What's Better Than Books?

Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness–perfect for fans of Natasha Lester, Catherine Hokin, and Lily Graham.

Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’

Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.

But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…

America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.

Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.

As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?

Review:

Absorbing, rich, and expressive!

The Paris Network is a sentimental, engaging tale predominately set in France during 1940, as well as 1993, that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Laurence, a young woman who, through determination and resilience, uses her bookshop to help lift the community spirit and help the resistance as much as she possibly can; and Jeanne, a middle-aged woman who, after learning of her real mother’s identity, decides with the help of her father to embark on a journey to discover the true identity of the woman who stole her father’s heart and to claim the inheritance she only just became aware of.

The prose is eloquent and well-turned. The characters are vulnerable, strong, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a heartfelt, touching tale of life, loss, secrets, surprises, separation, heartbreak, betrayal, desperation, tragedy, survival, danger, friendship, the horrors of war, and enduring love.

Overall, The Paris Network is a moving, sincere, evocative tale by Curham inspired by real-life events that I devoured from start to finish and which I highly recommend for anyone who loves a well written WWII time-slip novel.

This book is available now.

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