Review of 'The Paris Maid' by Ella Carey
Review of ‘The Paris Maid’ by Ella Carey
Release date: April 6th, 2023
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
REVIEW
What an astoundingly powerful WW2 story of significant depth! Once I started reading The Paris Maid I could not stop as I was drawn in from the first line and became lost on the pages as they fluttered past. My eyes barely noticed the breaks in the chapters as I was so focused on the scenes and the characters and their movements.
I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Ella Carey but this one is in another league. It’s as if this is the novel she was always meant to write. This one shines with a fresh vibrancy. The detail is stunning, the story-telling flawless, the characters believable and heartbreaking. The plot is unforgettable: even with its multi-layers, two timelines and three viewpoints, it is easy to keep track. For the separate strands weave together into a unified whole towards the end providing a clear picture once all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
This story felt extremely personal, as if born from a sincere emotional connection. I kept thinking while reading The Paris Maid there was something extra special about it. Then I discovered from the author’s notes, it was inspired by her father’s involvement as ‘an RAF pilot dropping parachutists over France for the Resistance during the Second World War’. Obviously Ella was deeply moved by her father’s stories of his experiences. Plus, from the historical research she gathered on important people of the time. For these heroes become a large part of the story’s fabric giving it an air of authenticity. Real persons such as: Arletty the French actress, Blanche Auzello the wife of the managing director of the Ritz, Frank Meier the head bartender of the Ritz who helped the French resistance, Pearl/Pauline Witherington who commanded a band of 3500 French Resistant fighters and Henry C Woodrum B-26 pilot who was shot down but escaped the Nazis. Together with her fictional leads, this combination created a strong believable reading experience.
The modern timeline begins with a dilemma. A young woman, schoolteacher Nicole, has just discovered her beloved grandmother was suspected of being a Nazis supporter. She has received a photograph from her aunt that brings this question into focus. Nicole cannot believe this to be true of her much loved grandmother Louise. So, she sets out on a mission to Paris to uncover the truth. But just before she goes, she pulls out a Grimm's Fairy Tale book with a strange inscription inside the front cover owned by her grandmother. What does it mean?
The clues are in the detail. It is a complicated story. And this story is told from three points of view: present day by schoolteacher Nicole and the historical ones by war airman Kit and maid Louise. And I must not forget the setting. Most of the main drama circles around the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris—a place with a lot of impressive history of its own. The glamour, fashion, foods and style of Paris comes through the text very well providing an authentic feel.
In the historical thread: we get to know Maid Louise extremely well. Her story is heartbreaking but her bravery is inspiring. She is determined to stay focused on her maid’s job, trying to remain anonymous but the people she meets and interacts with, begin to change her life. She wants to help in the war against the Nazis. But a woman named Sasha enters her space and she suspects she is her enemy. How can she manage all her activities with someone spying on her? Then she learns the truth about her father, and it sets her on a dangerous mission.
There are some very intriguing characters in this novel. Even an appearance by a famous American novelist! Resistant fighters known as the dressmaker and the butcher are intriguing heroic souls. Kit the pilot provides quite an amazing account of his experiences that detail the inner workings and dangers of the resistant fighters.
In my opinion, this is Ms Carey’s finest work to date. She utilises flawlessly all the best writing techniques imaginable—including fine-tuned suspense! There is a great flow to the plot with some serious on the edge of your seat action. This is a story about many things (including family roots and identity) but the one bright flag that flies high in the sky is the unfathomable cost of sacrifice. Fear is replaced by courage in those who fight against the deplorable injustices rampant under Nazi rule. Yet hope continues to rise in the defenders’ hearts, that freedom will one day be won. Eventually it does but not without the loss of many innocent lives: those caught in the crossfire and those who pushed back against the darkness. It was a harrowing time.
Thankfully, the efforts of those who fought will never be forgotten. For stories like Ella Carey’s keeps those memories alive—those fierce acts and quiet acts of courage. I cannot say enough what an incredible tribute this is to those who resisted evil. Even though we know through historical accounts mostly what happened—as far as the war is concerned, The Paris Maid contains many unexpected twists and surprises. That’s the beauty of weaving fact with fiction. It proposes other things that might have happened. And Ella has done well. It is a genuinely moving WW2 novel that I am so glad I read and highly recommend. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.
