The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel follows Ruby, an American living in Paris, Charlotte a young Jewish girl in Paris and Thomas an RAF pilot during the 1940s as WWII continues on.
Ruby initially moved to Paris for her husband but as he grows more distant and secretive, their marriage cracks and it soon becomes clear he may have some deeper involvement with the war effort. Charlotte is a young girl who lives on the same floor as Ruby and they develop a friendship as Ruby struggles to deal with her marriage and Charlotte worries about the increasing restrictions placed on Jewish people with each passing day. Thomas finds himself in grave danger as he’s shot down over Paris and must figure out a way to survive and get back up in the skies.
Their lives intersect as they each experience tragedy and trauma. Each of them finds themselves asking the question - who are we in times of war? What does war do to us? And how do we move on?
I really enjoyed this one. If you liked The Nightingale you’ll like this one too - it had some very similar themes and felt reminiscent to me in some ways but was its own complete story. If you enjoy WWII hist fiction this is a quick read - I couldn’t believe how fast I devoured it. I loved Ruby and Charlotte and Thomas as they navigated this foreign landscape. I loved the small twist at the end - it was sad and beautiful and everything I wanted it to be.
