The Postmistress of Paris: A Novel

I am such a huge fan of untold stories of World War II heroes. So, there was no doubt I was excited to read The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton. Inspired by Americans Mary Jane Gold and Varian Fry, who helped artists escape Nazi persecution during the occupation of France, the story tells of Nanèe, a wealthy American, who helps Varian deliver messages throughout Paris to those wishing to escape France.

Although the story itself was interesting, the amount of time spent on Nanèe being the postmistress was very short. In fact, I can only recall a few times she actually delivered messages. They weren’t even vital to the storyline. I was expecting something like Kristin Hannah’s Nightingale or Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan.

The majority of the story focuses on Nanèe’s relationship with a group of friends and the romance between her and Edouard. That alone was a wonderful story of love during a time of war and survival. If you go in with the expectations of a love story between an American and a German Jew, you’ll enjoy the story much more.