The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan // Review

My Review: 

Three women are bound together by the horrors of the Nazi occupation of France, in this gritty and inspiring novel. 

The story follows Rachel, Camille and Vivian. They meet while Camille and Rachel work at the Ritz Hotel, where Vivian is a wealthy guest. But when the Germans comes, everything changes and they are pushed to their limits while fighting for pieces of humanity against their heartless foes. 

Camille is the connecting thread. She is willing to do anything and works hard to help her family be able to take care of her sister who goes through bouts of depression and mental instability. She is clever and knows the danger that the Nazi regime poses to her sister. I admired her straight moral compass and how she continues to choose humanity even when it would be easy to walk away or take and easier path. She is a source of encouragement to the other women. 

Rachel's father refuses to leave Paris, and soon they are stuck. She is understandably frustrated and questioning. I liked how she supports her family in small ways that mean a lot. 

Vivian is a wealthy American widow, who lost the love of her life, and wants to use her wealth to help others during this tumultuous time. Quickly she gets swept into a dangerous situation and branded a horizontal collaborator, while trying a stay afloat and continue to help others. 

A gritty and gripping read, with remarkable women who have to make very hard choices and make sacrifices for others. The content in this book is mostly clean, but things happen off page that we are very aware of. It is a very sad story and hard to read at times. I thought it was sad that Vivian hoped that her good works were enough to counteract the wrongs she had done, yet she didn't have a peace from assurance. There is some faith alluded to, through prayers and fleeting thoughts, or non-religiousness as well.

Well researched, realistic, and inspiring story of three women living through the Nazi occupation of Paris. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.