The Paris Orphans

by Suzanne Kelman

Clutching her suitcase tightly to hide her trembling hands, Charlotte takes a steadying breath. This is the most dangerous thing she has ever done, but the lives of five innocent children are depending on her. I can do this…

Paris, 1943: As Charlotte rushes into the station, she can feel the unmistakeable chill of being watched. Turning her head, she catches the eye of a Nazi guard, and forces herself to slow down. Not today, please not today…

Reaching the platform, she sees her sisters Isabelle, Madeline, Antoinette and Gigi waiting with five children, fear etched onto their young faces. As she gets closer, Charlotte can see each child has a faded patch on their coat where a yellow star has been carefully unpicked.

Once she and the children are onboard, Charlotte turns and stares down at her sisters on the platform. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tries to imprint their beloved faces in her mind. And as the whistle blows, she presses her hand to the cold glass, murmuring a silent prayer that her sisters will be safe, and that they will all meet again…

As she turns her attention back to the children in her care, her heart breaks to see tears glistening in their eyes. Taking a deep breath, she promises that they will be safe, that she won’t let anything happen to them. But has Charlotte just made a promise she can’t possibly keep?

The prequel to the Paris Sisters series, this short story tells a tale of bravery and determination in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Historical, Fiction

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2024

About the author

Suzanne Kelman is an Amazon international bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Her books have sold over 475,000 copies worldwide and accumulated ten rights deals across eight territories.
Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture - an imprint for Hachette U.K.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, "The Rejected Writers' Book Club", published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, "Rejected Writers Take the Stage" and "The Rejected Writers' Christmas Wedding".

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.

As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, "Over My Dead Body", had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch - https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com

Reviews

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Courage is not the absence of fear; it's all about hearing it screaming in your ears, but doing the right thing regardless."

This prequel novella showcases the above quote in action. Charlotte Valette is the youngest daughter of a remarkable family who sought to make a difference in the fight to liberate the City of Lights.

Thanks to Kelman's wonderful ability to place her readers in the action, we are able to feel the palpable fear as Charlotte gathers the five children close, hoping the authorities don't notice the faded patch on their coat where a yellow star had been removed. I felt her anguish when she looked on the platform to see her four sisters standing there, not knowing if she'd ever see them again. I can't imagine the depth of bravery and determination such a young soul could possess.

This is a quick read that leaves the reader wanting more! Will they reach Montpellier safely without alerting the Nazis? It's a fantastic prequel to what will become a wonderful series featuring the 5 Valette sisters and their unwavering determination to protect their Jewish friends.

Kurt and Sophie's bear, Pierre Plushington held a special spot in my heart.

Interested? This book is FREE on Amazon.

I'm really looking forward to this series, starting with 'The Last Day in Paris' and Isabelle Valette's story.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paryžiaus našlaičiai 🕊

Labai patiko, tik gaila kad toks trumpas pasakojimas apie našlaičius ir nutrūko įdomiausioje vietoje. 😳
Na teks laukti tęsinio. 📔😊

[Carol Engler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prequel to the first book in this series.
Charlotte is transporting 5 young children of Jewish descent. It should have been a short trip to her aunts home in southern France. But one mistake changes everything.

[mnemosineirknygos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trumpa, bet įtempta kelionė į Paryžių

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the beginning of a really thrilling story! Unfortunately, this is not a short story, but more like the start of a novel! This book offers no conclusion, and this only teases the reader to buy the next book!! I actually feel a bit cheated. If I had known, I would never have bought it!

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by Suzanne Kelman. This is the shortest book is called “The Paris Orphans” by Suzanne Kelman. This Is my second book I’ve read by her and won’t be the last one. She’s a great writer and I am intrigued to continue reading the whole story after the prequel which introduces to the series called “The Paris Sisters”. You’ll get to know about a young woman, Charlotte is one of 5 sisters. Charlotte, who has been given guardianship over several orphans to take them from Paris to safety in the south of France. It is a heart-rending story of the children's losses and the fears they all face as they travel by train and have to interact with heartless Nazis. As a result, what is going to happen to her and the children under her care? You can decide.

[Shona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short, too many questions remain. Hope they are answered in the sequels

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I really love this author’s books. So realistic, your heart beats faster as you read while holding your breath. A brave young woman, one of five sisters, Charlotte takes with their parent’s permission, 5 children on a train ride. Thinking to take them out of the city away from the Gestapo’s as the children are Jewish away to safety. Children under twelve don’t need papers and she has her false identification papers with her. The train ride is long, and you can feel the fear pouring off the children as the German police are everywhere. Charlotte stays brave in the face of danger for the children’s sake and knows the trip is not much longer and they will be free of danger. When it’s discovered one of the children has a forbidden item and then she is betrayed by the one she thought she could trust who will she turn to and what will happen to the children? This is the prequel to the Paris Sisters series and ends in a cliff hanger, so I’ll need to continue reading it to find out what happens. I eagerly look forward to finding out what happens to the characters whose bravery shines.

[Chris Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't do book reviews

I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
This one however was too short. There is more to this story and the author could have expanded on it, shame, it could of been a five star book.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Story Effectively Sets Up Larger Series. This is one of those series introduction novella/ short story kind of tales where there is a touch of a semblance of a plot, but the larger target is introducing the world and the major players of the overall series. The ending is a bit abrupt and clearly designed to be picked back up at some later point in the series, but the larger emphasis is truly on establishing that there are several different sisters each with distinct interests and each hoping to be able to use those interests in particular ways in this particular setting.

Having now also read Book 1, The Last Day In Paris, it becomes clear that this particular tale isn't *as* critical, yet that one *does* have aspects that are revealed in this tale that would be missed if this tale is missed.

Overall a quick introduction to an intriguing series, and a fairly quick read to boot. Very much recommended.

[Dee Groocock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte is taking 5 young children away from Paris. It’s 1943, she needs to get them to Montpellier, on a train full of Nazi soldiers.

Can Charlotte keep the children safe and will they make it to Montpellier?

This is a prequel novella to The Last Day in Paris and the story held my attention well.

I could feel the stress and fear in all the children, as well as the worry from Charlotte.

Even though this is a novella, it packed a lot in and gave quite a punch.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving story

The Paris Orphans is about a young woman, Charlotte, who has been given guardianship over several orphans to take them from Paris to safety in the south of France. It is a heart-rending story of the children's losses and the fears they all face as they travel by train and have to interact with heartless Nazis.
This is an introduction to the series, and I recommend reading this story, realizing that this is only an introduction, and you have to continue with the next volume to see what happens next.

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it has an intriguing story line and held my interest. The characters were true to the plot. Would have rated it a five except that it wasn't the complete book, only a sample. Felt like I had gone to an old time movie with previews of coming attractions. Left me with mixed emotions, wanted more but afraid of another cliff hanger. Loved the author, disliked the marketing ploy.

[Christina Polychronis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed this short story and is enticing me to read more by this author. Felt the author was authentic in her writing and truly made me feel the seriousness of the situation they were in while on the train. Sad that actions such as those described in this story truly happened and we are able to read about them and understand the feelings and actions of those involved.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read as a lead-in to The Paris Sisters trilogy. A young woman has been given guardianship of 5 Jewish children so that she can hopefully take them out of danger from the war torn streets of Paris where they have already seen horrible things happening. They are traveling to visit family in Montpellier. FYI, this really ends on a cliff hanger so be prepared to purchase the next book in the series!! I had to.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost

I chose this rating because I loved this prequel or short partial story but I don't like the ending! It's not a true ending to a short story. This story is very gripping and sad in what happens to all the people in this storyline. Charlotte is very brave and so are all the children in her care. We must learn who to trust though!

[Kelsie Grady · Rating 3 out of 5]

keeps you on the edge of your seat…

In so few pages you are pulled into this story, you can’t put it down! The 3 star rating is due to the fact it doesn’t quite line up with the story told in the next book, but I hope another book will follow with the rest of this story. It’s one I’d definitely want to read!

[Reda Marozienė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Įdomus autorės pasirinkimas parašyti trumpą e-knygą, tarsi knygų serijos papildymą, tarsi bandymą suintriguoti skaitytojus. Knyga nutrūksta įdomiausioje vietoje, o tęsinys bus tik paskutinėje serijos knygoje.
Pats pasakojimas įdomus, nes paliečia vaikus ir jų išgyvenimus karo metu, bet pasakojama iš pagrindinės veikėjos Šarlotės perspektyvos, o ne iš vaikų pusės.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I have to wait the rest of this month to read the rest of this story!

I think the heart- wrenching part will be very obvious. Already worried for Charlotte and the children in her care. Sophie, Benjamin, Kurt and Rachel & Rebecca.

[Dee Bratcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frighteningly real

Wow. Such thorough descriptions, I felt like I was there on the train with Charlotte and the children.
Sights, emotions, even smells - excellent writing. I will definitely be waiting for the next part of this story.

[Myrtle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just a preview of a book for purchase. I am not sure if the next book in the series continues this character. For that reason I will not be interested in any more of the series as I would’ve liked to continue Charlotte’s story.

[Mary Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

short

This story was short and felt like it was unfinished. I enjoyed the story and wanted the read what happened but felt like it stopped midway through. I will definitely read the next one in the series to see what happens.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was enjoying this short story but extremely disappointed at the end because it left you hanging as to the ending. Of course they want you to read The Last Day in Paris which continues the story. Had I known that I wouldn’t have read it.

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short story, to set the stage for a six book series. The story starts with Charlotte, the youngest of five sisters, all members of the French Resistance during WW 2, shepherding a group of five Jewish children out of Paris before the city's occupation by the Germans.

[Suzanne Deery · Rating 3 out of 5]

confused

I thought this book would provide details of what happened to Charlotte and the orphans but everything was left hanging and the next 2 books don’t provide the details - so how did the story of the orphans end?

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breath taking

This was an amazing short story. The ending was so scary and sad I want to know more. It also teaches good lessons to always be careful because you never really know who your friends are, just because they are helpful doesn't always mean they are good.

[Jo Fouracre · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this series

This pre quel was fantastic it filled the gap where the children were taken by ca
Charlotte in three of the books in the series. If you haven’t read this book and have read the series you have to get it.

[Hope Gerhardstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story that is a good lead in to The Paris Sisters series. Well written. I could feel the tension and fear that Charlotte must have been feeling during intense moments. Ending leaves you wanting to read more to find out what happens to the children.

[Makenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won’t lie, I didn’t realize this was part of a larger standalone series, so I was mildly disappointed that it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. About halfway through is when I realized that it was gonna be a short story, but it was still good and held my attention.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping this novella would fill in some gaps about what happened after the twins left Paris and before they became separated, but unfortunately I’m still reading these books out of order and it has still left me wanting more!