The Paris Library: A Novel

How significant were the American Library’s acts of resistance during the Nazi occupation? How did its acts benefit others and challenge Nazi ideology?

Despite the vastly different context of the 1980s from that of World War II, Odile draws on her life experiences to guide Lily through her teenage years. What lessons does Odile teach Lily? What do they say about human nature?

How did the American Library help people, such as Odile and Margaret, find a sense of belonging? Did this Library differ from other libraries—and if so, how?

How did female role models like Miss Reeder and Professor Cohen—and other women like Odile’s mother, Eugénie, and Aunt Caro—influence Odile’s character and life choices?

Why does Lily remind Odile of herself? In what ways are the characters similar and different?

To what extent is Paul’s naivete about the reasons for abandoned apartments in Paris—and his expectation that Professor Cohen would return home from the police station—realistic? In your response, consider whether a French police officer, even of low rank, should have suspected or known more—or whether this was willful ignorance.

How do Odile’s definition and belief in unconditional love evolve throughout her life? What experiences cause this evolution?

Odile compares her revelation of Margaret’s secret to a crow letter yet is horrified when Lily assumes that Odile wrote one. Explain the case for and against classifying Odile’s betrayal as a crow letter.