The Black Swan of Paris is the latest book I’ve added to my ever-growing Francophile library, and I’m so glad I did!
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission that helps me grow my site. Merci for your support!
I just love buying books… When my husband and I were first married, we would go to the bookstore on paydays and spend hours browsing the shelves. Afterward we would lug our new stack of treasures to the car, our wallets quite a bit lighter than two hours before.
These days I have neither the time nor budget to be perusing and buying out the bookstore twice a month. But I never pass up an opportunity to ogle the latest titles anywhere I can. Sometimes, that’s at Costco.
This opportunity arose about a month ago while doing my family’s monthly Costco shopping excursion. Right in between grabbing more almond flour for my macarons and searching for good deals on wine, my eye caught the book tables. I casually drifted toward them while my husband was handing out snacks to our daughters. And there I saw it: “The Black Swan of Paris.”
Ok, so maybe I had never heard of this book before, but judging by the title and the cover (which, yes, I know one shouldn’t do), this book ticked all the boxes of my favorite genre. World War II era in Europe: check. France in particular during this era: check. Scenes in and around Paris: check. Action, drama, romance, heroism: check.
I quickly added it to the growing collection of items in our cart. I had found myself a new book to add to my Francophile library. Huzzah!
World War II Fiction: my favorite genre
What is not to like about books from this era, really? At least, from a literary point of view. It was a terrible time to be alive, to be sure, but that is precisely why I am so fascinated. I have read countless books about this period. The suffering, the survival stories, the heroism, the bravery, the drama is just so much to contemplate. It makes for a dramatic, action-packed tale no matter the story line.
And in all honesty, it really helps put today’s world problems – not to mention my own personal ones – into perspective. If the human spirit can overcome and survive the modern world’s most gruesome war crimes, then surely we can overcome today’s struggles, too. Or at least, that’s how these books make me feel: they give me hope.
These days one of my biggest worries is navigating the pandemic and keeping my daughter in an actual classroom. But this is nothing compared to being woken up to air raid sirens and bombs going off around you. Not to mention not even having school as an option for the duration of the war. Immersing myself in human struggles of a much greater scale, from not too long ago in our history, has helped my anxiety tremendously not only in this last crazy year, but in many years past as well.
Every time I finish a book from this genre, I am left in awe of the sacrifices people were forced to make, and the hardships they were forced to overcome. And this is why I love it: it motivates me to be stronger, braver, and wiser. The Black Swan of Paris was no different in this respect. See for yourself!
And also, I really love the style.
Genevieve = Genevra = sometimes Genny
The story starts out introducing the main character, Genevieve Dumont. Yes, I was intrigued by this book partially due to the antagonist’s name. It’s not every day that I even hear of people with my same name.
Genevieve is only her stage name, however. Her true name is Genevra, but we learn later on that her estranged family calls her Genny. Ironically, this also happens to be my nickname to Genevieve. Quelle coincidence, right?? I don’t think I’d ever seen the name Genny in print before. This made me happy.
The Black Swan of Paris: a slow start, but a riveting finish
Admittedly, it took me a few chapters to get into this story. I think this was because of my own distracted nature, and the fact that when its 9pm and I’m exhausted, I only get a few pages in before collapsing.
Basically, the story goes something like this: Famous singer Genevieve can travel Europe on tour for her famous show, even as the war rages on. The Nazis themselves are big fans. Her manager, Max, uses this as an excellent cover to work for the Résistence as well as British Intelligence to undermine the Nazis before the D-Day landings. Genevieve learns her estranged family is also embroiled in dangerous Résistence work, and it’s up to her to try and ensure their safety and survival.
Peppered throughout the story is a mutual attraction between Genevieve and Max, as well as a tragic story about Genevieve’s past. Her past is what dictates her mission to save her family from total annihilation, all the while finding it in her heart to forgive them their offenses.
By the plot’s climax, I was hooked, and found myself reading the book at every spare moment in my day. It ends in very unexpected ways that leave you guessing up to the very end. I just love a good page-turner, and this is certainly that.
The Black Swan of Paris - I highly recommend!
Next time you’re at Costco, or browsing on Amazon, pick up a copy of this book to read at your bedside. Pour a hot bath and be transported to another era, where the world was in greater chaos than we know today. Be inspired by bravery and love in the face of adversity, and let it give you perspective in your own personal life. Reading about eras of the past can really be a tool for calming anxiety, and it’s one that has served me well.
If nothing else, it is super entertaining, brings you to Paris of another era, and gets you out of your head for a while. I can work with that.
Happy reading, fellow Francophiles!
Grands bisous-
geneviève
