While Paris Slept

Reviews

"What a book . . . emotional and heartrending . . . absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement."—Jill Mansell, New York Times bestselling author of And Now You're Back "While Paris Slept is a powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist. Expertly weaving together multiple storylines, author Ruth Druart fills each page with thrilling suspense, uncommon emotional depth, and fascinating characters. Fans of historical fiction should not miss this one."—Imogen Kealey, Author of Liberation "Both epic and intimate, this unexpected story of two couples' sacrifices in war-torn France had me completely and utterly enraptured. You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion."—Louise Candlish, Author of Our House "As writers, some stories keep us up at night with the need to get them down on paper. Ruth Druart has one such tale. We met in 2006, and I read pages of her story then. She never let go and never gave up. Thanks to this tenacity, her heartbreaking debut will be published in several languages. It will appeal to fans of The Light Between Oceans as well as to readers fascinated by novels set in World War II. While Paris Slept delves into eternal questions: how far will we go to protect our child? Is love holding tightly or letting go? The characters -- and readers -- must choose between what is right and what is best in this mediation on love and sacrifice."—Janet Skeslien Charles, Author of The Paris Library and Moonlight in Odessa "While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. It is at once a story of wartime courage and desperation, and of the many ways in which war reverberates through people's lives for years after the fact. Prepare to question yourself and the characters in the novel, to wonder what you might have done in their place; in short, prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book in which four adults and one child grapple with the true meaning of love and family."

—Natasha Lester, Author of The Paris Secret "Good people coping with an impossible situation are at the heart of Druart’s [debut] . . . The author succeeds in keeping things moving, particularly in the action-packed first half of the novel . . . Ethical questions raised by the narrative suggest this may do well with book clubs."—Publishers Weekly Expand reviews