The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
Review by Susan Williams
The Paris Architect follows Lucien, an up-and-coming architect in 1942. In Nazi occupied Paris, a wealthy industrialist offers the architect a lucrative commission to design a secret hiding place for a Jewish client. Initially, Lucien must decide whether or not to risk his own life in an attempt to help save a group that he has little empathy with. He finally decides to undertake the commission. This job leads to many more opportunities for Lucien to devise elaborate hiding places to outwit the German police.
The discovery of one of Lucien’s hiding places leads to tragic consequences. Of course, this makes the book all the more suspenseful. Lucien begins to empathize with the suffering Jews as he never had before.
As a World War II buff, this story kept me riveted to the last page!
This is the author’s first novel; he is himself an architect and historian.
If this isn’t enough to whet your whistle, check out the book trailer for The Paris Architect on youtube.
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About the reviewer: Susan Williams enoys reading, traveling, gardening, my baby granddaughters, and working at Tredyffrin library (since 2001).
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