I crush on books. I stalk them. I love them. Ginormous geek alert: when I get my Goodreads.com monthly new release update e-mail, my fingers shake a bit with anticipation as I click over to find the treasures that await.
I was pretty stoked a few months ago when I heard about The Paris Architect, a novel about an architect living in German-occupied who has a very unique job. I eagerly put it on my to-read list.
Then a funny thing happened. I got to chatting with in-real-life friend who lives around the corner from me, and she started telling me about how her dad just published a new book. And yes, you’ve got it–the book he wrote was The Paris Architect! I squeed a little over being in the once-removed proximity of such a legit cool author. Then I squeed more when she offered to bring over a copy for me to review and read.
And then the squeeing never really stopped because I LOVED the book. I was wowed by the incredibly creative plot backed by superb character development and skilled writing talent. I was kept on my toes and couldn’t put it down. You know the really good books when your heart races a bit through the end, as you nervously wait to see what will happen? Yeah, that.
The plot truly was phenomenal. The main character, Lucien, is a gifted architect who has to make some tough choices and use his craft in very meaningful and unique ways. My initial impression of Lucien so wholly changed by the end of book, and to me, this speaks of character development at it’s finest.
My favorite part of this novel, however was how Belfoure drew on his own personal experience of being an architect and having a mother in a forced labor camp during the war. The way he transcribed events of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign into a different era was impressively original and smart.
Yet I was most wowed by Belfoure’s heartfelt letter of introduction at the beginning and acknowledgements at the end. His vulnerable recognition of working through a dark period in his life touched me, and I am now a definitive fan, looking forward to whatever Belfoure has next in store.
In short, read The Paris Architect!
**************No compensation for this post, just genuinely loved the book ;)*************
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Meredith says
It’s a good one, my Goodreads cohort!