Paris, 1995. It’s been five years since Lily Jacobsen and her best friend Mary Louise arrived in Paris from their small town in Montana. Determined to establish themselves as artists, they shared a tiny apartment. But when Mary Louise moves out, Lily feels alone in the city of light and needs a new way to support herself. She lands a job as a programs manager at the American Library in Paris, following in the footsteps of Odile, her beloved French neighbour in Montana who told her stories of heroic World War II librarians when Lily was growing up.
At work, Lily meets an extraordinary cast of characters – including her favourite writer, struggling students, haughty trustees, and devoted volunteers – each with their own stories…and agendas. In the library’s attic, Lily discovers a box of archives that may be a link to Odile’s own Parisian chapter.
This moving story offers a panoramic view of a real historic institution, and revisits characters from both of Janet Skeslien Charles’s beloved novels.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Imprint: Headline Review
Publication date: 05/05/2026
