The Paper Girl of Paris

 Taylor, Jordyn. The Paper Girl of Paris. 2020. 368p. ISBN 978-0-0629-3662-2. Available at FIC TAY on the library shelves. 

Alice is sixteen, and her grandmother Chloe recently died, leaving her an apartment in Paris her family didn't know existed. Alice was very close to her grandmother, and spent a lot of time with her, but every time the topic of her youth came up, her grandmother would stir the course of the conversation elsewhere. Now Alice is left to unravel a family history she didn't know existed. Arriving in Paris, Alice and her parents visit the apartment, and realize it is a time piece. No one has been here in nearly 80 years, and the place is filled with memories, including pictures of Alice's grandmother and what can only be her sister, Adalyn. Discovering a journal written by Adalyn during the war, Alice begins to investigate her secretive family and learn more before deciding whether to sell the apartment. The discovery of a 1942 picture of Adalyn with German officers shocks Alice. Her grand-aunt was a collaborator!

In May 1940, Adalyn is sixteen, and she should have the world in front of her. The daughter of a university professor and of a socialite, Adalyn and her younger sister Chloe live a life of privilege in Paris. For years, however, the clamors of war have been growing, and back in September 1939 Adolf Hitler unleashed war on the continent, and now the German war machine is hitting France and the country is in disarray. Soon finding herself in occupied territory, Adalyn vows to resist the German invader but also resolves to keep her hot-tempered younger sister safe by not involving her in her schemes. After she meets a like-minded group of teens, Adalyn joins the Resistance and plans even more daring acts of opposition and sabotage. As a socialite, Adalyn is welcomed in the ranks of German officers, and she plays the part to obtain vital information on troop movements and weapons deliveries. The more she compromises with the Germans to accomplish her objectives, however, the greater the frictions between herself and Chloe and the more in danger she finds herself.

As Alice spends time in Paris dealing with her mother's depression and searching for more information on her family, she meets Paul, a lovely French boy who helps her in her research, and who seems to like her as much as she likes him. Her family's past continues to haunt her, however, and Alice desires answers to what happened to Adalyn and Chloe and why the family broke apart. Her quest may unravel that mystery, but it could also break up her own family and bring to light sordid collaboration. It is, however, a risk Alice needs to take to fully understand her grandmother.

Fans of historical fiction will appreciate this story. Alice is a conflicted teen, and she is driven by realistic emotions and desires. Adalyn is likewise relatable in the decisions she makes. This novel is perfect for a different teen perspective on the Second World War, one not at the front but rather of resistance in occupied territories.