Good Reads / Community Library Notes
All the Flowers in Paris
Sarah Jio
Review by Priscilla Comen
All the Flowers in Paris
Sarah Jio
Review by Priscilla Comen
All the Flowers in Paris, by Sarah Jio, is the story of Caroline in 2009 and Celine in 1943. Actually, it’s a love story to Paris as the author lovingly describes every cobblestone street, flower stall, and small café. Celine and her father own a small flower shop and design bouquets for upper class Parisians. Celine’s daughter, Cosi, also lives with them. The three try to live a peaceful, normal life while under the Nazi occupation. They are French citizens although Papa’s mother was half Jewish.
Their neighbor’s son, Luc, comes into the shop frequently. As does Mme Barnard who complains about her last delivery. She is a well-known Nazi sympathizer. Celine is a feisty young woman who won’t be bossed around. Her daughter Cosi, shows her mama a painting she has done of a Normandy beach where Celine lived with her mama until she died when Celine was twelve. Shortly after, Celine’s husband was hit by a truck while bicycling. A German officer enters the shop and makes sly remarks to Celine and strokes her face. She detests this. He remarks about Papa’s Jewish-looking nose, and asks for two dozen of the “shit roses.” He tells Celne she looks more like a Helga than a Celine.
In a switch of characters, Caroline wakes in a hospital in Paris. She doesn’t know who or where she is, nor what has happened. The doctor tells her a truck crashed into her bicycle. She’s been unconscious for five days. In three days she is released and driven to her home, a stately building at one of the most chic addresses in Paris, rue de Cler. The nurse has told her her name is Caroline Williams. Written in first person,, the reader can feel her confusion. Everything in the apartment seems familiar but she doesn’t remember seeing it before.
Switching again, Celine goes to dinner every week with Luc at the Bistro Jeanty, which his mother owns. His mother doesn’t like her for her son. She sells her best wine to a German officer for his party. As Celine and Luc have dinner, a group of German officers comes in, among them the officer who was in the flower shop. He takes a sip of Luc’s wine and praises his mother’s Bistro. Luc had seen that officer beating an elderly woman on the street. Luc tells Celine to keep a low profile, now more than ever. When he takes her home, they sit on the couch and kiss passionately and express their love for one another. He says he must go to police training but when he returns, he’ll give her “all the flowers in Paris.” She only wants him.
When we return to Caroline in her apartment, she surveys the place, noting nothing in the refrigerator, unused pots and pans. In a drawer, she finds a box of matches from Bistro Jeanty and a phone number on a slip of paper. Author Williams entices the reader with subtle clues. As Caroline leaves, she says hello to the concierge, M. de Goff. He’s grouchy and only says good day. At the café for breakfast, she meets the new owner Victor, and tells him her memory is gone. She asks Victor to please tell her anything he knows about her. He tells her she is not a happy person, has eaten the same boring breakfast every morning at 7:30 sharp, talks to no one and never smiles. She says she’ll have quiche tomorrow for a change. She returns to Bistro Jeanty for dinner. A man greets her, says they had a great time the night before. She doesn’t recognize him and Victor says to be careful, he’s a shark. Back at her apartment later, she finds a hidden place behind the wall holding an old cigar box. Inside are letters addressed to Mr. Luc Jeanty. No stamps or post marks on them, so they had been left there. They are in French and from Celine who has written of her love for Luc and prays he is safe. They are dated 1943, during the Nazi occupation.
Back to the past, Cosi reminds her mama that Luc always leaves a treat for her in the secret cabinet. She teaches her mama how to read an acrostic code. The first letter of each sentence spells out a word. This current one spells DANGER. In the morning, Papa turns on the radio and finds Glenn Miller. He dances with Cosi then takes her to school. Celine stays home, keeping a low profile as Luc had advised. When her friend Suzette phones and begs her to go to lunch, Celine accepts. They meet at Café du Monde. She stops at Bistro Jeanty and takes from the secret cabinet a thick envelope tied with twine, then she meets Suzette. They have Salads Nicoise and a carafe of Bergundy. Suzette tells her she has met a man, a German officer, Franc. He’s not like the others, he’s gentle. She introduced him to her brother who is mentally ill and in a wheelchair. Celine tells her to break it off. Celine usually gets Suzette out of trouble. Suzette likes beautiful things and shows Celine the diamond bracelet on here wrist. Franc comes to their table, pays for their lunch, and invites them to the theater that evening, but it would be past the curfew. Celine leaves abruptly.
The next morning Caroline goes for a run in shoes she finds in the closet. She goes to Bistro Jeanty where she spies a small cabinet in the wall. Victor only knows there is always a chocolate there every week. He introduces her to M. Ballard who worked there as a boy. Victor invites her to tour Paris with him the next day. As she walks home, she sees a sign that says Art Therapy for healing. She tries a free session and paints a beautiful picture. She meets Ines, the owner. At home, she finds pastels and paper. In her kitchen she sees a vision of herself as a little girl with a man’s arms around her. When it disappears, she’s alone again.
When Celine goes to the flower shop the next day, she finds Papa on the floor, a bloody gash on his forehead. She wraps a piece of her skirt around it and asks what happened. He says it was the German officer from the other day. Celine takes him to Esther’s apartment because she is a nurse at the Paris hospital where she treats Germans and French alike. A yellow star has been painted on the shop’s window. Their own physician had said he was too busy to come.
In the next chapter, Caroline goes on a picnic with Victor. He’s packed a delicious lunch with a bottle of Bergundy. He takes her to to Montmartre, and from the top they can see all of Paris. She is awed. He tells her about his life, how he went to California to study wine and cooking in Sonoma and Napa. At home again, she dreams of a little girl who calls her mommy. Estelle, a student from the Sorbonne, comes to see her because she is working on a project about Caroline’s apartment and the people who lived there during the war. Estelle is especially interested in a woman named Celine. Caroline gives her the letters Celine wrote to Luc. Estelle will let her know if anything interesting turns up. They plan to meet again.
Customers begin leaving the flower shop’s business because associating with Jews is risky. Inside the envelope, Celine finds a stack of German marks and papers that change their names to Le Blanc. She tells Papa they can now go to Switzerland or America. Papa doesn’t have the energy and won’t leave his home. Celine will not leave him. She writes Luc a letter before she falls asleep.
The next day, Caroline meets a woman in the lobby, Anna. She tells Caroline that Mr de Goff, the concierge, has had a harrowing life, and they should forgive him if he’s rude. Caroline goes to Bistro Jeanty and tells Victor about her dream of a girl named Alma, and of California. He tells her the real things are right now. To live for today.
When Celine goes to the Bistro to ask Madame for a job waiting tables, or hostessing, she hears voices in the kitchen. She hears Madame say she wants her son home and a German voice says not to worry, they’ll arrest the father soon. Celine hears them embrace and laugh. On the way home, she sees her friend Suzette. She tells Celine that the Germans have arrested her mentally ill brother and taken him away. Cosi tells her mama that her best friend won’t play with her because of the yellow star on the window of the shop. Cosi hates the yellow star. Reinhard, the German officer, tells Celine he needs a maid and she should be at his apartment at eight o’clock the following morning. That morning they are on their way to the train station to leave Paris. Reinhard and other soldiers stop them. He’d been given a tip about their departure by a neighbor. A soldier takes Papa and Cosi away. Reinhard takes Celine. Author Jio is adept at bringing out our deepest fears.
Caroline, back in Paris, after a fabulous week-end with Victor, returns to the art studio. Ines, the owner, suggests she enter the exhibit they are going to have soon. Why is Caroline such a fine artist? Has she been an artist in the life she can't remember? Cosi escapes from Reinhard and runs to reach Celine at his apartment. Can Celine hide Cosi from the German? A delivery boy from the bakery brings pastries to Reinhard’s apartment and Celine hides a note asking for help inside a roll. Will Nic find the note and respond? Who is Nic as a grown man in the future? Find this exciting, heart-rending novel of Paris during World War II on the fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.
Their neighbor’s son, Luc, comes into the shop frequently. As does Mme Barnard who complains about her last delivery. She is a well-known Nazi sympathizer. Celine is a feisty young woman who won’t be bossed around. Her daughter Cosi, shows her mama a painting she has done of a Normandy beach where Celine lived with her mama until she died when Celine was twelve. Shortly after, Celine’s husband was hit by a truck while bicycling. A German officer enters the shop and makes sly remarks to Celine and strokes her face. She detests this. He remarks about Papa’s Jewish-looking nose, and asks for two dozen of the “shit roses.” He tells Celne she looks more like a Helga than a Celine.
In a switch of characters, Caroline wakes in a hospital in Paris. She doesn’t know who or where she is, nor what has happened. The doctor tells her a truck crashed into her bicycle. She’s been unconscious for five days. In three days she is released and driven to her home, a stately building at one of the most chic addresses in Paris, rue de Cler. The nurse has told her her name is Caroline Williams. Written in first person,, the reader can feel her confusion. Everything in the apartment seems familiar but she doesn’t remember seeing it before.
Switching again, Celine goes to dinner every week with Luc at the Bistro Jeanty, which his mother owns. His mother doesn’t like her for her son. She sells her best wine to a German officer for his party. As Celine and Luc have dinner, a group of German officers comes in, among them the officer who was in the flower shop. He takes a sip of Luc’s wine and praises his mother’s Bistro. Luc had seen that officer beating an elderly woman on the street. Luc tells Celine to keep a low profile, now more than ever. When he takes her home, they sit on the couch and kiss passionately and express their love for one another. He says he must go to police training but when he returns, he’ll give her “all the flowers in Paris.” She only wants him.
When we return to Caroline in her apartment, she surveys the place, noting nothing in the refrigerator, unused pots and pans. In a drawer, she finds a box of matches from Bistro Jeanty and a phone number on a slip of paper. Author Williams entices the reader with subtle clues. As Caroline leaves, she says hello to the concierge, M. de Goff. He’s grouchy and only says good day. At the café for breakfast, she meets the new owner Victor, and tells him her memory is gone. She asks Victor to please tell her anything he knows about her. He tells her she is not a happy person, has eaten the same boring breakfast every morning at 7:30 sharp, talks to no one and never smiles. She says she’ll have quiche tomorrow for a change. She returns to Bistro Jeanty for dinner. A man greets her, says they had a great time the night before. She doesn’t recognize him and Victor says to be careful, he’s a shark. Back at her apartment later, she finds a hidden place behind the wall holding an old cigar box. Inside are letters addressed to Mr. Luc Jeanty. No stamps or post marks on them, so they had been left there. They are in French and from Celine who has written of her love for Luc and prays he is safe. They are dated 1943, during the Nazi occupation.
Back to the past, Cosi reminds her mama that Luc always leaves a treat for her in the secret cabinet. She teaches her mama how to read an acrostic code. The first letter of each sentence spells out a word. This current one spells DANGER. In the morning, Papa turns on the radio and finds Glenn Miller. He dances with Cosi then takes her to school. Celine stays home, keeping a low profile as Luc had advised. When her friend Suzette phones and begs her to go to lunch, Celine accepts. They meet at Café du Monde. She stops at Bistro Jeanty and takes from the secret cabinet a thick envelope tied with twine, then she meets Suzette. They have Salads Nicoise and a carafe of Bergundy. Suzette tells her she has met a man, a German officer, Franc. He’s not like the others, he’s gentle. She introduced him to her brother who is mentally ill and in a wheelchair. Celine tells her to break it off. Celine usually gets Suzette out of trouble. Suzette likes beautiful things and shows Celine the diamond bracelet on here wrist. Franc comes to their table, pays for their lunch, and invites them to the theater that evening, but it would be past the curfew. Celine leaves abruptly.
The next morning Caroline goes for a run in shoes she finds in the closet. She goes to Bistro Jeanty where she spies a small cabinet in the wall. Victor only knows there is always a chocolate there every week. He introduces her to M. Ballard who worked there as a boy. Victor invites her to tour Paris with him the next day. As she walks home, she sees a sign that says Art Therapy for healing. She tries a free session and paints a beautiful picture. She meets Ines, the owner. At home, she finds pastels and paper. In her kitchen she sees a vision of herself as a little girl with a man’s arms around her. When it disappears, she’s alone again.
When Celine goes to the flower shop the next day, she finds Papa on the floor, a bloody gash on his forehead. She wraps a piece of her skirt around it and asks what happened. He says it was the German officer from the other day. Celine takes him to Esther’s apartment because she is a nurse at the Paris hospital where she treats Germans and French alike. A yellow star has been painted on the shop’s window. Their own physician had said he was too busy to come.
In the next chapter, Caroline goes on a picnic with Victor. He’s packed a delicious lunch with a bottle of Bergundy. He takes her to to Montmartre, and from the top they can see all of Paris. She is awed. He tells her about his life, how he went to California to study wine and cooking in Sonoma and Napa. At home again, she dreams of a little girl who calls her mommy. Estelle, a student from the Sorbonne, comes to see her because she is working on a project about Caroline’s apartment and the people who lived there during the war. Estelle is especially interested in a woman named Celine. Caroline gives her the letters Celine wrote to Luc. Estelle will let her know if anything interesting turns up. They plan to meet again.
Customers begin leaving the flower shop’s business because associating with Jews is risky. Inside the envelope, Celine finds a stack of German marks and papers that change their names to Le Blanc. She tells Papa they can now go to Switzerland or America. Papa doesn’t have the energy and won’t leave his home. Celine will not leave him. She writes Luc a letter before she falls asleep.
The next day, Caroline meets a woman in the lobby, Anna. She tells Caroline that Mr de Goff, the concierge, has had a harrowing life, and they should forgive him if he’s rude. Caroline goes to Bistro Jeanty and tells Victor about her dream of a girl named Alma, and of California. He tells her the real things are right now. To live for today.
When Celine goes to the Bistro to ask Madame for a job waiting tables, or hostessing, she hears voices in the kitchen. She hears Madame say she wants her son home and a German voice says not to worry, they’ll arrest the father soon. Celine hears them embrace and laugh. On the way home, she sees her friend Suzette. She tells Celine that the Germans have arrested her mentally ill brother and taken him away. Cosi tells her mama that her best friend won’t play with her because of the yellow star on the window of the shop. Cosi hates the yellow star. Reinhard, the German officer, tells Celine he needs a maid and she should be at his apartment at eight o’clock the following morning. That morning they are on their way to the train station to leave Paris. Reinhard and other soldiers stop them. He’d been given a tip about their departure by a neighbor. A soldier takes Papa and Cosi away. Reinhard takes Celine. Author Jio is adept at bringing out our deepest fears.
Caroline, back in Paris, after a fabulous week-end with Victor, returns to the art studio. Ines, the owner, suggests she enter the exhibit they are going to have soon. Why is Caroline such a fine artist? Has she been an artist in the life she can't remember? Cosi escapes from Reinhard and runs to reach Celine at his apartment. Can Celine hide Cosi from the German? A delivery boy from the bakery brings pastries to Reinhard’s apartment and Celine hides a note asking for help inside a roll. Will Nic find the note and respond? Who is Nic as a grown man in the future? Find this exciting, heart-rending novel of Paris during World War II on the fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library.