has a new one being released. The Paris Daughter did not disappoint. I was hooked from the minute I opened the book and read the first page. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and when it involves WWII, I am excited to read it. This is such an emotional read. A story of a mother’s love, relationships, trauma, redemption, forgiveness, hope, and betrayal. My heart just filled with joy at the friendship Elsie and Juliette developed and the friendship of their daughters as well. But my heart also ached at the way the atrocities of WWII changed their lives … destroying their families and the relationships around them. It was interesting to see how each character responded to the destruction of the war. I’m not sure how I would have handled the same situations. The characters were so richly developed that you become attached to them and are invested in what happens to each one. I could not put the book down once I started it. I will just say that there were many nights that I was up late reading one more chapter! I had dark spots under my eyes from little sleep and a lot of tears. The author did an amazing amount of research for this book. Her notes at the end are very interesting and worth reading after you have finished the book. It was a book that I will not soon forget. And I strongly encourage you to put it at the top of your to-be-read list. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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