The Paris Orphan

Starred review from July 29, 2019
Lester (The Paris Seamstress) reveals secrets from a WWII romance in this rich and riveting novel. In 2004 France, Australian art handler D’Arcy Hallworth has been hired to pack up photographs at the French estate of Lieu de Reves for shipment to Australia for an exhibition. She meets American Josh Vaughn, the photographer’s agent, and discovers that her mother, Victorine, may be the little girl in some of the photos from the 1940s. Romance blossoms between D’Arcy and Josh as she seeks to uncover the truth behind her mother’s appearance in the photos. In a parallel 1942 narrative, Jessica May is a New York model whose stalled career leads her to become a photojournalist, working as a war correspondent in Europe. There she meets Dan Hallworth, a handsome, respected American officer. Lester’s novel is modeled after real-life characters and is imbued with realism, highlighting the horrors of WWII and the discrimination faced by female correspondents. Readers will become engrossed from the very first page as mystery and romance are expertly combined into one emotionally charged, unforgettable story. Agent: Jacinta di Mase, Jacinta di Mase Management.

August 23, 2019

In 1942, model-turned-photojournalist Jessica May travels to the European theater of war and finds excitement, grief, wisdom, pain, and, perhaps most surprisingly, love. Victorine is a young orphan living in a field hospital in Italy who has quickly charmed the nurses and soldiers stationed there, including Jessica and the kind Captain Dan. Decades later, in 2005, D'Arcy, Victorine's daughter, is brought to France to process a collection of photographs taken by a mysterious artist with a connection to Victorine. Lester (The Paris Seamstress) weaves a story centered on her characters' choices and how the effects of their decisions trickle down in unexpected ways. The novel is wrapped, somewhat too conveniently, around real historical events and figures--one peculiar scene has a character using Hitler's bathtub. The dialog among the characters, particularly when Jessica is speaking to the soldiers and nurses she meets, doesn't always feel natural, but the plot is strong enough to keep readers engaged. In D'Arcy and Jessica, Lester has created relatable characters who are dealing with shocking and difficult circumstances all while trying to navigate the complicated paths their lives are taking. VERDICT Those who appreciate historical novels and female leads who break out of the traditional mold will find this tale worth their time.--Rachel Olsen, Univ. of North Carolina Libs., Greensboro

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
Jessica May is a model for Vogue in the 1940s, until she is kicked out of high fashion when her unscrupulous lover sells her image for a feminine-hygiene ad. Desperate to be seen as more than a pretty face, Jessica convinces an editor at Vogue to let her photograph and report on the war. Soon she is in Italy, witnessing the horrors there, and she suffers much to bring the reality of war to the American public. The impact of this suffering and postwar decisions continue to reverberate in the twenty-first century. In 2005, D'Arcy Hallworth arrives in France to pack up some photos from a reclusive photographer, and there she uncovers family secrets. Alternating perspectives between D'Arcy and Jessica, Lester (The Paris Seamstress, 2018) tells an intriguing story inspired by real-life female photojournalists during WWII. This look into that life is the most compelling part of the book, and readers of historical fiction featuring courageous women will greatly enjoy Jessica's story and, by extension, the story of the heroism of female photojournalists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)