Elizabeth Thompson

It is difficult enough for Hannah Bond to endure communicating with her mother via limited phone calls and text messages when Marla is in College Park, Florida, and Hannah is living and working in London. So, imagine Hannah's reaction when she arrives home from work to find her mother talking, laughing, listening to music, and drinking champagne with her 2 roommates, Cressida and Tallulah, in their shared apartment on New Year's Eve. Marla is supposed to be in Florida preparing the home they inherited together for sale. However, Marla felt it best to show Hannah in person what she found in Granny Ivy's cedar chest in the attic of Gram's house: a deed to an apartment in Paris, a brass key, and a gold ring with a red stone. The 3 items were just the tip of surprises awaiting their arrival in Paris.

The intrigue of "Lost in Paris" lies in the dual timelines presented through Ivy's diary entries and the present-day narrative. These entries, spanning from August 1929 to April 16, 1940, are strategically placed between the chapters of the 2019 storyline, adding a layer of mystery and depth to the narrative that I can't reveal here for fear of spoilers.

There are often inquiries as to the best first lines in novels. Still, for a reader, the last sentence of a book is just as important, if not more, as it not only draws the storyline to a close as the reader remembers the sentiments, the tone, the period of the book, and the emotions felt while reading leaving a significant impression, often memorable, of the book in its entirety. The last line of "Lost in Paris" gives this reader the lasting impact of this beautifully written novel, and I'll never forget this armchair travel to Paris.

For those considering this book for their next book club meeting, the Reading Group Guide at the end of the novel is a valuable resource that includes an Introduction, Topics & Questions for Discussion, and ideas to Enhance Your Book Club.… (más)

When Hannah’s grandmother dies her mother,Marla, finds a deed to an apartment in Paris that the family was not aware of. Hannah and her Mother do not have a good relationship but Marla convinces her to go to Paris. The apartment is just like her great grandmother left it in 1940. While in Paris, Marla and Hannah try to heal their relationship . They try to find out more about the apartment and the great grandmothers life by reading her diaries. Excerpts from the diary are included throughout the novel. They also find a unpublished manuscript that is also a mystery.
As the mystery of the apartment and manuscript unravels, Marla and Hannah mend their relationship but a new family.
I enjoyed reading this novel, it was a little bit of a love story and historical fiction.
I received this book in exchange for a review.… (más)