THE PARIS DAUGHTER
Kristin Harmel
Simon & Schuster Canada
Gallery Books
June 6, 2023
384 pages
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Genre: Historical, World War II, War & Military, Women
Over the last few years, there has been a glut in the book market of WW2 stories. I read quite a few but then I had to back off. I still read the odd one but I am very picky about the ones I chose. I am thankful that I chose to read The Paris Daughter.
The Paris Daughter tells of 2 families that were split apart. Not all of them made it. The story is told from the mothers’ points of view. One is a mother who was compelled to abandon her daughter for safety’s sake. It demonstrates how the bond between mother and child endures. And how much suffering a mother can endure. The other mother faced tremendous loss. The story also shows us the different paths of grief. There is no rule book. A person cannot grieve by a set pattern.
The characters come to life. The reader lives their hardships along with them. It’s not an easy book to read. But it is very compelling. The further I got, the better it seemed to get.
The ending was a bit of a twist. It was a twist that I was sort of expecting but nonetheless, it was well executed.
The Paris Daughter is well written. I’m not an expert on the war but it appears to be very well and accurately researched. The author’s notes at the end of the book are excellent. She indicates how much research she did for the sake of accuracy for the events depicted.
I am very grateful that my generation and those that have come after me (here in North America) have not had to experience the horrors of war. Of course, it’s a whole different story in Ukraine, the Middle East and Pakistan. It makes me wonder how the body and soul of the survivors can possibly endure what has happened. The collateral damage that happens to civilians, especially children, is beyond tragic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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