The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris

In The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood, Juliette is in Paris looking for a particular square where her grandmother used to spend time. She has only a picture of the square to help her find it. However, while there, she discovers that her marriage is in serious trouble. Not wanting to go home, Juliette decides to stay in France.

Now alone in Paris, Juliette is looking for a sense of purpose. She believes there's a reason for her to be there. Could it have something to do with the closed-up shop that is on the ground floor of her apartment building? She learns that it was a bookstore at one time. 

The story also takes us back to German-occupied France where we meet a young, Parisian couple, Jacques and Mathilde. They are staying there during the occupation to protect the bookshop that Jacques owns. His bookshop, La Page Cachee, sells books that are forbidden by the Nazis. To hide them, Jacques builds a secret room in his store. This storage area will eventually be used to hide individuals away from the invaders.

Jacques and Mathilde are taking dangerous risks working against Hitler’s regime since the penalty for hiding a person is death. These chapters capture the fear, trepidation and despair felt by many French people during these times.

Despite Jacques and Mathilde’s cloak-and-dagger activities, I didn’t get a sense of exciting intrigue that I would expect from historical literature like this until the end. It is only when Jacques hides a small group of children that I became more emotionally involved. Much of these parts are written in a very matter-of-fact style. The main reason I enjoy this type of book is for its suspenseful, unexpected twists and turns. I don’t feel I got enough of that here.

As for Juliette and the forgotten bookshop, I didn’t find that storyline to be too realistic. Not that a novel and its characters have to be completely true-to-life. It’s just that its conclusion is a bit too idealistic. Also, like the most of Nazi narrative, this plot is lackluster as well.

I chose this book because I liked its title – The Forgotten Bookshop of Paris – but in the end, it left me rather disappointed.

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