You’ll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion… Had me completely and utterly enraptured’ LOUISE CANDLISH On a darkened platform two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined. Just some of the questions that are raised in this excellent novel. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, as it is written with a deft touch, and examines what is still a very taboo subject I France and even more so in Paris, the Nazi Occupation. This story will leave you breathless, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.

One woman must make the hardest decision of her life in this unforgettably moving story of resistance and faith during one of the darkest times in history. In 1953 Santa Cruz, CA, Jean-Luc and Charlotte Beauchamps are the proud parents of Sam, the all-American kid. They are adapting to their new country, speaking only English, and never revisiting the trauma they fled in Paris 9 years earlier. While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book' Natasha Lester Historical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. A heartrending story told from the perspectives of two families living very different lives, it is also one of hope amid tragedy. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written - Woman & HomeParis, 1944. A young Jewish woman's past is torn apart in a heartbeat. Herded onto a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope. Jean-Luc is arrested in the USA for kidnapping a child and so begins the question of doing what is right for a child becomes central. Is letting go the right thing to do, or do you fight all the way.

Beginning on an ordinary day and ending on an extraordinary one, WHILE PARIS SLEPT is an unforgettable read. A frantic young mother, Sarah Laffitte, thrusts her weeks-old son into his arms. (This was that pivotal moment for me, when my breathing stopped.) While Paris Slept is a book I highly recommend for fans of historical fiction who enjoy more in depth stories that take their time to unfold in a way you can truly bite into and savor. The characters are lovable and resilient, and the storyline is one you’ll never forget. All for the love of a child. A beautiful book! I Can’t Wait For . . . Find You First by Linwood Barclay @linwoodbarclay @harpercollinsca #FindYouFirst #LinwoodBarclay #BooksofHCCA heartbreaking debut. The novel delves into eternal questions: How far will we go to protect our child? Is love holding tightly or letting go?' Janet Skeslien Charles, author of The Paris Library Ruth Druart grew up on the Isle of Wight, leaving at eighteen to study psychology. In 1993 she moved to Paris, the city that inspired her to write While Paris Slept. There she pursued a career in international education and raised three sons with her French husband. She recently left her teaching position, so she can write full time while running her writing group in Paris. Overall, this novel has so many elements to it that it makes for compelling reading. Recommended for fans of historical fiction. Veel tijd hebben ze niet om een beslissing te nemen…. De rest is hun verhaal en te lezen in dit mooie aangrijpende verhaal terwijl Parijs sliep! Sin embargo, lo que me ha desgarrado ha sido la frustración y el dolor de Sarah, que ve como el tiempo le ha robado a su hijo. El niño que recuperan no sabe ni entiende de las penurias que sufrieron sus padres ni de su enorme sacrificio. Ha sido criado en otro ambiente y ni se adapta ni quiere adaptarse. Si grande es el sufrimiento de Sarah, no menos grande es el de ese niño de nueve años que es Samuel.

This is a well written historical novel partly set in America in the early 1950’s and the Second World War years in Paris. The central premise is that of love and sacrifice and so it is very moving at times. Jean Luc Beauchamp, his wife Charlotte and son Sam now live in Santa Cruz, California but during the war Jean Luc worked on railway maintenance at Bobigny, where from Drancy Station French Jews were transported to Auschwitz. In 1953 he is taken in for questioning about his wartime role. The story is told from several points of view including Jean Luc, Charlotte and a Jewish woman, Sarah in the two timelines. Ruth Druart grew up on the Isle of Wight, moving away at the age of eighteen to study psychology at Leicester University. She has lived in Paris since 1993, where she has followed a career in teaching. She has recently taken a sabbatical, so that she can follow her dream of writing full-time. I loved this novel, I’m still crying. A truly beautiful book that captures the meaning of parental love in all its forms. I highly recommend this book to all my book groups. *****’ Historical fiction fans rejoice. A new voice has entered the arena and we think she’s one to watch...." Woman & Home - Best Books 2021As readers we can’t help but feel the weight of the Nazi occupation and its impact on Sarah, her husband David, even Jean-Luc and Charlotte, as well as a nurse that he meets at a German hospital. Beautiful. Powerful. Unforgettable. A stunning portrait of the brutality of war and the tenacity of love. In the tradition of Virginia Baily's Early One Morning and M. L. Stedman's The Light Between Oceans. On a darkened platform, two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined. Overall, While Paris Slept is an atmospheric, intense, impactful novel by Druart that sweeps you away to another time and place and reminds you that survival of any form takes unimaginable sacrifice, courage, strength, and often moral and ethical dilemmas.

What a book, I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read Quite a story of suffering and trauma. From the start I was hooked drawn into occupied and war torn Paris by the seemingly authentic details.

What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement' Jill Mansell A heartbreaking and emotional read based around WW2. Absolutely fantastic. I have no hesitation in giving this 5 stars *****’ This book was beautiful – a book on love and courage demonstrated in different ways, showing that there is no one way to love or be brave. I was unable to stop reading *****’