Historical Fiction Annotation: The Lost Girls of Paris

BASIC INFORMATION

Title: The Lost Girls of Paris 
Author: Pam Jenoff 
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publication Date: January 2019 
ISBN: 978-1-4328-5877-3 
Number of Pages: 384 
Geographical Setting: France, England, and the USA
Time Period: Alternates during/after WWII (1943 & 1946)




PLOT SUMMARY: 
One morning, in 1946, Grace Healey is re-routed through Grand Central Station due to an accident. While there, she finds an abandoned suitcase which holds mysterious photographs of twelve women. Grace discovers that the suitcase belongs to a British woman named Eleanor Trigg and sets out to find out the truth about Eleanor and the women in the photographs. 

 Eleanor Trigg is a leader of a women’s unit for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a secret missions team sent into Occupied Europe during the Nazi regime to help aid in wartime efforts. She has put her loyalty and trust in this group of young women so when twelve of her unit go missing, Eleanor must discover the truth behind their disappearance and learn that you never know who you can trust. 

 Marie Roux is a single mother trying to survive during the war. When she is recruited as an agent into the SOE, she must find it within herself to use her training to save her own life, and the lives of those closest to her. The stories of these three women collide to create an impactful story of friendship, strength, trust, and betrayal that will leave readers answering the questions: Who can you trust? And how far are you willing to go for your loved ones? 

CHARACTERISTICS OF HISTORICAL FICTION:
Frame/Setting: The frame and setting are the most important aspect of Historical Fiction because they provide readers with an accurate historical context of which to place the events and characters. The Lost Girls of Paris features rich details when describing the time period (World War II) and the locations (Occupied Europe, post-war United States and Europe) that puts readers into these places. 

Characterization: Wyatt & Saricks (2019), write that in Historical Fiction, “characters may be real or fictional, but they are portrayed in such a way that they fit the times. The historical setting shapes their lives and actions (p. 170).” The author is able to create believable, authentic, and complex characters whose actions and choices are formed by their setting of wartime and post-war. The characters of Grace, Eleanor, and Marie are all women who come to life on the pages and cause the reader to walk alongside them in the trenches of Occupied Europe and the streets of New York City. 

Story Line: “Historical fiction can focus on a concentrated set of events, explaining them in detail and using specific actions as a way to offer a broader understanding of history (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 173).” The Lost Girls of Paris focuses on World War II and the lives of the women who served during wartime, conducting espionage missions for the Allies. This is a section of history that is not extremely popular, so this character-driven and non-linear story of their work is one that opens insight into a lesser-known event during World War II. 

FICTION READ-ALIKES  
The Alice Network: Kate Quinn 
Lilac Girls- Martha Kelley Hall 
All the Ways We Said Goodbye- Beatriz Williams 

NONFICTION READ-ALIKES 
Code Name Lise: The True Story of World War II’s Most Highly Decorated Spy 
– Larry Loftis 
A Cool and Lonely Courage: The Untold Story of Sister Spies in Occupied France
– Susan Ottaway 
The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville 
– Clare Mulley 

BLOGGERS OPINION: 
It took me a while to get into The Lost Girls of Paris, but I ended up liking it. I liked how the story alternated between Grace (the New Yorker trying to figure out what the SOE is), Eleanor (the leader of the SOE women’s division), and Marie (an SOE agent). It gave me a lot of insight into what the characters were feeling and what drove their actions. Since there are so many historical facts that needed to be included in order to drive the story, it took a while to get to the meat of the story, but once the setting/frame was established, I was able to enjoy it. I don’t tend to gravitate towards books set during wars, so it was hard for me to absolutely love since this isn’t my era of choice. The book didn’t “wow” me, but it is one that I would still recommend to those who enjoy WWII-era historical fiction and I am glad that I read it.

Resources: 
Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction: Third edition. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 

Book Club Experience

This week, I attended a book club sponsored by a local church (East Union Christian Church) that was housed in the church’s fellowship hall. The members discussed the book Spring Brides, which is a collection of novellas that feature wedding stories based in three different months of the year: March, April, and May. The three novellas were written by Rachel Hauck, Meg Moseley, and Lenora Worth. This collection is a part of a larger series called A Year of Weddings that has a novella for each month of the year written by a variety of authors. I had read these novellas a year or so ago, so I was able to actively participate in the discussion. All the participants had read the book, although some needed refreshing on a few details since they read it at the beginning of the month.

Upon entering the fellowship hall, I observed that it was a relaxed atmosphere, with chairs circling a round table. Including the leader, there were 10 women in attendance. Men from the congregation are invited to attend but have not chosen to at this time. Snacks and drinks were available, and participants spent the first ten minutes or so chatting and eating. I am a member of this church, but an unable to attend regularly due to distance, so I explained why I was attending, and participants were excited to be a part of this assignment. They welcomed me immediately and tried to include me in the discussion. I was the only new attendee, but from observations, can infer that new participants would be welcomed with open arms into this group.

For this month, the collection was Christian Fiction. They do not always do Christian-based novels but tend to gravitate towards clean reads. Novels in the past months have included The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff, The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, and next month will be The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. The books chosen are from a variety of genres that appeal to the participants. Since, thus far, participants have been women, the book choices appeal more to women than men, but the group is open to other gender-neutral options as well. Normally, the leader chooses the book of the month, but is open to suggestions. Before beginning discussion of the book, the leader asked participants what some of their favorite books/genres were and wrote down suggestions for future options. This showed me that the leader is not trying to dictate what participants read, but instead wants to choose books that the participants will enjoy.

During the discussion, the leader was the one to ask the questions. This novel included Book Club Discussion Questions, so she referred to these, but the books do not always have questions included. When there are no questions included, the leader will plan questions in advance. The discussion portion started out with a vague question about what insights did participants get during reading. A participant asked if anyone else noticed the brides being forced to do something they didn’t want to do. Others didn’t observe this, and some didn’t agree at all, but the discussion was non-judgmental. Those who disagreed with this insight refuted the point in a kind manner, showing that the group has developed a respect for one another and their opinions.

After asking a question, the leader gave an appropriate amount of time for participants to answer. She only answered when others asked her opinion or there had been a large amount of silence. This showed me that she wanted others to participate and not make herself the star of the show.  Most of the questions were open-ended, but there were a few personal connection questions that required a one-word answer, such as when if your anniversary (to determine any connections to Spring weddings as in the story). The questions in the Discussion Guide ranged from deep, spiritual questions such as “how can we be more like Jesus” to more surface level like “how did you and your spouse meet?”. Participants were less forthcoming on the deeper questions so only a few participated during those, but all participants were willing to share on questions regarding their personal connections to the story. The Discussion Guide has the deeper questions at the beginning, and this is the order that the leader asked them. However, it may have been beneficial to the group to start with the surface level questions to get everyone acclimated and more comfortable so that discussion could have increased during the deeper, spiritual portion.

The group did get sidetracked a lot during the discussion, but the leader (or other participants) were always able to relate the conversation back to the stories. Kirchoff (n.d.) reminds leaders, “If you notice that it seems stilted or has veered off topic, ask a gentle, pointed question or two to shut down the side chatter that crops up whenever a conversation goes off the rails.” The leader of this book club was able to veer the conversation back to the book. This showed me that, first, the leader has a solid grasp of the featured book and how to lead a book discussion, as well as showing that the participants are comfortable with one another to have conversations outside of the actual book. Since the side conversations didn’t overtake the overall discussion, I did not view this as a negative aspect. I felt that it was helpful in building rapport and relationships among members. I have been to a book club before that only answered questions about the book with no personal interactions outside of the discussion questions, and it would often have a good amount of uncomfortable silence. This was not an issue with this close-knit group. It is important to include both kinds of questions, as well as encouraging outside interactions among participants, so that they feel more comfortable discussing deeper issues.

Overall, I enjoyed participating in this book club. The participants were welcoming and friendly. The atmosphere of the group was fun and lighthearted. By not focusing too much on trying to have deep, philosophical discussions, participants were able to feel comfortable with one another and newcomers could come into the fold without fear of judgment or inadequacy. The books chosen had appeals and characteristics that would appeal to a variety of readers and all participants were able to find some connections to the stories. The leader was able to guide the discussion so that everyone had a chance to participate if they chose, and all participants were respectful of other’s opinions.

Resources:

Kirchoff, L. (n.d.) Lead a book club. Retrieved from http://ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/bookclub/lead-book-club

Special Interests Paper: Romance and Relationship Fiction in the Library

Relationship Fiction and Romance are two of the sub-genres that exist under the umbrella of the Emotions Genres. These novels strive to evoke emotions through their intricate use of story line, tone, and characterization. The emotions that these novels evoke can range from heart-stopping fear to heartfelt love and everything in between. Unfortunately, many literary professionals push these genres to the side and treat them as "fluff" that does not have merit or deserve their time and attention. However, these genres have an importance to the library and its patrons and must be treated with the respect it deserves. Librarians can promote the value of these genres through the implementation of innovative programming, displays, reader's advisory lists, and treating the collection with as much respect as they do for other genres. 

Before deciding how librarians can promote Romance and Relationship Fiction novels, it is important to consider their literary worth. First and foremost, these novels are loved by readers and librarians need to recognize the benefits of leisure reading to our patrons. Leisure reading can help to build literacy, connect patrons socially, and excite the imagination. The publishing industry recognizes reader’s love of Romance and Relationship Fiction and continue to publish works in these genres to appease readers. In 2016, the Romance genre made up approximately 23% of the overall U.S. market, coming second behind General Fiction and approximately 9 billion books in these genres are sold every year. The sheer volume of Romance and Relationship Fiction novels that are sold in the U.S. and globally indicates that this genre is important to patrons and that we, as librarians, should respond accordingly.

So how do librarians work to promote these genres? The most important action that librarians take is to give titles in the Romance and Relationship Fiction genres full cataloging. Too often, libraries don’t take the time to fully catalog these titles and, instead, treat them as an “honor collection” or giveaways. If librarians aren’t taking the time to catalog these titles, it is showing patrons that their preferences aren’t important and undervalues the collection. Librarians can also create subtle programming and non-traditional displays to promote titles in these genres. Taking the time to draw reader attention to the collection and building connections to current preferences through integrated advisory can entice new readers to the Romance and Relationship Fiction genres, while showing current readers of these genres that the collection is worth the library’s time and attention, giving more value to the collection.

Women's Lives and Relationship Annotation: A Girl's Guide to Moving On

BASIC INFORMATION

Author: Debbie Macomber

Title: A Girl’s Guide to Moving On

Series: New Beginnings (#2)

Genre: Women’s Lives and Relationships

Publication Date: February 2016

ISBN: 978-0553391923

Number of Pages: 352

Geographical Setting: United States of America

Time Period: Present

PLOT SUMMARY

Nichole thought she lived a perfect life with her husband, Jake, and their little boy, Owen. When Nichole learns that her husband isn’t faithful, her world comes crashing down. Leanne, Nichole's mother-in-law, has been married to Jake’s dad for 35 years and has been the victim of his constant cheating.  When Nichole files for divorce, Leanne too decides that enough is enough. The two women bond together through their divorces and figuring out life on their own. To help them move on, the women create a list of steps to help them and begin seeking new adventures. 

Just as life is starting to get into a rhythm, new men come into Nichole and Leanne’s lives. Rocco is everything that Jake isn’t, and Nichole is falling head over heels. He’s a bit rough around the edges but shows Leanne how a woman should be treated. But... when her relationship with her son is at stake, will she take a chance on love?

Leanne has found a new passion for teaching English as a Second language to adults in her community. One of her students is Nikolai, an energetic widower who has a love for baking bread and his new country. Sparks fly as Nikolai shows Leanne the love she has been missing. But when a tragedy strikes, Leanne must decide where her commitments lie.

A story of life, love, and hope, the journey that Nichole and Leanne take will teach readers to believe in the power of love and perseverance.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RELATIONSHIP FICTION

Tone: Tone is one of the most prominent appeals that define this genre. Wyatt & Saricks (2019) write that “these are comfortable, supportive, sympathetic novels that have a gentleness about them (p. 196).” This novel did leave a sense of comfort in the reader and the tone emoted feel-good, heartwarming, and sweet emotions.

Story Lines: Relationship Fiction novels “relate stories of overcoming obstacles, getting second chances, finding one’s self, and starting anew (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 196).” A Girl’s Guide to Moving On has all these elements because it tells the story of the protagonists overcoming their difficult divorces, getting a second chance at love, and finding out who they really are. This novel also leaves readers satisfied with the ending, which is characteristically accurate for this genre.

Characterization: The characters of Nichole and Leanne are ones that readers can relate to and see aspects of themselves in their actions and feelings. They are portrayed as real women with real-life problems that many people are facing in the world. This character duo is authentic, relatable, and likeable.  

FICTION READ-ALIKES
*Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts- Lucy Dillon
*The One and Only- Emily Giffin
*Monarch Beach- Anita Hughes

NON-FICTION READ-ALIKES
*The Breakup Bible: The Smart Woman's Guide to Healing from a Breakup or Divorce- Rachel Sussman
*When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times - Pema Chodron* How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed: A Memoir of Starting Over - Theo Pauline Nestor

BLOGGER'S OPINION:

I really enjoy Debbie Macomber novels, so I was excited to get into this one! A Girls Guide to Moving On was not what I expected from this author at all. Usually, her novels are clean with no inappropriate language or sexual innuendos, but this book had both. Not an incredible amount, but enough that I questioned if this was truly written by Debbie Macomber since it isn’t on brand for her. That being said, I did enjoy this book. I felt that the characters were ones that were relatable, and I was able to feel sympathy for their heartache and cheer for their happiness. This was the second book in the series, but you absolutely don’t have the read the first one to follow this story. Other than the existence of the sisters from the first story, there was no references so readers could start with this one and not feel like they are missing anything. I felt that this novel fit the characteristics of the genre perfectly and would be enjoyed by many readers!