Book Review: "Last Christmas in Paris" by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
“Last Christmas in Paris” by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
Synopsis: August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.
But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…
Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?
Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…
Rating (out of 5): 4.25
Trigger Warnings: war, death, bombings, mustard gas, schmaltz
Review:
Honestly, when I saw the title and the cover, I thought this was just going to be a sentimental Christmas read (I read it for the Books and Marg book club, not of my own volition). Wow, was I wrong! In the best way possible. This is an epistolary novel told among friends living through World War I: Evelyn, a young and passionate British girl; her elder brother, Will, who left Oxford to go to the front in 1914; Will’s best friend, Tom, who is basically part of the family; and Alice, Evelyn’s impetuous friend. The book covers each of the years of World War I, starting with the boys’ enlisting in 1914, when they thought they would get home by Christmas.
For those that know history, you know that this is ultimately very (very) optimistic, and we live through World War I, as told in the letters between these folks and others in their lives. I was a British history major and I spent a lot of time and energy reading about war (thanks, senior thesis and my love of deep dive research), and I can say that this is an accurate and heart wrenching portrayal of what World War I was actually like. It is not an easy read in that regard; trust me when I say your heart will break when you see what these characters go through.
The heart of the book (see what I did there) is the evolving relationship between Evie and Tom. They were prolific correspondents, and you get to see their relationship change from friends to more as the book (and the war) progress. It seems so old-fashioned, especially in this era of instant communication and dating apps, but it was an amazing love story that didn’t feel at all contrived.
The book does bop between the war and Christmas 1968, when Tom is going for Christmas in Paris. As much as I am personally tired of this trope, I think there was supposed to be some sort of big reveal around why Thomas was in Paris alone, but I called that about 30 pages in. I’m not normally like Shannon - I don’t attempt to unravel a story as I go - but there wasn’t a ton of mystery about Evie and Tom ending up together, at least on my end. Why else would I be reading a packet of letters between the two of them?
Was it schmaltzy? Absolutely. Did I care? No, not really. This is a time of year that I think we are all a little bit more inclined to believe in magic and romance and love (that damn holiday sentimentality) , and this story definitely fit the bill. I fell a little bit in love with Tom, just as Evie did, and I felt the gut punch of emotions throughout the book as the realities of war set in for these babies (and they were babies - I can’t imagine going through all of this in my late teens and early twenties).
I know this recommendation is coming a little late in the holiday reading game, but it’s one you should pick up anytime of year (or maybe bookmark it for next Christmas); it’s so much more than just a holiday novel.
TL;DR: Be better than me, and don’t hesitate to pick this one up. Yes, it’s a love story remotely adjacent to the holiday season, but it’s also an incredible portrait of what World War I was actually like, both for those on the front lines and those at home.
If you liked this, try these:
“The Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (my favorite epistolary novel tbh)
“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn (one of my favorite reads!)
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