The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is the best book I’ve read so far in 2023. Take the time to read this one!
This is a story about the love of mothers during an incredibly stressful situation. It’s WWII in Nazi occupied Paris. Elise, a sculptor, is an American married to a French painter. When his activism gets him killed, Elise and her daughter are in peril. To keep her daughter safe, she makes the difficult decision to leave her with her friend Juliette. Juliette and her husband, owners of a bookstore, have three children. One mother to another, Juliette promises Elise to love and protect the child until Elise can safely return. Unfortunately war is unpredictable. The story jumps to the 1960s where we see how people cope differently after the trauma of living through war.
My Take:
The Paris Daughter grabbed me right in chapter one and didn’t let go. I loved learning about sculpting and the art world through Elise. I sympathized with both Elise and Juliette’s situations. Don’t worry. I know it’s a war story, but it has a happy ending, although it is bittersweet. The Paris Daughter is one you don’t want to miss!
If you want to help authors the most, pre-order or purchase the first week the book is out. The Paris Daughter came out today, so you can get your copy at most book sellers including at bookshop.org, an on-line store that helps small mom and pop independent bookstores.
If you like The Paris Daughter, check out these Kristin Harmel books I’ve reviewed: The Winemaker’s Wife, The Book of Lost Names, and The Forest of Vanishing Stars.
To learn more about the author, go to KristinHarmel.com.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel.
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