*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.
Title: The Paris Maid
Author: Ella Carey
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
Paris, 1944. “Traitor!” yells the crowd as they push me down onto a stool. “Nazi collaborator.” Tears blur my vision as the razor grazes my scalp, waves of blonde hair falling to the ground. As men paint a swastika across my face, I hold onto one small glimmer of hope. They have no idea who I am. Louise Basset works as a housemaid at The Ritz Hotel, home to the most powerful Nazis in France. As she changes silk sheets and scrubs sumptuous marble bathtubs, she listens and watches, reporting all she can to the Resistance. The only secret she never tells is her own. Everything changes for Louise on the day a young Allied pilot, hunted by the Nazis, is smuggled into the hotel. As he and Louise share a small carafe of red wine hidden amongst her cleaning bottles, she feels her heart begin to open. But if Louise trusts someone with the truth, what will happen? Years later, her granddaughter Nicole looks up at the ornate façade of the infamous Paris hotel. She is reeling from her recent discovery: a black-and-white photograph of her grandmother as a young woman, head shaved, branded a traitor. Devastated by her new legacy and about to start a family of her own, Nicole searches for answers. When a French historian calls Louise by a different name, Nicole realizes there must be more to her grandmother’s story. Was the woman who taught Nicole so much about family and loyalty a resistance fighter, or will her granddaughter have to live with the knowledge that she is descended from a traitor? And will Nicole be able to finally move forward with her life if she can uncover the truth?
The Paris Maid is
the latest gripping novel from historical fiction author Ella Carey. It’s an emotional
fast-paced exploration of themes such as love, courage, betrayal and
family which gives us a fantastic insight into those who worked at the Ritz Hotel
in Paris during the Nazi occupation of France. We have some really strong
female characters featuring in the story, highlighting the importance of female
contributions to the resistance and war effort.
The story opens with
an incredibly powerful prologue focusing on the punishment imposed on French
women accused of so-called ‘horizontal collaboration’ with the German occupiers
during the Second World War. We see our protagonist Louise have her head shaved
and being labelled a ‘femme tondue’ (shaven woman). It provides a really
emotive opening to the story which immediately grips the reader and pulls them
into Louise’s story.
The Paris Maid was
clearly impeccably researched and historical details were seamlessly woven into
the narrative. The story also features fictional portrayals of real individuals
such as SOE agents who operated in France and members of the Ritz hotel staff
who worked for the French resistance, passing on information they had overheard
from the high ranking Nazi officials living in the hotel. Personally, I find
the history of the Ritz during the Nazi occupation of France absolutely
fascinating and it was wonderful to see the anti-German activities completed by
the staff at the Ritz portrayed within historical fiction.
It is worth
noting that you do have to stay quite switched on whilst you’re reading The Paris
Maid as characters are frequently referred to using code names and aliases but
by playing close attention to the intricate details and references within the narrative
you can keep track of the events and who’s who.
I did find the
ending to the story slightly rushed and confusing but the epilogue is cleverly
crafted to provide extra clarity. The ending does provide a bit of a plot twist
which I definitely wasn’t expecting and this was a nice way of keeping us
readers on our toes right to the very end of the story.
The story is told
through a dual timeline, alternating between Louise’s wartime experiences and
her granddaughter Nicole researching them years later. Although I’m a definite fan
of the use of dual timelines in historical fiction, I don’t think this was as
well executed as it could have been. The concept of Nicole researching her
grandmother’s wartime experiences off the back of her discovering the photo of
her as a ‘femme tondue’ was really interesting but I didn’t like the family
conflict between Nicole and her aunt. It didn’t add anything to the story at
all really and just unnecessarily took our attention away from Louise’s story.
I also thought it
a shame that we weren’t given more specific references to the date each part of
the story is taking place on as chapters were instead given more vague labels
such as “Summer 1944”. There are occasional references to specific dates such
as Bastille Day but this works on the assumption that the reader will have a
good enough understanding of French history and culture to know when Bastille
Day actually is. More specific references to the date at the beginning of each
chapter would have supported the progression of the narrative as it would help
the reader to track the progression towards the Allied liberation of Paris.
Overall, The Paris
Maid is a powerful and emotive story about the courage of the French Resistance
and SOE agents operating around Paris, and particularly within the Ritz hotel,
during the Second World War. It’s well-paced, gripping and an overall must-read
for fans of WW2 historical fiction.
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