A review by pkc
While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I'd have previously said that it was infeasible that a book, part of whose plot is a push and pull a la Bertolt Brecht, could have an antagonist that wasn't one single person. 

Surely one person has a claim to a child and the other simply does not. Not so, in this gorgeous and sad book. The temerity of humanity is the undercurrent here and cruelty is the driver, but it's an achingly beautiful story in the end.