Book Review: Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Until Leaves Fall in Paris. Sarah Sundin. Fleming H. Revell (2022). 400 pages. Genre:  Historical Fiction.

First Lines: "Paris, France. Wednesday, May 29, 1940. As long as she kept dancing, Lucille Girard could pretend the world wasn't falling apart."

Summary:  As Nazi takeover of Paris is imminent, American citizens are warned to return to America.  Ballerina Lucille Girard is determined to stay.  Especially when her Jewish friends must leave their bookstore and return to America.  Lucie decides to give up her spot in the Paris Opera Ballet School to buy the English-language bookstore.  By continuing to ban books, especially English books, the Germans make it difficult to stay in business.  As Lucie witnesses what she thinks is resistance activity in her store, she is eager to get involved.

After the death of his wife, American Automaker Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the United States with his daughter.  However, the US Army convinces him to stay and make trucks for civilian use that would benefit the Germans.  This way he could pick up bits of information he hears and pass it on to the US Military.  It appears that Paul is a collaborator with the Germans.  Paul and Lucie meet as Paul's daughter browses the books at Lucie's bookstore.  But when Lucie discovers what his factory does, she refuses to talk to him.  As war rages on, it becomes more dangerous for both Paul and Lucie to aid the resistance.  In order to survive, they need to set aside their differences and work together. 

My thoughts: I love when an author includes a letter to the reader at the end of the book.  In her letter, Sarah Sundin tells the reader about the inspiration for her main characters.  They were both inspired by real people which made the story come to life for me.

Lucie's dream has always been to gain a position in one of the highest classes at the Paris Opera Ballet School.  She has danced with them for ten years.  When her parents returned to the United States, Lucie stayed.  She has been in the care of the Greenblatts, owners of Green Leaf Books and dear friends of her parents.  Lucie loves the bookstore and spends her time outside of the dance studio there. When the Greenblatts decide to return to America, they urge Lucie to come with them.  She feels like Paris is her home and can't bear to leave the bookstore.  Lucie is caring and forthright.  She is, at the same time, both disciplined and carefree.  She doesn't believe there will be much danger to her if she stays.  

Paul opened a branch of Aubrey Automobiles in Paris as a way to expand the family company and also as a way to separate himself from his father.  Now, he is grieving the loss of his wife and the Germans are taking over.  He wants to sell the business and return to his family in America.  However, when he is approached by the US Army and asked to sell trucks to the Germans for civilian use as a way to aid the United States in the war effort, Paul feels it is his duty to stay.  However, because he appears to be a collaborator, he has lost most of his friends. Paul is a hardworking, intelligent man.  He is well-liked by most and is thought to be fair.  He struggles to understand his young daughter and be the father she needs.  

This was a fascinating look at the daily lives of a few people in Paris during the time of German invasion.  It was interesting to hear about all the rules the Germans placed on the people.  You could sell books, but only certain books.  You could sell vehicles, but only certain vehicles.  Everyone was under blackout laws and severe rations. But yet, there were many Americans who stayed in Paris.  

I enjoyed the descriptions of Paris.  Especially the difference between the Left Bank and the Right Bank.  During the course of the story Lucie and Paul see many of the sites in Paris.  They also attend a ballet at the Paris Opera House.  

Speaking of ballet, the descriptions of Lucie's dancing were really fun for me.  They brought back memories of when I took ballet.  I didn't study for as many years as Lucie, but I studied long enough to begin pointe.  

This is a complicated story with many layers.  Paul and Lucie are attracted to one another, but Lucie refuses to be kind to a collaborator.  Their paths keep crossing as Paul's daughter loves Lucie's bookstore and asks to visit it.  Lucie is civil to Paul, but cold.  However, she sees that he seems to be a good guy.  He is kind, even when she isn't.  She is having trouble reconciling the way he acts with what he does. They are both involved in resistance activities, but can't say anything.  As more violence breaks out, it becomes more and more dangerous to assist the resistance.  

This was a fascinating story with great characters, wonderful historical details, a little romance and some suspense to keep the story moving along.