While Paris Slept: A mother faces a heartbreaking choice in this bestselling story of love and courage in World War 2

Product Information

Meet Sarah, a young Jewish woman who is ripped away from everything she knows and loves in Paris, leaving her with nothing but a deep sense of despair and a precious, life-changing decision to make. Meanwhile, in California, Jean-Luc is haunted by the ghosts of his past and struggling to come to terms with the atrocities he witnessed during the Nazi occupation of France. A fascinating take on WW2, and the Nazi occupation, and how families move on from the trauma they experienced.

I loved While Paris Slept . I finished the novel with tears in my eyes. An uplifting novel and will be great for book clubs' *****'A young woman’s future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope. Beginning on an ordinary day and ending on an extraordinary one, WHILE PARIS SLEPT is an unforgettable read. About This Edition ISBN: Paris, 1944. A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left is hope. In 1953 Santa Cruz, CA, Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps are the proud parents of Sam, the all-American kid. They are adapting to their new country, speaking only English, and never revisiting the trauma they fled in Paris 9 years earlier.

This book was exceptional from start to finish. It mainly follows Jean-Luc, a French railroad worker and Charlotte, a French girl who ends up helping in a German hospital during the war. Their paths cross and they fall in love but this is very different to your typical love story. The two overcome huge barriers and show such strength, determination and courage that you are left willing them to achieve their goal. Without spoilers, their journey leads to a life being saved and their bond strengthened but their future is uncertain as the past threatens to catch up with them. As readers we can’t help but feel the weight of the Nazi occupation and its impact on Sarah, her husband David, even Jean-Luc and Charlotte, as well as a nurse that he meets at a German hospital.The story then jumps forward to 1953, and we see Jean-Luc living in Santa Cruz, California with his wife Charlotte and son Sam. But the past catches up with him, and he is taken in for questioning about his wartime role. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including Jean-Luc, Charlotte, and Sarah, as well as Sarah’s daughter, who has grown up in America but is still grappling with the trauma of her mother’s experiences. Verhalen waarbij oorlog en Auschwitz een belangrijke rol spelen trekken mij aan, zo ook het verhaal van Sarah en David en Charlotte en Jean Luc

I remember when I saw the movie Sophie’s Choice, and I sat there watching Meryl Streep making the most critical decision of her life during that pivotal scene. It was as if I stopped breathing because time stopped during that moment – in my mind. I think the whole theatre was in silence with me. LoveReading exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Perfect for readers of EARLY ONE MORNING and THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, this is a gripping, moving debut novel of courage, survival and the endurance of hope. This book was beautiful - a book on love and courage demonstrated in different ways, showing that there is no one way to love or be brave. I was unable to stop reading *****'Jean Luc y Charlotte Beauchamps son dos jóvenes franceses que, en 1944, afrontan como pueden la ocupación nazi de su país. Él trabaja en la estación de Bobigny, la estación de la que partían hacia Auschwitz, los trenes que salían del campo de tránsito de Drancy con su carga humana de judíos camino del exterminio. Charlotte trabaja en un hospital. Ambos aspiran a rebelarse contra los alemanes y ambos se ven constreñidos por el miedo imperante. En este contexto, uno de los trenes que tenía que salir de Drancy, sufre un percance inesperado. Sarah Laffitte, una joven madre judía, aprovecha el revuelo para entregar su bebé recién nacido (Samuel), a Jean Luc, pidiéndole que lo salve de la muerte. Nueve años después, Sarah y David, su marido, supervivientes de Auschwitz, dan con el paradero del hijo al que buscaban desde que finalizó la guerra. La reunificación familiar no será lo que ellos habían soñado.

Another aspect of the novel that stands out is the nuanced exploration of the characters’ emotions and motivations. The author delves into the complexities of human relationships, depicting the characters’ struggles with guilt, fear, and betrayal, as well as their capacity for love, forgiveness, and redemption.

About Ruth Druart

Overall, this novel has so many elements to it that it makes for compelling reading. Recommended for fans of historical fiction. On a darkened platform, two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.