A Jewish Girl in Paris: The heart-breaking and uplifting novel, inspired by an incredible true story

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of the Second World War, Melanie Levensohn's A Jewish Girl in Paris is a powerful novel about forbidden love, adapted from a translation by Jamie Lee Searle. 'In this vivid, affecting novel of intertwined destinies and the enduring power of love against the bleakest odds, Levensohn weaves a tale saturated with historical accuracy and yet surprisingly intimate. A Jewish Girl in Paris delivers romance and intrigue to spare, but the novel's real power lies in its portrayal of how deeply and sometimes mysteriously we can find ourselves connected to the past, and to each other.' - Paula Mc Lain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go Dark Paris, 1940, a city under German occupation. A young Jewish girl, Judith, meets a young man, the son of a wealthy banker and Nazi sympathizer - his family will never approve of the girl he has fallen in love with. As the Germans impose more and more restrictions on Jewish Parisians, the couple secretly plan to flee the country. But before they can make their escape, Judith disappears . . . Montral, 1982. Shortly before his death, Lica Grunberg confesses to his daughter, that she has an older half-sister, Judith. Lica escaped the Nazis but lost all contact with his first-born daughter. His daughter promises to find the sister she never knew. The search languishes for years, until Jacobina is spurred on by her young friend Batrice. Soon the two women discover a dark family secret, stretching over two continents and six decades, that will change their lives forever . . .

Reviews

In this vivid, affecting novel of intertwined destinies and the enduring power of love against the bleakest odds, Melanie Levensohn weaves a tale saturated with historical accuracy and yet surprisingly intimate. A Jewish Girl in Paris delivers romance and intrigue to spare, but the novels real power lies in its portrayal of how deeply and sometimes mysteriously we can find ourselves connected to the past, and to each other. -- Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go Dark
Inspired in part by her own fascinating family story, author Melanie Levensohn has crafted an emotional tale of two women . . . desperately searching for answers . . . A Jewish Girl in Paris is a deeply researched, emotional roller coaster ride of love, fate, and second chances. -- Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names
An elegantly drawn tale . . . [with] a pacy narrative, relatable heroines, and an eye for historical detail about life in occupied France. * The Jewish Chronicle, London *
A beautiful and hard-hitting story -- Kate Furnivall, author of Sunday Times bestselling novel The Betrayal
A Jewish Girl in Paris crafts a warm and intimate tale full of historical accuracy. Furnished with passion and intrigue, this historical romance is a powerful novel about forbidden love. * Hive *
I was hooked from the very beginning because it is like a family history detective story . . . A Jewish Girl in Paris pays great attention to the accuracy of historic details and the depiction of the 1940s feels extremely authentic. The novel would appeal to anyone who is interested in the Second World War, and the plight of Jews who lived in France at this time. * Who do you think you are Magazine *
Packed with extensive historical research, and written with warmth, insight, sensitivity, and a genuine empathy with the events of the Holocaust, this vivid, poignant tale of entwined destinies, unseen connections and enduring love is guaranteed to resonate long after the last page has turned. * Pam Norfolk Blog *
Moving story on multiple levels of time and space. Extremely well researched. The book transported me into another world -- Freundin (major German womens magazine)
This novel is full of suspense and doesnt let the reader go. A page turner. Must read! -- Christiane Krause-Dimmock, Badische Neueste Nachrichten
Levensohn shows great sensitivity and empathy in her characters and the deep scars left by history and Nazi cruelty that reach all the way into the present * Stuttgarter Nachrichten *
An intense read, depicting the time of World War II and the lifelong impact of those years, thoughtfully narrated with great depth -- Susanne Walsleben, Fr Sie (major German womens magazine)

Author Bio

A German and U.S. national, Melanie Levensohn studied literature and international relations in France and Chile. She earned her master's degree from Sciences Po in Paris. Later she became a spokesperson for the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, reporting from humanitarian crises around the world. From 2006-2013 Melanie worked as a communications expert at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., managing corporate external relations for the Caribbean region. When she got married, she joined her husband in the Napa Valley, California, where they created an award-winning estate wine over ten years. In 2021, they moved back to Geneva.