The Paris Architect: A Novel

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Like most gentiles in Nazi-occupied Paris, architect Lucien Bernard has little empathy for the Jews. So when a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews, Lucien struggles with the choice of risking his life for a cause he doesn't really believe in. Ultimately he can't resist the challenge and begins designing expertly concealed hiding spaces - behind a painting, within a column, or inside a drainpipe - detecting possibilities invisible to the average eye. But when one of his clever hiding spaces fails horribly and the immense suffering of Jews becomes incredibly personal, he can no longer deny reality.

Reviews

"The Paris Architect perfectly mixes history and architecture into a novel of historical romance. This addictive page-turner flows from one dangerous situation to the next." -- Midwest Book Review
"A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the Second World War." -- Malcolm Gladwell
"A gripping page-turner... Charles Belfoure shines a light on the human heart -- a complex maze of love, hope, and the yearning for redemption -- and in doing so, provides a riveting reminder of sacrifices made by history's most unlikely heroes to triumph over evil." -- Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide
"A terrific thriller, made all the better by our knowledge that stuff like this really happened." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"A vivid, suspenseful story which keeps you gripped to the very last page. Charles Belfoure writes with great warmth, conjuring up an intriguing cast of characters, and painting a fascinating picture of Paris under the Occupation, with all its contradictions - the opulence, and the fear." -- Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier's Wife
"All novelists are architects. But are all architects novelists Charles Belfoure in his impressive debut seems to have brought usthe best of both worlds. Here is a novel to read alongside the latest Alan Furst. I hope there will be more." -- Alan Cheuse, Novelist and NPR book commentator
"An engaging suspense novel." -- Lancaster Newspapers
"Architect and debut author Belfoure's portrayal of Vichy France is both disturbing and captivating, and his beautiful tale demonstrates that while human beings are capable of great atrocities, they have a capacity for tremendous acts of courage as well." -- Library Journal
"Asks us to consider what we owe one another and just how far we will go to make things right." -- Florida Sun-Sentinel
"Belfoure has a knack for designing a tale with high tension and deep conflict ... at the end of the story, the reader will be satisfied that some people--even the worst--may not be what they seem." -- New York Journal of Books
"Belfoure manages not only to create an extremely interesting character in Lucien, but a complex tale that weaves together several plot strands. ... perfect for book clubs, particularly those that enjoy discussing the ethical implications of the characters' actions." -- The Reporter
"Belfoure writes like an up-and-coming Ken Follett ... There's plenty of detail to interest architecture buffs, too." -- Booklist
"Belfoure's characters are well-rounded and intricate. Heart, reluctant heroism, and art blend together in this spine-chilling page-turner." -- Publishers Weekly
"By combining his architectural background with his knowledge of Parisian culture and history, Belfoure tells an intriguing story about the people who risked their lives to save individuals who often had nothing to give in return except their gratitude." -- Deseret News
"Charles Belfoure's historical thriller delivers the suspense of Schindler's List and the German-occupied Paris of Alan Furst in this tense tale of an architect hiding Jews from the Nazis." -- Julie Kramer, author of Shunning Sarah and Stalking Susan
"I love that in The Paris Architect, a mercenary, talented man's passion for his creative work leads him down moral roads he never could have envisioned. The ingenious hiding spaces and the people in them infiltrated my imagination for weeks. I dreamed about this novel." -- Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers
"In architect Belfoure's fiction debut, the architectural and historical details are closely rendered ... A satisfyingly streamlined World War II thriller." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Intriguing debut novel." -- Christian Science Monitor
"Powerful and gripping." -- Columbus Dispatch
"Smooth writing, fast-paced action, and description of Paris during World War II." -- Historical Novel Society
"Wartime loyalties, architectural designs and novels are never as simple as they seem. Architect Belfoure explores the complex underside of all of these things in his first novel." -- The New York Post

Author Bio

An architect by profession, CHARLES BELFOURE has published several architectural histories, one of which won a Graham Foundation Grant for architectural research. He graduated from the Pratt Institute and Columbia University, and he taught at Pratt as well as at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. His area of specialty is historic preservation. He has been a freelance writer for the Baltimore Sun and the New York Times. He lives in Maryland.