Goodreads Blurb
A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff
London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe —and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war.
Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Lévitan—a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France.
Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Lévitan, Last Twilight in Paris is both a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It’s a captivating historical fiction that transports readers to WWII, a time filled with uncertainty. It’s a story of love amidst war, new friendships, survival of the fittest, adventure, forgiveness, courage, and mystery.
Pam Jenoff is a captivating storyteller who skillfully weaves two narratives into a remarkable and unforgettable tale. She takes readers on a journey between the past and the present, unraveling the mystery behind the death of a courageous woman.
Helaine’s story transports us back to Paris in 1943, where she is a fragile young woman confined to her home due to an illness she experienced as a child. As someone who loves the outdoors and despises being indoors, I truly empathized with her longing to escape and explore the world like everyone else.
Her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets Gabriel, a cellist. She leaves her secluded life for the freedom she finds with him, and they marry. However, when war breaks out, both of their lives are forever altered.
In the present day, we meet Louise in Henley-on-Thames, 1953. Her story unfolds in two timelines: the present and the past in London/France during 1944 when she volunteered for the Red Cross to help others during those terrifying times. The entire narrative centers around the mysterious death of her friend Franny and a necklace. Before Franny is found dead, a prisoner gives Franny the necklace with instructions to deliver it to his wife in Paris. This necklace resurfaces in present-day London, triggering memories of Franny and the circumstances surrounding the necklace. Louise decides to investigate who the original owner of the necklace is to uncover the mystery behind Franny’s death.
Louise’s commitment to uncovering the truth behind Franny’s unexpected death will ultimately lead her to shocking revelations about trust during wartime. Readers will be deeply engaged as the characters navigate terrifying moments while forming strong attachments to each of them and will feel the urgency to fight for their survival. In a world where freedoms and personal comforts are stripped away, love and friendship become essential as a source of strength. Ultimately, hope empowers them to persevere in their struggle for survival.
This historical fiction novel is a must-read. I’m glad I picked it up because it shed light on the story behind Levitan, a former furniture store located in a large mall-like space. The Germans used this space to store household items stolen from Jewish families they had captured. They targeted Jews who held prominent positions or came from influential families, forcing them to work and live in the mall, which functioned like a work camp. It is within this setting that Helaine is taken during her capture. Those who worked in these camps experienced some freedoms, such as the ability to have visitors and attend doctor appointments.
Author Biography
Pam is the author of several novels, including her most recent The Woman With The Blue Star, as well as The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan’s Tale, both instant New York Times bestsellers. Pam was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master’s in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.
Following her work at the Pentagon, Jenoff moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Jenoff developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.
Having left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenoff practiced law at a large firm and in-house for several years. She now teaches law school at Rutgers.
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