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The Race for Paris

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The Race for Paris

August 2015

A couple of years ago, I watched Hemingway & Gellhorn on HBO and enjoyed the energy and drive that the well-known couple put into the chase to “get the story” during World War II. There was action, adventure, danger and commitment. Hearing that Meg Waite Clayton’s THE RACE FOR PARIS was set in Paris during the war and featured two female correspondents, I was eager to read it. And I am so glad I did. It is a look at the war from the perspective of those who were committed to sharing the action with the folks back home. And it is set in a time when journalism was a reporting art form, not the opinionated blasts that seem to permeate today’s news.

Jane is a reporter for the Nashville Banner, and Liv is a photographer for the Associated Press. They both covet finding the news --- and getting it out to the world. They see their roles as ones in whch their words can make a difference. They are bright, hungry, eager and push the limits on their safety and comfort to get their work reported on and sent on its way.

But being women, they hit brick walls as their Commanding Officer would be content for them to file from the troop outposts where none of the news is happening. Liv sees a way to go off the grid --- which is AWOL and punishable --- and persuades Jane to join her.

THE story to get: the Allies moving in to occupy Paris, and Liv has her husband, a prominent New York newspaperman, championing her to get the story. Unable to move around on their own, Liv enlists Fletcher, a British military photographer, to shepherd them. Wartime means that many social mores are stretched, and things that would be black and white fall into shades of gray. Clayton captures that brilliantly and bursts the story into full color with many textures as if lit up by a flashbulb.

One note: The book’s setup was a bit slow for me as I sorted out who was who and the various voices. But once I had that done, the pages flipped by and I finished it in an afternoon. It’s fitting that the book opens and closes at a photography exhibit in Paris where Liv’s work is being shown. Those viewing can see the pictures that chronicled what happened, but those who were in Normandy and Paris know a lot more than what is on those walls. Viewing those photos they see another story. I loved the way it ended. THE RACE FOR PARIS would be great for book groups as there is so much to discuss and share.

The Race for Paris
by Meg Waite Clayton

  • Publication Date: August 16, 2016
  • Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
  • ISBN-10: 0062354647
  • ISBN-13: 9780062354648