The Paris LibraryThe Paris Library
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1939, Odile, a young Frenchwoman, gets her dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis occupy the city, she and her colleagues risk their lives to keep the library open and deliver books to Jewish readers. Decades later, in Montana, a lonely teenage girl befriends Odile, now an elderly widow, and discovers her secrets.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a moving novel about books and friendship.
You'll love it if you liked
The Keeper of Hidden Books
The Book Thief
All the Light We Cannot SeeGood to know
It's based on a true story.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Paris Library worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 69.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Paris Library about?
In 1939, Odile, a young Frenchwoman, gets her dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis occupy the city, she and her colleagues risk their lives to keep the library open and deliver books to Jewish readers. Decades later, in Montana, a lonely teenage girl befriends Odile, now an elderly widow, and discovers her secrets.
How long does it take to read The Paris Library?
About 11 hours (434 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Paris Library?
If you liked it, try The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.