The Room on Rue Amelie

Kristin Harmel

Mar 2018 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A moving and entrancing novel set in Paris during World War II about an American woman, a dashing pilot, and a young Jewish girl whose fates unexpectedly entwine—perfect for the fans of Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale and Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls, this is “an emotional, heart-breaking, inspiring tribute to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love” (Mariah Stewart, New York Times bestselling author).

When Ruby first marries the dashing Frenchman she meets in a coffee shop, she pictures a life strolling arm in arm along French boulevards, awash in the golden afternoon light. But it’s 1938, and war is looming on the horizon.

Unfortunately, her marriage soon grows cold and bitter, her husband Marcel, distant and secretive—all while the Germans flood into Paris, their sinister swastika flags waving in the breeze. When Marcel is killed, Ruby discovers the secret he’d been hiding—he was a member of the French resistance—and now she is determined to take his place.

She becomes involved in hiding Allied soldiers—including a charming RAF pilot—who have landed in enemy territory. But her skills are ultimately put to the test when she begins concealing her twelve-year-old Jewish neighbor, Charlotte, whose family was rounded up by the Gestapo. Ruby and Charlotte become a little family, but as the German net grows tighter around Paris, and the Americans debate entering the combat, the danger increases. No one is safe.

“Set against all the danger and drama of WWII Paris, this heartfelt novel will keep you turning the pages until the very last word” (Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author).

Ratings and reviews

Wow! What a wonderful read. I couldn't put this book down. The bittersweet story of Ruby, Thomas, Charlotte and Lucien was more breathtaking then I could have ever imagined. I felt I was there with them through everything. I didn't expect it to end the way it did but still a very compelling novel that now has a spot on my bookshelf. Such a wonderful and unforgettable novel 💟

The Room on Rue Amelie is an amazing story that takes place during WWII in Paris, France. Ruby, an American woman, was ecstatic when her dream to go to Paris came true. A whirlwind romance with Marcel led to a quick marriage and an apartment in Paris. Although Europe was on the verge of war, Ruby didn’t want to return to America. She had made her new life with her French husband and wanted to stay by his side. Ruby’s blissful honeymoon, however, wouldn’t last long. The man she had loved and thought she knew, changed drastically, seemingly overnight. Instead of being loving and attentive, Marcel became secretive and intense. He was often out late at night and whenever Ruby questioned him as to where he had been or with whom, she was met with an abrupt, harsh attitude and an evasive answer. While in Paris, Ruby befriended a neighbor, Charlotte, a young Jewish girl, and her parents. They became Ruby’s lifeline especially when she went into labor early, and her husband was nowhere to be found. Ruby became very protective of her Jewish neighbors, and when she saw the Germans coming, Ruby ran to their apartment to warn them. Charlotte’s life changed forever after her parents were taken by the Germans. Ruby dedicated herself to caring for Charlotte, and to assisting British RAF pilots, to escape German-occupied France. Ruby never thought that she would fall in love again, but after meeting Thomas, a pilot whom she had nursed back to health and then helped to escape, she knew that just wasn’t true. The Room on Rue Amelie is a superbly written, riveting novel. If you enjoy reading WWII, historical fiction, you’ll love this book. Highly recommended. Thank you, Gallery Books and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!

Really got attached to the characters! It showed how hope and love often survives despite horrendous conditions.

About the author

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amélie, and The Sweetness of Forgetting. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando, Florida.