The story starts in the year 1995 and we meet Lily Jacobsen, who was a neighbor and friend of Odile in America, the main character in The Paris Library. She is also an American from Montana living in Paris, in a small apartment with her best friend and roommate Marie Louise, which who she shares the rent. When Marie-Louise all of a sudden breaks the news to Lily that she is moving out, Lily has to find a way to survive in Paris on her own. She finds a job as a program manager and event coordinator at the American Library in Paris, where Odile also worked in the past. Her job is to organize author events at the library, but she founds out soon enough that its not an easy task. We also meet the other staff and trustees of the American Library, all with their own background, life stories and particular job at the librariy and dealing with things that are at stake, which in this case is the uncertain future of the library due to financial struggles and shortcomings. Told in alternating chapters of all the different people working at the library.
The story of The Parisian Chapter is a good one, altough not as strong as in The Paris Library. This book felt more like stories of the 11 people who work in or are rich trustees of the American library in Paris, with Lily who somewhat connects them all. The strongest story is hers, living together with her best friend Marie-Louise and surviving as poor girls in baquettes and brie. When Marie-Louse leaves all of a sudden, Lily's life changes but their friendship is broken for good as Marie- Louise acts distant since then. But for Lily this also means a new Parisian Chapter as she gets a new job, new friends, finds romance and can connect a staff member of the library with her long lost friend Odile from the previous book. I found the writing style of the novel just as good as the Paris Library, welll written and easy to follow.
Overall a nice and enjoyable new novel by Janet Skeslien Charles set in the American Library in Paris!
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