The Room on Rue Amelie - Kristin Harmel

The Room on Rue Amelie

By Kristin Harmel

  • Release Date: 2018-03-27
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 842 Ratings)

Description

A moving and entrancing novel set in Paris during World War II about an American woman, a dashing pilot, and a young Jewish girl whose fates unexpectedly entwine—perfect for the fans of Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale and Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls, this is “an emotional, heart-breaking, inspiring tribute to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love” (Mariah Stewart, New York Times bestselling author).

When Ruby first marries the dashing Frenchman she meets in a coffee shop, she pictures a life strolling arm in arm along French boulevards, awash in the golden afternoon light. But it’s 1938, and war is looming on the horizon.

Unfortunately, her marriage soon grows cold and bitter, her husband Marcel, distant and secretive—all while the Germans flood into Paris, their sinister swastika flags waving in the breeze. When Marcel is killed, Ruby discovers the secret he’d been hiding—he was a member of the French resistance—and now she is determined to take his place.

She becomes involved in hiding Allied soldiers—including a charming RAF pilot—who have landed in enemy territory. But her skills are ultimately put to the test when she begins concealing her twelve-year-old Jewish neighbor, Charlotte, whose family was rounded up by the Gestapo. Ruby and Charlotte become a little family, but as the German net grows tighter around Paris, and the Americans debate entering the combat, the danger increases. No one is safe.

“Set against all the danger and drama of WWII Paris, this heartfelt novel will keep you turning the pages until the very last word” (Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author).

Reviews

  • Lovely story by a great story teller

    5
    By Alan-Laidlaw
    Lots of history, lots of love, lots of hope. People can be horrible and people can be good. We all have to chose. This is mostly a story about people who chose to love good. And I too believe I will be with my true love for eternity.
  • Loved it

    5
    By Emdanben
    Beautifully written story.
  • Your heart is invested immediately

    5
    By cbaymiller
    Heartbreaking and gripping. I read it in 24 hours, couldn’t put it down.
  • Great book!!

    5
    By ralissa_1115
    I don’t leave a lot of reviews, but let me tell you- I couldn’t put this book down! I was reading it everywhere I went! By the end, I was sobbing (which is a big deal because I don’t cry at books and movies that often). Highly recommend.
  • The room on rue Amelie

    3
    By No No Nannette
    My worst fear while reading this book came true. Maybe if you know, it might not spoil the whole book!
  • Heartfelt sorry of average French citizens who risked their lives too help the war effort.

    4
    By LLG222
    Lovely book about love and hope amidst WWII. Ruby is a character you cheer for, feel with, dream with. Heartbreaking, enlightening at the same time. So thankful to know we won the war before reading, or I would have cried all the way through. Thank you for a great read!!!!
  • The room on Rue Amelie

    4
    By Bjjc
    Changing what I said about the first chapter. Does not give every’ thing away. A good book
  • Highly Recommended

    5
    By pegg12
    The Room on Rue Amelie is an amazing story that takes place during WWII in Paris, France. Ruby, an American woman, was ecstatic when her dream to go to Paris came true. A whirlwind romance with Marcel led to a quick marriage and an apartment in Paris. Although Europe was on the verge of war, Ruby didn’t want to return to America. She had made her new life with her French husband and wanted to stay by his side. Ruby’s blissful honeymoon, however, wouldn’t last long. The man she had loved and thought she knew, changed drastically, seemingly overnight. Instead of being loving and attentive, Marcel became secretive and intense. He was often out late at night and whenever Ruby questioned him as to where he had been or with whom, she was met with an abrupt, harsh attitude and an evasive answer. While in Paris, Ruby befriended a neighbor, Charlotte, a young Jewish girl, and her parents. They became Ruby’s lifeline especially when she went into labor early, and her husband was nowhere to be found. Ruby became very protective of her Jewish neighbors, and when she saw the Germans coming, Ruby ran to their apartment to warn them. Charlotte’s life changed forever after her parents were taken by the Germans. Ruby dedicated herself to caring for Charlotte, and to assisting British RAF pilots, to escape German-occupied France. Ruby never thought that she would fall in love again, but after meeting Thomas, a pilot whom she had nursed back to health and then helped to escape, she knew that just wasn’t true. The Room on Rue Amelie is a superbly written, riveting novel. If you enjoy reading WWII, historical fiction, you’ll love this book. Highly recommended. Thank you, Gallery Books and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!

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