The Last Day in Paris Book Review
‘And so, we begin,’ he murmured, his voice carrying a weight of solemnity.
‘An adventure none of us wanted, yet one we must face.’
Synopsis
"No, Mama, please don't make me leave!" Sophie cries, clutching her teddy bear as her blue eyes fill with tears. "I'd rather be here in Paris with you, than far away somewhere safe..." Paris, 1940: All over Paris, families are being pulled from their beds in the middle of the night. And ever since her husband was shot in cold blood, Brigitte Goldstein has known she is running out of time. She and her daughter Sophie are Jewish, so it won't be long until the Nazis bang on their door. But before she leaves, Brigitte must find her beloved husband's painting, which was seized by the Nazis. She desperately hopes that if she saves it from destruction, then a piece of him will live on forever. And perhaps one day her daughter will uncover her father's legacy, and the secret hidden inside... Working in a museum under a false identity is Brigitte's only hope. Until she meets Isabelle Valette, who confides in hushed tones that she is part of the Resistance. And when her new friend tells her of a train leaving Paris that can take children to safety, Brigitte knows her daughter must be on it, even if it breaks her heart. But getting Sophie onto the train is dangerous. If they are caught smuggling a Jewish child out of Paris, they will be killed. And with the enemy closing in, can Brigitte get her beloved daughter to safety before it is too late?
REVIEW
Book 1 of The Paris Sisters series, The Last Day in Paris by Suzanne Kelman explores the complexities of love, sacrifice, and heritage in the midst of World War II. Having loved some of Kelman’s prior work, such as When We Were Brave, I was quite excited to read this new novel, yet was left with mixed feelings.
The story largely follows the lives of Brigitte Goldstein, a Jewish Frenchwoman, and Isabelle Vallete, a curator at the Louvre Museum, in Paris throughout the Second World War, as well as that of Brigitte’s granddaughter, Esther Walker’s, in England in 2010. Anticipating the German occupation, Isabelle and her colleagues set to quickly and quietly sneaking out precious works of art before the Reich invades the city – something that truly happened in real life, though the novel wasn’t entirely accurate in its portrayal. Once the Nazis have embedded themselves at the museum and begin claiming, stealing, or destroying art across the country, Isabelle resolves to keep a journal of each occurrence in hopes of returning the art to where it belongs after the war. Meanwhile, even though she knows Paris is getting more and more dangerous for Jews by the day, and that she needs to get her daughter, Sophie, to safety, Brigitte is desperate to find her late husband’s painting, seized by the Nazis early on. Thus, she obtains false papers and begins working at the Jeu de Paume Museum alongside Isabelle. Will they succeed in their missions? Throughout the book, we are also given glimpses of Esther, a divorced, single mother, as she navigates through life upon the discovery of the painting and finally unravels the mystery behind her mother’s childhood and what truly happened to her grandparents during the war.
The dual timelines set in Paris during the German occupation and England decades later offer multiple perspectives on the story, and the author’s ability to create a compelling opening hook had me engaged from the start. However, a significant spoiler early on regarding Brigitte raised questions about the character’s choices. Additionally, the character of Esther unfortunately failed to resonate with me. In a time where knowledge about World War II and the Holocaust is widespread, Esther’s lack of awareness felt unrealistic. Her attitude towards her situation, combined with a lack of depth in her character, made her less relatable and more of a hindrance to the story. Finally, the ethically questionable subplot involving Esther and the painting really frustrated me.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the parts of the novel that were set during the war, and I particularly liked Isabelle, whose character and storyline was inspired by Rose Valland, an art historian from Paris who indeed documented the fate of thousands of stolen artworks.
I need to know what happens next! What else can Esther unearth? What happened to the other children that were smuggled out of Paris with Sophie? I have lingering questions that demand answers and I look forward to reading the next installment of The Paris Sisters series.
Expected publication date is 26 February 2024.
Author Profile
Suzanne Kelman is an Amazon bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and her books have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide accumulated 10 rights deals across eight territories. Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.
She is also the author of the bestselling book, The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding.
Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.
Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.
TL;DR
- Rating: 3 stars | Genre: Historical Fiction | Pages: 383
- Book 1 of The Paris Sisters series
- Themes of love, sacrifice, and heritage
- Multiple POVs and dual times follow 2 women (Brigitte and Isabelle) in Paris during WWII, and another (Esther) in England in 2010
- Didn’t care for Esther, but loved Isabelle (inspired by Rose Valland)
- Lingering questions that demand answers!
- Looking forward to the next installment
