The Parisian Chapter, Janet Skeslien Charles
The Parisian Chapter, Janet Skeslien Charles
List: $23.99 | Sale: $16.79
Club: $11.99

The Parisian Chapter

Author: Janet Skeslien Charles

Narrator: Pauline Chalamet, Jean Brassard, Corey Brill, Marisa Calin, Danny Campbell, James Fouhey, Matt Godfrey, Helen Lloyd, Jackie Sanders, Gary Tiedemann, Elizabeth Wiley, Gabra Zackman

Unabridged: 7 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2025

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade, a charming and “richly populated” (New York Journal of Books) novel about two small-town girls with big dreams who move to Paris to become artists. But dreams don’t just come true. They require nurturing, as do friendships.

Paris, 1995: It’s been five years since Lily Jacobsen and her best friend Mary Louise arrived in Paris from their small town of Froid, Montana. Determined to establish themselves as artists, they shared a tiny walkup and survived on brie and baguettes. But when Mary Louise abruptly moves out, Lily feels alone in the city of light for the first time and needs a new way to support herself. She lands a job as a programs manager at the American Library in Paris, following in the footsteps of Odile, her beloved French neighbor in Montana who told her stories of heroic World War II librarians when Lily was growing up.

At work, Lily meets an extraordinary cast of characters—including her favorite writer, struggling students, haughty trustees, and devoted volunteers—each with their own stories...and agendas. In the library’s attic, Lily discovers a box of archives that may be a link to Odile’s own Parisian chapter.

This “stirring and rich with detail” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author) story is a love letter to the power of literature, the life of the artist, the importance of friendship, and leaving home only to find it again.

About Janet Skeslien Charles

Janet Skeslien Charles is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Paris Library. Her work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. She has spent a decade researching Jessie Carson (Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade) at The Morgan Library, the NYPL, and archives across France. Her shorter work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Sydney Morning Herald, LitHub, and the anthology Montana Noir. To connect, visit her website JSkeslienCharles.com, @JSkeslienCharles on Instagram, or @SkeslienCharles on X.

About Gabra Zackman

Gabra Zackman knows romance. Her clever and “thrilling romantic caper” (Library Journal) Bod Squad series was inspired by the more than one hundred romance and women’s fiction titles she has narrated for audio. She divides her time between her native New York City and Denver, Colorado.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bre on April 14, 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Janet Skeslien Charles and Simon & Schuster Audio for this audiobook ARC. I will be giving my honest review. I have always wanted but never been to Paris. While it is still high on my list this book offered a sweet escape there to hold me over until then. It was so much fun to he......more

Goodreads review by Laurel on May 06, 2025

I wanted to like this, it had a lot of promise, an interesting setting, some compelling characters that were well narrated by talented voice actors… but in the end, it seemed like a lot of production for an only ok story. Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exc......more

Goodreads review by Marie on April 23, 2025

Thank you to @jskesliencharles and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook! Set in Paris 1995, Lily Jacobsen is an aspiring artist struggling to find her footing after her best friend Mary Louise moves out. She gets a job as the programs manager at the American Library, inspired by her hero, a WWII li......more

Goodreads review by McKenna on April 14, 2025

Audiobook Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to @Simon.Audio and the author @jskesliencharles for the #gifted audiobook. Release Date: 05/27/2025 Janet Skeslien Charles once again brings history to life with The Parisian Chapter, a charming and cinematic novel that whisks readers—and listeners—away to the heart......more

Goodreads review by Brittany on May 28, 2025

Review to come!......more


Quotes

"An ensemble enthusiastically depicts the American Library in Paris in this novel. Patrons and staff share their experiences, taking listeners behind the scenes of the renowned institution. Program Director Lily from Montana and her friend, Mary Louise, both portrayed by Pauline Chalamet, carry the story, including a subplot that involves a search for the long-lost friend of their elderly French neighbor, portrayed by Elizabeth Wiley...Most compelling are Lily’s library programs, which are served up with brie and wine, and Matt Godfrey’s Tolstoy, a Gulf War veteran with PTSD who is protected by everyone. Audio creates the sensation that the library’s walls are talking about its past and present."

"A delightful love letter to the glorious American Library in Paris, The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles enchants. Those who loved The Paris Library and Miss Morgan's Book Brigade, also by Charles, will be pleased to find continuations of their favorite characters' stories in this audiobook delight, while those who are new to Charles's work will be just as swept away by a colorful cast of characters--voiced by a talented full cast--who work, study, and volunteer in the famed library, which sits in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Listeners will love Charles's spot-on descriptions of the City of Light--from Louis Vuitton handbags to Gitanes cigarettes to the cheap Burgundy and brie on which many young expats survive. If you love Paris, don't hesitate to say "Oui oui!" to this sparkling, heartfelt ode to libraries--and to the people who make them magical."

“I loved The Parisian Chapter, the completely immersive story of a young woman working in the American Library in Paris. Actress Pauline Chalamet is an incredible narrator, and I loved falling under the spell of this cinematic story.”

The Parisian Chapter is feel-good escapism at its most fun. Brought to life by a strong ensemble cast and rich in French detail, this audiobook follows the ups and downs of a young American writer coming into her own in mid-90s Paris. Magnifique!”

The Parisian Chapter is a smart and charming story of a young American writer in France, as well as the many fascinating people she encounters as an employee at the American Library in Paris. The talented cast brings to life deep friendships, the joy of new romance, and a true appreciation for books, writers, and librarians; I could not stop listening until I reached the audiobook's perfect ending.”

"Pauline Chalamet masterfully leads an extraordinary cast through this charming, beautifully written, perfectly performed, multi-generational story of friendship, love, and a very special library. Listening to The Parisian Chapter is an absolute joy."