THE PARIS LIBRARY

I Read The Paris Library today, inspired by the true story of courageous Paris librarians during World War II. The author, Janet Skeslien Charles, explained in the Author's Note, "I wanted to explore the relationships that make us who we are, as well as how we help and hinder one another. The foreign staff and subscribers of the Library were considered "enemy aliens," and several were interned [after the Nazi occupation of Paris]. Jewish subscribers were prohibited from entering the Library, and many were later killed in concentration camps. A friend said she believes that in reading stories set in World War II, people like to ask themselves what they would have done. I think a better question is what can we do now to ensure libraries and learning are accessible to all and that we treat people with dignity and compassion."  Amen, sister.

I always spend a few hours or days pondering what a book means to me, especially books as profound as this one. The main characters in the book were good people in many ways, but they also had a dark side in that they betrayed those they loved. I admit to having a dark side, although I try to rationalize it away with excuses for my sometimes inexcusable behavior. Would I have exposed someone for better treatment/food/shelter? I hope not, but until you're in a life-or-death situation, you really don't know.

The bigger story is the Nazi's banning of books and closing of libraries. The goal was to keep people ignorant to have control over them. Sound familiar?



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