While Paris Slept is set in 1944 in Paris and 1953 in California. It is a thought-provoking, emotive read that made me think about the lengths people go to in order to save those they love the most and how far you would put aside your feelings for someone if you loved them.

Jean-Luc works repairing railways, he hates having to obey the Nazis and is desperate to find a way to fight back. One day a desperate Jewish woman being transported to Auschwitz hands him a tiny baby, tells him the child’s name is Samuel, and begs Jean-Luc to take him and save his life. Not knowing what to do, Jean-Luc races to his girlfriend, Charlotte’s home and pleads for help.

Nine years later in 1953, Jean-Luc and Charlotte are enjoying a comfortable life in America. They are happy and their son, oblivious to his true parentage, enjoys all that America offers. They have kept their past a secret from friends and don’t speak French. Then there’s a knock on the door. Samuel’s parents have been looking for their son, now they’ve found him and want him back to live with them in Paris.

Although it took me a little while to become completely enthralled by Jean-Luc and Charlotte’s story, I certainly did. I couldn’t put the book down, especially towards the end. I was desperate to know what would happen to Jean-Luc and Charlotte, their relationship with each other and why Jean-Luc found himself in the situation he was dealing with in 1953. I also wanted to know what happened to Sam’s birth parents, David and Sarah. Both couples loved the boy, and both wanted him living with them. I thought their anguish and struggles with their emotions about their dreadful situation was beautifully depicted, and the horrific experiences that David and Sarah had to face in the labour camps shocking. The ending was both heart-breaking and heart-warming, and ultimately what I had hoped would happen for poor Sam.

While Paris Slept is out on 21st February 2021 and published by Headline. Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.