While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart
Santa Cruz 1953. Jean-Luc thought he had left it all behind. The scar on his face a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi occupation. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door.
Paris 1944. A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope.
On a darkened platform two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.
Beginning on an ordinary day and ending on an extraordinary one, WHILE PARIS SLEPT is an unforgettable read.
About the author.
Ruth Druart grew up on the Isle of Wight, moving away at the age of eighteen to study psychology at Leicester University. She has lived in Paris since 1993, where she has followed a career in teaching. She has recently taken a sabbatical, so that she can follow her dream of writing full-time.
Review
‘While Paris Slept’ is a breathtaking piece of historical fiction, that captivates you so completely that you end up reading it in one sitting. All the characters are enthralling and the plot line is engaging, authentic and most of all horrendous. I mean that in the best way. We are dealing with Nazis in occupied France and the how the fallout continues for years to come. The book has to be uncomfortable to make it hit you in all the right places and it definitely did that.
We see Jean-Luc and his family in California after the war has ended. He was a railway worker throughout the occupation and carries a scar on his face as a constant reminder of events. They come across as the perfect American family - no french is spoken in their house and Jean-Luc doesn’t like to talk of the war or even France. All a bit mysterious. It’s clear there are secrets being held close to his chest.
Now I can’t actually say too much more about the plot without giving away the central surprise and premise of the book and I don’t want to do that as it actually did surprise me when the revelation happened! Instead I’m going to talk about the character of Sarah. She was the light of this book to me. It’s her situation that you can hear in the audio clip above. It’s the thought of being trapped in a cupboard hiding from the Nazis. Of course it’s because she is Jewish. We follow her story throughout the war and after. Her strength is incredible. Especially when she is in the camps but it’s afterwards that was heartbreaking for me. Her final decision in the this book was just wow. Now, I’m not a crier when I read. But boy was I crying at this and that is a testament to Ruth’s amazing writing and skill as an author.
This is a book which will remain with you after you read it. It’s historical fiction at its best.
