The Paris Library: A Novel

Growing up in the small town of Froid, Montana, where everyone knows one another, Lily is intrigued by her neighbor, Mrs. Odile Gustafson. Originally from France, Odile is considered an outsider despite having lived in Froid since 1945. Lily is an excellent student and has a good friend, Mary Louise, but is bullied by the popular Tiffany at school. Choosing to do a report on France, Lily finds an excuse to interview Odile. The interview takes place at Lily’s house with her mother present, but Lily first went to Odile’s house and was astounded at the number of books there. Both mother and daughter are impressed with Odile’s love of Paris and her simple description of life being “hard” during the war years.

When Lily’s mother has trouble breathing and admits that it’s not the first time, Odile calls the doctor. However, Lily’s mother grows increasingly ill over the following weeks. Upon invitation, Lily visits Odile’s home and learns that Marc, Odile’s son, died in Vietnam. That day, Lily’s father comes to the door and asks Odile to look after Lily, as his wife needs to go to the hospital.

Odile’s parents don’t want her to get the job at the American Library. A conservative, her father invites suitors to Sunday luncheons in hopes of finding Odile a husband. Her father criticizes her twin brother, Rémy, for his progressive politics and intention to quit school. One Sunday, the invited suitor, Paul, stands up to the father and tells Odile on his way out that he hopes she gets the job. When Odile encourages her brother to finish law school, he reacts angrily and says that this is a time when action is needed. Odile is close to Rémy and is hurt when he accuses her of siding with their father.

After having several heart attacks, Lily’s mother, Brenda, returns home from the hospital damaged and with limited time to live. Lily’s father has always worked long hours and, when her mother was in the hospital, avoided conversations during dinner by turning the television to news about the Cold War. The family needs help at home because Brenda weak but insists that her husband work and her daughter attend school. At Lily’s request, Odile agrees to help. She cooks the family dinner and then sits with Brenda and gets her to laugh.

Odile gets the job at the American Library in Paris. Her brother is there outside the Library to congratulate her. At home, she fondly remembers her Aunt Caro, who introduced her to the Dewey Decimal System and was a voracious reader. Her memories of Aunt Caro remind Lily why she “needed the job” (43). Nervous for her first day, Odile meets the others who work there. The head librarian, Boris Netchaeff, recognizes her as a subscriber to the Library. She’s assigned to the periodical room and will be responsible for the bulletin board, newsletter, and news column. Mr. Pryce-Jones advises her to bring a whistle to referee his debates with M. de Nerciat, a French journalist. Paul, the suitor at the last Sunday luncheon, brings her flowers and shows her his new library card. Odile meets several other people, including the trustee Countess Clara de Chambrun and the American shelver Peter Oustinoff, and has an exhausting first day. Ready to walk home, she finds her father waiting for her in his car with a wonderful pastry for her. He explains that he wants her to have fun, as he and her mother were facing World War I at her age.

Odile wants to “include something more personal about subscribers and staff” (49) in the Library newsletter, so she interviews her colleagues in the different departments. She learns that Miss Wedd, the bookkeeper, favors books by the ancient Greeks and that the children’s librarian, Muriel Joubert, shares her taste in books. Called Bitsi for her small stature, Muriel tells Odile that they’re “bookmates.” Returning to her post, Odile discovers an impatient subscriber, Madame Simon, who softens when given her periodical. Madame, known as a scold, gossips that Boris was a Russian aristocrat who lost his fortune because of the Russian Revolution. Professor Cohen responds that Boris is a “prince of a man” (52) and also compliments a trustee, Clara, whom Madame had insulted.

Margaret is homesick for England. She misses her mother and feels isolated in Paris. Her husband, Lawrence, is an attaché at the British embassy. Initially, she thought the assignment and life in Paris would be exciting, but she’s now miserable. When the consul’s wife visits, she insists that Margaret visit the American Library. When Margaret visits the Library, Odile greets her. Margaret is relieved to be in a place where English is spoken and feels happy and at home when Odile recognizes her need to talk to someone.

Making her rounds when closing the Library, Odile finds Paul in the stacks and their lips “brushed against” one another. They’re interrupted by Miss Reeder, who tells Odile to pick up her first paycheck. With the money, Odile purchases a present for her brother, Rémy: two train tickets to Fontainebleau, where he can enjoy the outdoors. At Odile’s request, her brother attends story hour at the Library, where he falls for Bitsi. It’s the first time that Odile has seen her brother “intent on a woman” (62). Assigned to package and ship hundreds of books, donated around the world, Odile thinks that she’ll have a lonely afternoon. However, Margaret finds her and helps with the task. Odile encourages Margaret to volunteer at the Library.

During exam week, the Library is crowded. One regular makes an anti-Semitic comment, angering Miss Reeder, who tells him to leave. Boris escorts him out and is distraught to see this attitude in the “country of Enlightenment” (66). Demoralized by the incident, Odile stays on the bus, lost in a book. She almost gets out at her father’s workplace but notices him kissing another woman “full on the mouth” (67). She rushes to tell Rémy, who—to her dismay—isn’t surprised. Odile feels let down by her brother. She recalls a time when her Aunt Caro begged her mother to let her stay with the family. Aunt Caro was filing for divorce because her husband hadn’t only been unfaithful but had gotten another woman pregnant. Her mother coldly refused her sister, condemning her for creating a scandal. Odile remembers that Rémy didn’t believe her when she told him how cruel their mother had been. This incident profoundly impacted Odile, as she stopped believing in unconditional love and became determined to be self-supporting.

The next day, Odile walks with Margaret to the police station where Paul works. She had “seen love go wrong” (72) and now wants to see it go right. Paul takes her and Margaret to dinner and then walks Odile home. He tells her that he refused her father’s offer of a job, which would have been a promotion, because he never wants her to doubt his feelings.

Margaret invites Odile to her home to get ready for a party on Bastille Day. Struck by the opulence of the apartment, Odile enjoys the moment. She gets her hair professionally styled for the first time in her life and is given a silk dress to wear. The party is wonderful, but she notices how condescending Lawrence is to Margaret. Love seems to be absent. At the party, most seem oblivious to the looming threat of war.

Odile is falling in love with Paul, who visits the Library often. Before he leaves for a month to work on his aunt’s farm, he tells Odile that his father left his family when he was seven years old. Rémy is in love with Bitsi as well. The friendship between Margaret and Odile is strengthening. A conversation with Miss Reeder, who reminds Odile of her Aunt Caro because of her kindness and love of books, is interrupted by Clara. Odile overhears Clara tell Miss Reeder that war is inevitable. Clara instructs Miss Reeder to implement a plan to protect the books.

Rémy has invited Bitsi to the family’s Sunday luncheon. His parents and Odile are convinced that Rémy is going to announce his engagement to Bitsi. Instead, Rémy states that he has joined the army. All but Bitsi are stunned. His father leaves the table without a word and slams the door behind him. Rémy reports that he will leave in three days.

On the first day of spring, Lily attends her mother’s funeral. At home, her father is silent. Neither Lily nor he open the curtains to let the light inside, as her mother had always done. Initially, Lily spends time at Mary Louise’s house, watching soap operas. When her father finds out what the pair is doing, he asks Odile to watch Lily. Initially resentful about having a sitter, Lily quickly warms to Odile. Lily finds solace in a book, The Little Prince, which Odile recommended. Wanting to read it in the original French, Lily asks Odile to teach her the language.

Lily is devastated to find out that Robby, on whom she has a crush, likes Tiffany instead of her. Odile advises Lily to not close her heart. Lily’s father begins dating Eleanor Carlson. Lily and Mary Louise discover that Eleanor has stayed the night with him. On Lily’s 14th birthday, Eleanor comes to her party. Still in the throes of grief for her mother, Lily looks especially pained when Eleanor selects a favorite cup of her mother’s. Witnessing that pain, Mary Louise swipes the porcelain cup to the floor.

Rémy departs for his post in the army. A palpable fear of an oncoming war grips Paris. The Library is quieter than usual, as many Americans have returned home. Odile remains angry with Bitsi, blaming her for Rémy’s decision to join the army. On September 1, all men between the ages of 18 and 35 are called for military service. However, Paul is spared because of his work on his aunt’s farm. The American government advises its citizens to leave France, but Miss Reeder says that she will stay. At the Library, Miss Reeder gathers the staff and patrons to announce that England and France have declared war on Germany.