The Paris Apartment

The theft and destruction of art is only one of many crimes perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II. What impact do you think this loss has on individual families who cannot rightfully claim or recover property? What significance does the loss of art have on society today? Do you understand why many people risked their lives during WWII to save artworks?

Was Lia right or wrong to display Gabriel’s art in the exhibition without him knowing? What do you think convinced Gabriel to finally claim his work as his own?

Estelle had a very solitary childhood and adolescence, independent from her parents. Similarly, Lia lives a life separate from her immediate family. Do you think lifestyles follow families through generations?

Many Parisians who patronized the Ritz, including Coco Chanel, collaborated in some manner with the occupying Nazis. Were they right or wrong to do so? Do you think it was a matter of survival? Or do you think it was the opportunity to further themselves that some took advantage of?

Why do you think Sophie told Estelle about some of her personal life? How isolated do you think both Sophie and Estelle felt when they met each other? What do you think drove their partnership?

Many characters hide their identities throughout the novel. Sophie hides that she is British, the airmen hide that they are American and Canadian, and even Estelle hides that she speaks German. Are there identities and opinions that you hide in your daily life? Why do you feel the need to do so? Do you think that many Jewish people still feel like they should hide their faith today?

So many of the characters appreciate art and art history: Estelle, of course, because she grew up with valuable paintings, but also Gabriel and his grandfather because they create art, and even young Aviva who loves Degas’s ballerinas. Do you appreciate art? What kind and from what time period?

What does the attitude toward working women in the story tell us about gender norms in the 1930s and 1940s? Sophie’s fellow spy Gerard is arguably the most overtly sexist character but what other characters discriminate against women? Were you at all surprised by the lack of or amount of freedom these women were granted?

As Estelle became more and more invested in her work with the French Resistance, did you feel that she changed in any way? How were those changes apparent through her interactions with others? Do you think these changes would make it harder for her to have a successful relationship with Jerome?

Did you feel that Estelle’s violin was an important symbol in the book? How did Estelle feel about the damaged violin? Why did she keep it?

The historical WWII setting allows us to explore many themes such as race relations, political resistance, and struggling to survive. How are these themes relevant to current events today? Do you think there have been meaningful improvements since the 1930s and 1940s? Do you think there will be a future time when these issues will be resolved for most people?

Estelle and Sophie resist the Nazis in very different ways. Sophie reacts with anger and defiance, risking her life to spy for the Resistance. Estelle proceeds with calm and caution, avoiding extreme risks for the sake of Aviva and the airmen she hides. Which one do you admire or relate to or sympathize with more? Who is more heroic in your opinion?

Did the book give you a better understanding of life during the Nazi occupation in Paris? Did you know that the Nazis took over the Ritz Hotel during the war? Have you visited Paris? If not, would you like to go? And if so, what would you like to see while you are there?

Were you able to visualize the glamourous settings of Estelle’s apartment and Millbrook Hall in lifelike detail? Would you prefer a life in Estelle’s urban apartment or in Gabriel’s ancestral home? In a film adaptation of the book, what actors would you cast as Estelle, Sophie, Gabriel, and Lia?

Did you cry while reading this book? Which scene moved you the most? Which character’s fate would you say was the most tragic? What will you remember the most about The Paris Apartment?