She draws Paul and Lucie together, and I enjoyed seeing both Paul’s relationship with Lucie and his relationship with Josie develop. She is my favorite character because of her importance in the story. The characters are realistic and complex, especially Josie. Until Leaves Fall in Paris has a steady plot pace and is suspenseful, as Paul and Lucie are concerned about when America will get involved in the war, and the reader already knows what will happen. Paul, a businessman, and Lucie, an art lover, seem opposites, yet their talents complement each other. In addition, Until Leaves Fall in Paris emphasizes sacrificing for others and recognizing individual, God-given talents and how they work together.

What if didn’t have a choice either? (72) For example, Lucie attempts to understand Paul’s position and asks herself: This stood out to me because, no matter what he has done, Paul should be welcome at his church as the pastor points out, church is the best place for sinners.įurther, as Lucie considers her relationship with Paul and his Nazi “collaboration,” several statements made me pause. Paul, however, struggles more with his faith than Lucie does, as Paul and Josie are shunned at church because of Paul’s “collaboration” with the Nazis. Overall, Until Leaves Fall in Paris is a fairly quick and easy read, yet several points are thought-provoking.īoth Paul and Lucie are Christians, who, when faced with difficult decisions, look to God for guidance. The romance between Paul and Lucie is well-written, and I enjoyed Sundin’s vivid descriptions as well as the way that the title’s theme of leaves is worked throughout the novel.

Thus, both characters are working for the resistance but cannot tell each other. Lucie too aids the resistance by passing notes through the pages of the books in her shop. Everyone in the story, including Lucie, sees Paul as a Nazi “collaborator” because the Germans buy his vehicles, yet he uses his high standing with the Germans to pass along valuable information to the resistance. Lucie Girard, once a ballerina, buys her favorite bookstore after its Jewish owners were forced to flee Paris. In Paris, widower Paul Aubrey runs an automobile factory in addition to raising his four-year-old daughter, Josie. The introduction is intriguing the novel begins with two short chapters introducing both characters and then jumps forward a year. It is unique among Sundin’s novels that I have read in that the story takes place within German occupied France.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris is a romance that takes place during World War II.

Until leaves fall in paris review