Review of Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

 

Description:

Winner of the 2022 Christy Award for Historical Romance


"With meticulous historical research and an eye for both mystery and romance, Sundin rises to the top of World War II fiction in this latest novel."--Library Journal starred review

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As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.

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MY REVIEW

The storyline set in Paris just before the occupation of the Germans was described well by the author. Lucille Girard is a ballet dancer with Paris Opera Ballet. With the onset of Jewish persecution, Lucille quits the ballet and buys Green Leaf Books owned by a Jewish couple. Paul Aubrey owns the Aubrey Automobile plant in Paris and is a widower with a three-year-old daughter. With the start of the resistance, they both find themselves involved in a dangerous situation.

I found myself rooting for the main characters as daily situations changed. The characters of Lucille and Paul had many layers and I admired their bravery, courage, selfless desire to help others, and their ability to hold onto their faith. Paul's daughter, Josie, was a wonder. Her creativity and ability to be courageous beyond her years were amazing.

Keep the tissues on hand as you follow them on their journey. I laughed and cried as I was swept up in the storyline. What a joy to read this well-written story. One of the author's best. Highly recommended.

Julie

About the Author

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of The Sound of Light (coming February 2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series.

Sarah's novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award, and The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. Please visit Sarah at www.sarahsundin.com, on Facebook at SarahSundinAuthor, on Twitter at @sarahsundin, and on Instagram at @sarahsundinauthor.