Elizabeth Thompson

Secret places!

I love descriptions of those Interbellum years of the 1920’s and 30’s where there was a buzz in the air. Paris was bursting with creativity—artists, writers, designers, Gertrude Stein, the Fitzgerald’s, Picasso, the Hemingway’s!
And into this world fell Ivy in pursuit of her dream to enter a Paris fashion house. Well that didn’t work out, but she did meet writer Andres Armand.
Her great granddaughter Hannah has a bad relationship (think zero) with her mother Marla, show more doesn’t know who her father is and has just lost her Gram who brought her up. To cap it all off she’s just broken up with her boyfriend
What is it about the romance of a hidden apartment left as though people had just walked out waiting for their return.? It gets me every time. I thought I’d grow tired of this trope—I haven’t as yet! The mystery pulls us in. And to find it is unexpectedly yours, to find a great grandmother with a secret life is both shocking and exciting, as Hannah and her mother discover.
Moving between 1929 and 2019 this story captures that shock with a few extra layers, and with burdens that need to be laid down. Mind you Marla is a huge challenge, although I move between giving her the benefit of the doubt and just being cross.
Hannah Bond’s search for meaning, for redefining her relationship with her mother, for the woman her Great Grandma Ivy was, and for finding her own way forward is brilliantly portrayed.

A Gallery Books ARC via NetGalley show less

It is difficult enough for Hannah Bond to endure communicating with her mother via limited phone calls and text messages when Marla is in College Park, Florida, and Hannah is living and working in London. So, imagine Hannah's reaction when she arrives home from work to find her mother talking, laughing, listening to music, and drinking champagne with her 2 roommates, Cressida and Tallulah, in their shared apartment on New Year's Eve. Marla is supposed to be in Florida preparing the home they show more inherited together for sale. However, Marla felt it best to show Hannah in person what she found in Granny Ivy's cedar chest in the attic of Gram's house: a deed to an apartment in Paris, a brass key, and a gold ring with a red stone. The 3 items were just the tip of surprises awaiting their arrival in Paris.

The intrigue of "Lost in Paris" lies in the dual timelines presented through Ivy's diary entries and the present-day narrative. These entries, spanning from August 1929 to April 16, 1940, are strategically placed between the chapters of the 2019 storyline, adding a layer of mystery and depth to the narrative that I can't reveal here for fear of spoilers.

There are often inquiries as to the best first lines in novels. Still, for a reader, the last sentence of a book is just as important, if not more, as it not only draws the storyline to a close as the reader remembers the sentiments, the tone, the period of the book, and the emotions felt while reading leaving a significant impression, often memorable, of the book in its entirety. The last line of "Lost in Paris" gives this reader the lasting impact of this beautifully written novel, and I'll never forget this armchair travel to Paris.

For those considering this book for their next book club meeting, the Reading Group Guide at the end of the novel is a valuable resource that includes an Introduction, Topics & Questions for Discussion, and ideas to Enhance Your Book Club. show less

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I loved this book from the first until the last page. The description pulled me in and I couldn't read this one fast enough: "When a deed to an apartment in Paris turns up in an old attic trunk, an estranged mother and daughter must reunite to uncover the secret life of a family matriarch." This premise is not new, but Elizabeth Thompson skillfully weaves the past and present, the show more wounds of mothers and daughters, and describes Paris so that it is another character in this novel of family secrets and healing relationships. show less

Hannah is living in London and giving tours about Jane Austen. She is loving every minute of it until her mother, Marla, shows up out of the blue.

Hannah and Marla are not on the best of terms. Marla has a lot of making up to do. So, when she shows up with a key and a deed to a Paris apartment, Hannah is not believing a word! Little does Hannah know, this apartment will change her life forever.

I adore Hannah. And Marla grew on me. So, these two together struggle to repair their relationship show more and find out about their past. And what a past it is!

Is this story perfect…no. But, I swear, I was engrossed. I did not want to put this book down. I just had to know more about this apartment! The author creates such a unique situation and it is so intriguing!

Need a book that completely takes you away…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less