A Week in Paris by Rachel Hore

Title: A Week in Paris

Author: Rachel Hore

Publication: August 9th, 2016 (first published October 9th, 2014)

Publisher: St. Martin's Press - Thomas Dunne Books

Read: July 28th, 2016

Summary:

1961: Born on the day that WW2 broke out, 21-year-old Fay Knox cannot remember her early childhood in London, before she moved to a Norfolk village with her mother, Kitty. Though she has seen a photograph of her father, she does not recall him either. He died, she was told, in an air raid, and their house destroyed along with all their possessions. Why then, on a visit to Paris on tour with her orchestra, does a strange series of events suggest that she spent the war there instead? There is only one clue to follow, an address on the luggage label of an old canvas satchel. But will the truth hurt or heal? 1937: Eugene Knox, a young American doctor, catches sight of 19-year-old Kitty Travers on the day she arrives in Paris, and cannot get her out of his mind. She has come to study the piano at the famed Conservatoire, and lodges at a convent near Notre Dame. Eugene and Kitty will fall in love, marry and have a daughter, but France's humiliating defeat by Germany is not far behind, and the little family must suffer life under Nazi occupation. Some Parisians keep their heads down and survive, others collaborate with the enemy while others resist. The different actions of Eugene, Kitty and their friends will have devastating consequences that echo down the generations.

My Review:

Lou's mind stars: ✭✭✭

This is a book that is so slow that I wondered how long it would take me to finish it. I don't mind slow books usually but it needs to have something happening. Here, we get to know about Fay's past through the voice of a 'friend' of her mother, retelling the past from her point of view. At the same time, we have whole chapters told from the past (Fay's mother point of view) and it can be quite confusing if you don't follow the story carefully.

It was interesting because it is set during the Second World War (for the past) and during the events of 1961 in France (for the present) which are two big events in France. I knew about those times being French myself but here, I appreciated the way the author researched everything and gave real details about these events. But the story was a bit too long, I think. At the end, I got bored and wanted nothing more than to finish it quickly.

To sum it up, this is a so-so read for me. It was interesting, but not something I would reread.

*book received from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review*

#books #reviews #rachelhore