Until Leaves Fall in Paris

In Sundin’s moving latest (after When Twilight Breaks), two Americans living in Nazi-occupied Paris fall in love, but struggle to trust each other with their involvement in anti-Nazi activism. Lucie Girard, a bohemian former ballerina, buys the bookstore of Jewish family friends who are fleeing the country and hides messages for the Resistance in her books. Widower Paul Aubrey runs a car assembly plant that builds vehicles for German civilian use, but Paul secretly sends intelligence about his German contacts to U.S. bureaucrats. When Paul visits Lucie’s bookstore, the two expats instantly connect, but Lucie is shocked after learning of Paul’s dealings with the Germans. Paul, meanwhile, is unaware of Lucie’s Resistance activities and must decide if he can trust her with his secret. Though Lucie and Paul’s Christian faith drives their anti-Nazi resistance, historical themes take precedence over Christian ones. Fast-paced and rich with historical detail, Sundin’s narrative captivates by leaning into the complexity of what it means to live by Christian principles in a morally compromised world. This potent synthesis of history, love, and faith will delight romance readers, religious and nonreligious alike. (Feb.)