The Paris Architect: A Novel

by Charles Belfoure

Overview

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

"A gripping page-turner...a riveting reminder of sacrifices made by history's most unlikely heroes." —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide

An extraordinary book about a gifted architect who reluctantly begins a secret life of resistance, devising ingenious hiding places for Jews in World War II Paris.

In 1942 Paris, architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money – and maybe get him killed. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it while World War II rages on. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist.

Soon Lucien is hiding more souls and saving lives. But when one of his hideouts fails horribly, and the problem of where to conceal a Jew becomes much more personal, and he can no longer ignore what's at stake.

Book clubs will pore over the questions Charles Belfoure raises about justice, resistance, and just how far we'll go to make things right.

Also by Charles Belfoure:

The Fallen Architect

House of Thieves

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402294150
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	07/15/2014
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	45,716
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Charles Belfoure is the nationally bestselling author of The Paris Architect. An architect by profession, he graduated from the Pratt Institute and Columbia University, and he taught at Pratt as well as Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. His area of specialty is historic preservation, and he has published several architectural histories, one of which won a Graham Foundation national grant for architectural research. He has been a freelance writer for The Baltimore Sun and The New York Times. He lives in Maryland. For more information, visit www.charlesbelfoure.com.

Editorial Reviews

"A terrific thriller, made all the better by our knowledge that stuff like this really happened." — Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Asks us to consider what we owe one another and just how far we will go to make things right." — Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Intriguing debut novel." — Christian Science Monitor

"Powerful and gripping." — Columbus Dispatch

"Smooth writing, fast-paced action, and description of Paris during World War II." — Historical Novel Society

"By combining his architectural background with his knowledge of Parisian culture and history, Belfoure tells an intriguing story about the people who risked their lives to save individuals who often had nothing to give in return except their gratitude." — Deseret News

"The Paris Architect perfectly mixes history and architecture into a novel of historical romance. This addictive page-turner flows from one dangerous situation to the next." — Midwest Book Review

"Belfoure manages not only to create an extremely interesting character in Lucien, but a complex tale that weaves together several plot strands. ... perfect for book clubs, particularly those that enjoy discussing the ethical implications of the characters’ actions." — The Reporter

"Wartime loyalties, architectural designs and novels are never as simple as they seem. Architect Belfoure explores the complex underside of all of these things in his first novel." — The New York Post

"Belfoure has a knack for designing a tale with high tension and deep conflict ... at the end of the story, the reader will be satisfied that some people—even the worst—may not be what they seem." — New York Journal of Books

"An engaging suspense novel." — Lancaster Newspapers

"Belfoure writes like an up-and-coming Ken Follett ... There’s plenty of detail to interest architecture buffs, too." — Booklist

"Belfoure’s characters are well-rounded and intricate. Heart, reluctant heroism, and art blend together in this spine-chilling page-turner." — Publishers Weekly

"Architect and debut author Belfoure’s portrayal of Vichy France is both disturbing and captivating, and his beautiful tale demonstrates that while human beings are capable of great atrocities, they have a capacity for tremendous acts of courage as well." — Library Journal

"In architect Belfoure’s fiction debut, the architectural and historical details are closely rendered ... A satisfyingly streamlined World War II thriller." — Kirkus Reviews

"A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the Second World War." — Malcolm Gladwell

"Charles Belfoure's historical thriller delivers the suspense of Schindler's List and the German-occupied Paris of Alan Furst in this tense tale of an architect hiding Jews from the Nazis." — Julie Kramer, author of Shunning Sarah and Stalking Susan

"A gripping page-turner... Charles Belfoure shines a light on the human heart — a complex maze of love, hope, and the yearning for redemption — and in doing so, provides a riveting reminder of sacrifices made by history's most unlikely heroes to triumph over evil." — Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide

"I love that in The Paris Architect, a mercenary, talented man's passion for his creative work leads him down moral roads he never could have envisioned. The ingenious hiding spaces and the people in them infiltrated my imagination for weeks. I dreamed about this novel." — Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers

"A vivid, suspenseful story which keeps you gripped to the very last page. Charles Belfoure writes with great warmth, conjuring up an intriguing cast of characters, and painting a fascinating picture of Paris under the Occupation, with all its contradictions – the opulence, and the fear." — Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier’s Wife

"All novelists are architects. But are all architects novelists? Charles Belfoure in his impressive debut seems to have brought usthe best of both worlds. Here is a novel to read alongside the latest Alan Furst. I hope there will be more." — Alan Cheuse, Novelist and NPR book commentator

From the Publisher

How far would you go to help a stranger? What would you risk? Would you trade your life for another’s in the name of what is right? Belfoure explores these questions and others in this debut novel set in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Lucien Bernard—who, like the book’s author, is an architect—is offered a large sum of money to outsmart the Gestapo by devising unique hiding places for Jews, though he knows that anyone caught helping them will be tortured and killed by the Germans. Danger is everywhere: Lucien’s mistress, Adele, a successful fashion designer, has an affair with a Gestapo colonel. Lucien's new assistant will betray him in a heartbeat. Offered a juicy German factory commission that involves working with a Nazi officer who admires architecture and art, Lucien’s web weaves more complexly. And when he falls in love with Adele’s assistant, rescues a child, and contacts some of the individuals he’s saved, the stakes grow higher and Lucien’s thoughts turn from money to vengeance. Seamlessly integrated architectural details add to the excitement. Belfoure’s characters are well-rounded and intricate. Heart, reluctant heroism, and art blend together in this spine-chilling page-turner. Agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

In 1942 Paris, architect Lucien Bernard hates the occupying Germans but feels no love for the Jews, who have been asked to surrender to authorities. Times are tough, though, and Lucien takes on a dangerous job designing hiding spots for Jews. While he's initially motivated by the challenge and the satisfaction of outsmarting the Germans, the job becomes unexpectedly personal when tragedy strikes an occupant in one of his designs. Lucien suddenly sees the plight of the Jews through new eyes, and as he begins believing in the importance of the mission, he realizes he's not only saving them, he's saving himself. VERDICT Architect and debut author Belfoure's portrayal of Vichy France is both disturbing and captivating, and his beautiful tale demonstrates that while human beings are capable of great atrocities, they have a capacity for tremendous acts of courage as well. Readers will root for Lucien as he risks his life and discovers strength and character he never knew he had. Some sensitive readers may take offense to characters' language and attitudes toward Jews.—Vicki Briner, City Coll. Lib., Fort Lauderdale, FL

Library Journal

During the Nazi occupation of Paris, an architect devises ingenious hiding places for Jews. In architect Belfoure's fiction debut, the architectural and historical details are closely rendered, while the characters are mostly sketchy stereotypes. Depraved Gestapo colonel Schlegal and his torturer lackeys and thuggish henchmen see their main goal as tracking down every last Jew in Paris who has not already been deported to a concentration camp. Meanwhile, Lucien, an opportunistic architect whose opportunities have evaporated since 1940, when the Germans marched into Paris, is desperate for a job--so desperate that when industrialist Manet calls upon him to devise a hiding place for a wealthy Jewish friend, he accepts, since Manet can also offer him a commission to design a factory. While performing his factory assignment (the facility will turn out armaments for the Reich), Lucien meets kindred spirit Herzog, a Wehrmacht officer with a keen appreciation of architectural engineering, who views capturing Jews as an ill-advised distraction from winning the war for Germany. The friendship makes Lucien's collaboration with the German war effort almost palatable--the money isn't that good. Bigger payouts come as Manet persuades a reluctant Lucien to keep designing hideouts. His inventive cubbyholes--a seamless door in an ornamental column, a staircase section with an undetectable opening, even a kitchen floor drain--all help Jews evade the ever-tightening net of Schlegal and his crew. However, the pressure on Lucien is mounting. A seemingly foolproof fireplace contained a disastrous fatal flaw. His closest associates--apprentice Alain and mistress Adele--prove to have connections to the Gestapo, and, at Manet's urging, Lucien has adopted a Jewish orphan, Pierre. The Resistance has taken him for short drives to warn him about the postwar consequences of collaboration, and his wife, Celeste, has left in disgust. Belfoure wastes no time prettying up his strictly workmanlike prose. As the tension increases, the most salient virtue of this effort--the expertly structured plot--emerges. A satisfyingly streamlined World War II thriller.

Kirkus Reviews