The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure is a novel set during World War II. The main character, Lucien Bernard, is an architect in Paris. During this time, architects took any jobs they could get. Lucien receives a job from Monsieur Manet, who is successful and extremely wealthy. Manet asks him to design factories, but little does Lucien know that he will also be asked to design a hiding place for Jews. While Lucien was initially against the idea, he eventually agrees and starts enjoying the challenge of designing hiding places that the Germans will not be able to find. He kept on designing hiding places, until one day, a hiding place was discovered by the Germans.
This was such a good book. I have read a lot of historical fiction, but I have never read a book from the perspective of an architect. This was such a unique idea. There is amazing character development, such as how Lucien goes from being scared of the Gestapo to someone who risks his life to help others. I enjoyed reading about Lucien and Pierre’s relationship, because Lucien got to be a father even though he thought he never would. I liked when the author included a chapter about a hiding place that Lucien was asked to design and then explained in the next chapter how the hiding place came to use and saved someone’s life. I do wish there was a little more elaboration at the end, but I’m still glad it was a hopeful ending. Overall, this was a great book.