Book Review: ‘The Parisian Chapter: A Novel’ By Janet Skeslien Charles

by | Apr 27, 2026 | Books | 0 comments


The book is in stores on Tuesday, May 5th from Atria. Click on the link to buy a copy. https://amzn.to/4u5dv2O

The year is 1995, in Paris, and it’s a time for change for Lily and her best friend, Mary Louise. They came here five years ago to seek fame and fortune as artists, and now Mary Louise is moving out. In order to make rent and pay her bills, Lily gets a job at the American Library in Paris as program manager. She is following in the steps of Odilie, who is French and was her neighbor in Montana. Odilie lived here during WWII and had a close friend she lost touch with, and often wonders what happened to her. Lily has to deal with all sorts that come to the library, including rich, snobby women who donate large sums of money. She meets Chris, and they fall in love, and she soon finds out what happened to Odilie’s friend, and finds her life going in a new direction from working in the library. This is a heartwarming story of one young woman who moves to Paris and changes her life for good. The library is full of interesting characters, and watching Lily and the staff deal with them and become a family is one of the highlights of this excellent book.