The Parisians

By: Marius Gabriel

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker

In occupied Paris, one woman risks everything to help bring down the Nazis.

Paris, 1940. The Nazis have occupied the city - and the Ritz. The opulent old hotel, so loved by Parisians, is now full of swaggering officers, their minions and their mistresses.

For American Olivia Olsen, working as a chambermaid at the hotel means denying her nationality and living a lie, every day bringing the danger of discovery closer. When Hitler’s right-hand man moves in and makes her his pet, she sees an opportunity to help the Resistance - and draw closer to Jack, her contact, whose brusque instructions may be a shield for something more....

Within the hotel, famed designer Coco Chanel quickly learns that the new regime could work to her benefit, while Arletty, one of France’s best-loved actresses, shocks those around her - and herself - with a forbidden love.

But as the war reaches its terrible end, all three women learn the true price of their proximity to the enemy. For in the shadow of war, is anyone truly safe?

©2019 Marius Gabriel. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

The Ritz and it players.

Fantastic historical fiction based on some fact. I loved all the characters you wanted to empathize with and all of the characters you wanted to hate. Marius Gabriel does a wonderful job of letting us see vulnerability in the characters who had to go along with the times yet you knew they hated the overall atmosphere of the German occupation. Great authors note at the end of the story.

so good

I loved it. I learned so much. yet loving the fiction. the character development was incredible. loved the way it evolved. 5 stars all around.

Excellent story

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many real life characters whose story lines were accurate. The narrator was wonderful. It kept my interest throughout and was a captivating read.

Another historical gem by this wonderful author

Marius Gabriel’s WWII historical novel, The Parisians, is a fantastic piece of fiction based loosely on facts. In it he follows some real historical powerhouse people like Coco Channel, and the French film star of the 30s Arletty plus many factual Nazi officers who took up residence in the Paris Ritz as well as characters straight from his creative mind. One of those fictional characters is his main protagonist and French war heroine American born Olivia Olsen who came to France to paint but ended up being a huge asset to the French Resistance, she starts out an innocent girl but grows up fast during the occupation of Paris. He doesn’t pull any punches describing the huge differences between the have and have nots during the war, the Paris residents versus the extravagances enjoyed by the Nazi officers staying at the Ritz. He also doesn’t pull any punches describing the torture inflicted on Nazi prisoners. It’s fast paced and unputdownable with unforgettable characters visually impactful backdrops and a period perfect narrative. This is a must read/listen for any fan of WWII era stories or anyone who loves fantastic historical fiction.

Narration:
The narration by Karissa Vacker is excellent, her French American and German accents are wonderful, the emotion throughout the entire book was perfectly timed and her depiction of both men and women was perfection.

Olivia Olsen came to Paris to paint, she didn’t plan on falling in love or that her lover would fall victim to the Nazis early in the occupation because of his anti German writing. When they killed him she vowed to do anything she could to make them pay. So she became a spy for the allies and resistance.

The Parisians

The Ritz, Coco Channel, and the high ranking Nazis intertwine with the world of collaborators and the hotel staff resistance during the German occupation of Paris.

For a WWII story it focuses less on the horrors of concentration camps and more on the relationships between Nazi officials and upper society collaboration while the resistance takes place right under their noses.

This is a good departure from the usual focus of the battlefield and the holocaust. I read many books about WWII and I find different angles to be interesting.