Overview
Paris, 1919.
The world's leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.
Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job—and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.
Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris.For one woman in the aftermath of World War I, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons.
Paris, 1919. Margot Rosenthal has arrived in France with her father, a German diplomat. She initially resents being trapped in the congested capital, where she is still considered the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.
Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, a naval officer who gives Margot a job--and a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.
Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.
Don't miss Pam Jenoff's new novel, Last Twilight in Paris, a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about love and survival.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff:
Code Name Sapphire The Lost Girls of Paris The Woman with the Blue Star The Orphan's Tale The Diplomat's Wife The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach The Kommandant's Girl The Winter Guest
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
In Jenoff’s eloquent follow-up to The Diplomat’s Wife, conflicted Margot accompanies her German diplomat father to Paris for the treaty negotiations following WWI. Traveling to England and then France, Margot deliberately delays the inevitable return to Berlin and avoids the impending union with her injured fiancé Stefan. Guilty about abandoning their commitment, Margot feels detached from the life she’s expected to lead, shielding herself "from the truth that inevitably awaits." Though at first an outsider in Paris and bored with the social functions she must attend, her world changes when she meets Krysia——a pianist from Poland with radical political affiliations, an ethereal appearance, and an affinity for forthright speech——and then Georg, the striking but troubled German naval officer with "strong features, seemingly etched from granite." The two share an immediate and undeniable attraction, but with new introductions come new afflictions. Margot quickly becomes entangled in a political fiasco as well as a fairly predictable love triangle, but her indecisive character will keep the reader guessing as to the end result. A tale of surprise betrayals, unquenchable desire, and a necessary awakening, Jenoff’s thorough and elaborate descriptions of character and setting makes for a satisfying period romance. (Feb.)From the Publisher
"With luminous simplicity, Jenoff's breathtaking debut chronicles the life of a young Jewish bride during the Nazi occupation of Krakow, Poland, in WWII...This is historical romance at its finest."-Publishers Weekly starred review on The Kommandant's Girl
"In her moving first novel, Jenoff offers an insightful portrait of people forced into an untenable situation and succeeds in humanizing the unfathomable as well as the heroic."-Booklist on The Kommandant's Girl
"Beautifully researched, with realistic dialogue, The Kommandant's Girl is impossible to put down. Don't miss this terrific novel!"-Romance Reviews Today
"I have not been so moved by a book in quite some time as I was by The Kommandant's Girl...The remarkably accurate account of a world at war, and the repercussions of that war, make this a brilliant debut novel...Historical fiction at its best. I could not put the book down, yet was sad to see it end."-Historical Romance Writers
"[The Diplomat's Wife], Jenoff's stirring sequel to her debut...Historical romance fans will be well rewarded."-Publishers Weekly starred review
"In [her] successful and satisfying second novel...Jenoff explores the immediate aftermath of World War II with sensitivity and compassion, shedding light on an often overlooked era of European history. She expertly draws out the tension and illustrates the danger and poverty of Eastern Europe as it falls under communism. Highly recommended for all fiction collections."-Library Journal on The Diplomat's Wife