Genre Fiction
![Kristin Harmel - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001IR3MH2.jpg)
The Paris Daughter
From the bestselling author of the "heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism" (People) The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life-her young daughter, playmate to Juliette's own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette's Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette's world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend's bookstore reduced to rubble-and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise's desperate search leads her to New York-and to Juliette-one final, fateful time.
An "exquisite and gut-wrenching novel" (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author) you won't soon forget, The Paris Daughter is also a sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love.
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life-her young daughter, playmate to Juliette's own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette's Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette's world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend's bookstore reduced to rubble-and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise's desperate search leads her to New York-and to Juliette-one final, fateful time.
An "exquisite and gut-wrenching novel" (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author) you won't soon forget, The Paris Daughter is also a sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love.
Editorial Reviews
"The Paris Daughter tore up my heart and put it back together again." -- New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly
"A gorgeous, gut-wrenching read!" -- New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn
"The Paris Daughter is a heartrending, uplifting novel. It is a poignant portrait of how we assign guilt even in the most blameless of circumstances, and a powerful reminder of the importance of moving on from the past before we become trapped there." -- Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library
"Kristin Harmel is one of my must-read authors, and I loved THE PARIS DAUGHTER....Harmel exemplifies the best in historical fiction; a story that brings history to vivid life, and one that enlightens as well as moves the reader." -- New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline
"The Paris Daughter stole - and broke - my historical-loving heart. Beautifully written and emotionally charged.... (it) is sure to delight (Harmel's) many devoted fans, and captivate many more. Absolutely wonderful!" -- Hazel Gaynor, NYT bestselling author of The Last Lifeboat
"A powerful exploration of the depths of a mother's love and the impossible choices that must be made during times of war....Part mystery, part family saga, part homage to the artist's soul, this book had me in tears and kept me riveted until the final page. It was unputdownable." -- New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo
"Kristin Harmel's superpower is the emotional punch she packs into her vast repertoire of beautifully crafted historical fiction....Her exquisite and gut-wrenching novel reveals that even in the darkest times, there are rays of light...that even when you are lost, under the stars fate will guide you home." -- New York Times bestselling author Lisa Barr
"Powerful, deeply emotional, and sure to be on everyone's "must read" list." -- New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips
"The Paris Daughter is an all consuming tale of war, love and family, and at its core is a heart touching look at a mother's love and the sacrifices we make for our children....Historical fiction at...
"A gorgeous, gut-wrenching read!" -- New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn
"The Paris Daughter is a heartrending, uplifting novel. It is a poignant portrait of how we assign guilt even in the most blameless of circumstances, and a powerful reminder of the importance of moving on from the past before we become trapped there." -- Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library
"Kristin Harmel is one of my must-read authors, and I loved THE PARIS DAUGHTER....Harmel exemplifies the best in historical fiction; a story that brings history to vivid life, and one that enlightens as well as moves the reader." -- New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline
"The Paris Daughter stole - and broke - my historical-loving heart. Beautifully written and emotionally charged.... (it) is sure to delight (Harmel's) many devoted fans, and captivate many more. Absolutely wonderful!" -- Hazel Gaynor, NYT bestselling author of The Last Lifeboat
"A powerful exploration of the depths of a mother's love and the impossible choices that must be made during times of war....Part mystery, part family saga, part homage to the artist's soul, this book had me in tears and kept me riveted until the final page. It was unputdownable." -- New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo
"Kristin Harmel's superpower is the emotional punch she packs into her vast repertoire of beautifully crafted historical fiction....Her exquisite and gut-wrenching novel reveals that even in the darkest times, there are rays of light...that even when you are lost, under the stars fate will guide you home." -- New York Times bestselling author Lisa Barr
"Powerful, deeply emotional, and sure to be on everyone's "must read" list." -- New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips
"The Paris Daughter is an all consuming tale of war, love and family, and at its core is a heart touching look at a mother's love and the sacrifices we make for our children....Historical fiction at...
Readers Top Reviews
Tamara E.
Kristin Harmel has created a special story that's a not just another WII novel. It’s uniquely beautiful and reminds us that grief, though deeply painful, does not have to be the end for us. There is a way to move through it. The support of friends and loved ones is vital. The Paris Daughter is a tribute to all the mothers out there who sacrifice for their children. Synopsis: Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette are friends as war creeps across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change. However, when Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life, her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves and when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it. More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York and to Juliette one final, fateful time. The Paris Daughter takes the reader to Paris and New York City between 1939 and the early 1960s. Harmel introduces us to a handful of people whose lives are unimaginably changed. Elise LeClair decides to leave her daughter for the remainder of the war in the safe hands of her best friend Juliette. At the end of the war, she learns upon her return that the bookshop where the family of six had resided was accidentally bombed leaving behind ash, ruins, devastation, and only two living souls. The Paris Daughter is a powerful story of friendship and motherhood, the impact of loss, and the inhumanity of war. I was in awe of all the mothers in this book. The choices they had to make just to keep their families safe made my heart ache for them. Whether they chose to leave the children, send them away, or keep them with them there was no guarantee that they would all be together at the end. A mother’s love is an amazing thing, and this was proven many times throughout this book. Through grief and madness, a mothers love is eternal. I also want to mention the book infuses art into the storyline. It's interesting to learn about an artists world pre and post war along with what happened to art during the war along with how an artists mind copes with loss. This is an interesting component of The Paris Daughter. Many thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for sharing a tale of two beautifully broken women and the impacts their choices have across decades.
George R. AdamsTa
Read this book in 1 sitting. Could not put it down. I love this author.
readalldayGeorge
This is a truly great story, so many emotions and so much sadness and hope. This is just such a great story!
rhea chumleyreada
I've fallen in love with Kristin's writing! The connections in this book to The Book of Lost Names are so perfect and add a delightful layer to the storyline.
sonnysmomrhea chu
"Under these stars, fate will guide you home." "I think when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future, whatever comes our way. There is always light in the darkness even if that spark is sometimes hard to see." The Paris Daughter set in France during WWII is an emotionally heartbreaking story that grabbed me in from the very first page. This is history that needs to be told again and again. To never be forgotten. How can parents send their children away with strangers? They do so to keep them safe, hoping to be reunited with them. What were the alternatives? Elise was forced to leave her daughter behind in the care of her friend Juliette and her family. She had to flee Paris. All she could hope for was Mathilde to be protected and safe. Hopefully to be reunited again once the war ended. A story about friendship, grief, love, devastating loss, motherhood and the difficult, heart wrenching decisions that had to be made to protect her child. I had tears flowing as I read. A story that will stay with me for a long time. Powerful, heartwarming, compelling. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for opportunity to read this book.
