Amidst World War II, work has dried up for architect Lucien Bernard when a wealthy factory owner approaches him with a commission - and a catch. In short order, Lucien finds himself designing factories for the Germans and secret hiding places for the Resistance. His wife, unaware of Lucien's work hiding Jews, labels him an architectural Mephistopheles, but ultimately Lucien must come to grips with the personal nature of the work he is doing - and the lives he is saving.
Charles Belfoure's The Paris Architect is beautifully written, with so many story threads all of which ultimately tie together perfectly. Moreover, this is a page turner. At times it feels more like a thriller - action, suspense, and so much hanging in the balance - than historical fiction. Belfoure's characters are multidimensional and inherently human. I truly cannot think of a single complaint or criticism, unless it's that I wasn't ready for the book to end.
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