Paris Noire
Francine Thomas Harris

Amazon Encore
Sept 2011 / 1935597973
Historical Fiction / 1949 France
Amazon

Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer

Maris Therese Brillard brought her daughter Collette and her son Christophe to Paris in 1928 from their home in Martinique. She hopes to build a new prejudice free life there.

In 1944 they had established their new life. Therese becomes best friends with Glovia an entertainer and owner of a jazz club. She has fallen in love with the jazz pianist. Glovia was mistress of a Nazi officer and was able to give information to the French Resistance. (Brief accounts of their actions are narrated). Christophe becomes involved with a beautiful French woman who is married to a French Resistance fighter while Colette involved with a rich Frenchman.

My rule of thumb is to read the first 25 pages of a book. If it does not hold my interest discard that book and find another. I didn't follow the rule here because I was committed to review it,

I thought the writing at the most mediocre. There were grammatical errors (Where was the copy editor?) There were a number of historical inaccuracies. The advertisement for the book was that it was a picture of life in Paris after its liberation from the Nazis. It is only the love story of four couples. There is no input about the political climate or the situation with the Black American soldiers.

My recommendation is don't waste your money by buying this. I was fortunate that I received this as a free review copy!!.