Review: Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: August 2020
 

Charlotte Foret is a woman living in Occupied France during World War II. She likes to say that "It had taken Hitler to maker her a Jew." With the help of a German soldier, she was able to survive that difficult time and make it to America with her daughter Vivi. Now working for a publishing house in New York and living at the top of her boss's building, she must navigate life with the questions her daughter has about the past and her future. The story goes back and forth from war time in 1942 and Charlotte's life 10 years later in 1952. Will Charlotte be able to answer her daughters questions, and why is everything such a big secret.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Historical Fiction is not one of my favorite genres, but every once in a while there is a book that really grabs your attention and sucks you in. This book wasn't that at first for me. I think what drew me to the story initially was her working in publishing in New York. That has always been a dream of mine. About 30% of the way through the book, I started to get interested in Charlotte and her past. It was very interesting. Books have been a part of her life, her whole life. Her father was in publishing and she is working at a bookstore in France and then full circle she gets to America and is in publishing.

Charlotte's story starts off really well and then takes a turn it really didn't have to in order for the story to be great. I don't want to go into more, without giving away too much. Overall, this book is about escaping, forbidden love, building a new life, loving your daughter, and facing the truths of your life.

SOMETHING TO ENJOY WHILE YOU READ:

FRENCH 75 COCKTAIL RECIPE

Ingredients

1 lemon

3 tablespoons (11/2 oz) gin

11/2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) fresh

lemon juice

1 tablespoon (1/ 2 oz) simple syrup

1 cup ice cubes

1/4 cup (2 oz) dry sparkling wine,

such as brut Champagne, chilled

Preparation

Slice peel from lemon in long, thin spiral. Reserve lemon and set peel aside.

Combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into chilled Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.

Create lemon twist by curling lemon peel around finger. Garnish drink and serve immediately.

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Audiobook Review: The Party by Robyn Harding

The Party by Robyn Harding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2017

Being a teenager is hard. You believe that all the events that are taking place now are going to be the end all of your life, but it's just the beginning of life. For Hannah, she wants to be a part of the cool kids so bad, she decides to invite a couple to her modest 16th birthday party. Nothing extravagant, just a few teenage girls in the basement for pizza and sleepover, what could go wrong? But when an unfortunate accident leaves one girl badly injured, the whole school will be turned upside down.

Hannah and Ronnie had been friends when they were little. As they grew older, they grew apart. Now Ronnie is part of the popular crew at school and Hannah is dating a popular boy, but still has her more down to earth friends as well. When her two worlds come together at her birthday party, chaos ensues. Given the house rules, everyone at the birthday party breaks them. They drink, take drugs, invite boys over and Ronnie gets seriously injured. After the incident, Hannah is torn between wanting to retain her popularity and keeping her friendship with Ronnie.

What would you do if a child was seriously injured while in your care? What if their parents wanted to ruin you financially, no matter how the child felt about it?

For me, I wasn't sure whose side I was on in this book. I knew I was on the side of the kids. I was a young dumb kid at one point in my life, doing all the things these kids did at this sleepover. The kids understood that what they did was wrong and dumb and that they had to deal with the consequences of their actions. I don't think that I met any people who have turned on their friends the way the kids in this book do. If something happened to my child at a party, I don't know if I would try and get money out of the other family. I don't think I could do that. But I've never been in that situation.



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