Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris
    Unavailable
    All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris
    Unavailable
    All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris
    Ebook527 pages9 hours

    All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris

    By Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz hotel.

    The heiress . . .
    The Resistance fighter . . .
    The widow . . .
    Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel

    France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz— the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.

    France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country—and the man—she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.

    France, 1964. For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart. . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 14, 2020
    ISBN9780062931115
    Author

    Beatriz Williams

    Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Beach at Summerly, Our Woman in Moscow, and The Summer Wives, as well as four other novels cowritten with Lauren Willig and Karen White. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.

    Read more from Beatriz Williams

    Related to All the Ways We Said Goodbye

    Related ebooks

    World War I Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jul 29, 2020

      Book Club
      1 min read

    • Article

      How I Demolished My Life

      Dec 28, 2021

      How I Demolished My Life
      11 min read

    • Article

      Q&A with Bonnie

      Apr 21, 2023

      ◗ Elizabeth Zott is a character we would all love to know or even become. Where did such a personality spring from? Fury! I started Lessons in Chemistry about seven years ago. I’d just come out of a meeting, irritated by some garden variety sexism, a

      6 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Apr 21, 2022

      It Happened to Me…
      8 min read

    • Article

      Ashleigh Bryant Phillips

      Jun 10, 2020

      Ashleigh Bryant Phillips
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Tim Lane

      Dec 8, 2021

      We stopped at the Topaz Internment Camp, where my wife’s family was held during World War II, near the tiny town of Delta, Utah. We found the apocalyptic remnants of one of our country’s great shames. The post A Year in Reading: Tim Lane appeared fi

      7 min read

    • Article

      Sadie: A Ghost Story

      Aug 4, 2017

      Sadie: A Ghost Story
      3 min read

    • Article

      I Ran Away From Home At 60!

      Feb 20, 2024

      Three decades ago, I celebrated my 30th birthday in the time-honoured tradition of all young people who think they are an adult but have no real idea about life, duty or personal responsibility – I got smashed. In fairness, I had quite a lot to get s

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • Article

      Meet the Writer

      May 27, 2023

      Meet the Writer
      4 min read

    • Article

      How Deep This Grief

      Aug 16, 2017

      How Deep This Grief
      9 min read

    • Article

      How Deep This Grief

      Aug 16, 2017

      IAN STANSEL is the author of the novel The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) and the short story collection Everybody’s Irish (FiveChapters, 2013), a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. He teac

      9 min read

    • Article

      Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep…

      Apr 14, 2023

      Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep…
      3 min read

    • Article

      Little House

      Jun 5, 2023

      On Monday nights our mother made popcorn and served it to us in mugs with milk poured over. My younger sister and I carried our mugs into the family room and ate the popcorn with spoons, like cereal. We were five and seven. Until we were allowed to s

      21 min read

    • Article

      The Afterdeath

      Sep 1, 2020

      The Afterdeath
      9 min read

    • Article

      In Dogs We Trust

      Jan 18, 2022

      In Dogs We Trust
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Wolf

      Nov 6, 2018

      The Wolf
      12 min read

    • Article

      Blood Oranges

      Jul 24, 2019

      Blood Oranges
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Girl Who Lived

      Dec 28, 2018

      The Girl Who Lived
      4 min read

    • Article

      Lockdown Stories

      Nov 13, 2020

      Lockdown Stories
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for All the Ways We Said Goodbye

    4/5

    107 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I have read books from all of these authors. They are famous for their time period books, which I am a fan of. This book is the perfect one for fans of time period stories as well as any of these authors. In the beginning I was drawn to Daisy's story the most but as I got to know the other women better, you could say that it was a tie by the end of the story. Each woman grew bolder and made their stories their own. With three different storylines, sometimes the transition between all of the storylines can be difficult but this was not the case. Each chapter switched between the three women's stories. It did not feel like a chapter just quickly was rushed just to change to the next one. Which in turn you can not tell which author wrote which story. All the Ways We Said Goodbye is a gorgeous time period tour de force read! I was instantly transported back in time and along for the journeys with Aurelie, Daisy, and Babs.
    • 5/5
      All the Ways We Said Goodbye, a triple timeline saga, is the third collaboration by authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (collectively known as Team W). All The Ways We Said Goodbye opens up in 1964 on an estate in Devonshire, England. Babs is still mourning the recent loss of her beloved husband Kit, who spent time in a prisoner of war camp in Germany during WWII. Babs receives a letter from an American lawyer whose father also fought in WWII and is now dying. He asks Babs’ to meet him at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to discuss La Fleur, a famous female French spy whom Kit knew, and who betrayed his father.Aurelie is a young French woman living with her mother at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1914 during WWI. Aurelie’s mother entertains German writers and philosophers in her salon, much to the dismay of Aurelie. When Aurelie leaves Paris to go to her father’s ancestral estate in the countryside, the German army is not soon behind, and they confiscate her family’s estate to make it their headquarters during the invasion. The Germans take over the town and force the townspeople into starvation and humiliation. Aurelie does her best to help her friends, even at risk to her own life.Daisy lives with her American-born grandmother at the Ritz Paris in 1942 during WWII. Daisy’s grandmother is part of the Resistance, and soon Daisy helps the cause by delivering messages hidden in books from the local bookstore.All these stories collide, and part of the fun is watching these three authors skillfully blend their storylines together to create one taut mystery. Who was La Fleur and what is her connection with all three women? The research that goes into all of Team W's books shows up on the pages here. I'd love to see their notes and photos for this one. I also appreciate their strong female characters, they all show great growth as they realize what they are capable of doing.Fans of Team W’s previous two books- The Forgotten Room and The Glass Ocean will enjoy the cameo appearances by characters from those two books (especially the annoying Prunella Schuyler) in this latest one. And if you liked Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, Anthony Doerr's All The Light We Couldn't See and Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow you will want to put this one on your to-be-read list. I highly recommend it, it is Team W's best book yet.
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful collaboration between three authors about WWI, WWII and 1964. The story features three strong women characters who live and survive through these turbulent times, Aurelie, Daisy and Babs. Their stories intertwine in several ways back and forth through time and though not every one has a happy ending they all do find love. This is historical fiction at it's very best. Well researched and well written I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Lucky me to have won this as an early reviewer on Good Reads.
    • 4/5
      Drew is an attorney from the USA. He is very interested in finding La Fleur, a resistance fighter and possibly a traitor. His investigation leads him to Kit. Kit has recently passed away. But his wife, Babs, is determined to find out about this mysterious woman which has haunted her marriage since the beginning.
This story is full of intrigue and mystery. I love the way the authors incorporate the different time periods. The fluctuations of the stories and how they meld together are very unique and creative. 
As usual, these three ladies have done a marvelous job. I enjoyed the secrets, the family history and of course the setting. It did slow down in places but I still found myself engrossed in the mystery of La Fleur. Who was she? Well, you must read this story to find out!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
    • 4/5
      It’s amazing how three authors could connect and make such a cohesive family saga that spans World War I, World War II and ends 1964. It’s the story of two French women whose courage made them an important part of the French Resistance, and an Englishwoman who comes to Paris in 1964 to find out about this woman her husband while he was in France during WWII. Lots of romance, courage and interesting characters who all have a deep connection with the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
    • 4/5
      I've been wanting to check out a book by this trio of authors for awhile now because I have enjoyed some of the solo efforts of writers Beatriz Williams and Karen White. I'm not sure how they broke down the writing duties for this one but I was really impressed how it felt like a cohesive story and not three different styles of writing. This might not make my list of top historical fiction reads but it certainly was a good story and I definitely recommend giving this one a look if you are a fan of any or all of the authors.This story alternates between different characters and timelines which I always enjoy although I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters near the beginning. Aurelie is an heiress living in France back in 1914 just as the war is breaking out. The German military has taken over her family's estate and despite being on different sides, she forms a friendship with one of the soldiers. Switching over to 1942, Daisy was raised by her grandmother at the Ritz in Paris. Her husband is a Nazi collaborator and Daisy secretly starts helping her grandmother's Resistance efforts. And finally there is Barbara, "Babs" Langford who is a widow after the recent death of her husband Kit. The year is 1964 and Babs has traveled to Paris to meet with an American lawyer who wants her help tracking down the identity of a Resistance fighter and perhaps traitor with the mysterious nickname "La Fleur". How do these 3 storylines connect? This isn't a book in which the main goal is have the reader super shocked at how everything ties together. You do have a fairly good idea of the general direction of the story way before it is all revealed. However, because the female characters are written as strong women, whether they necessarily realized it or not, you feel invested in them and want to see how everything plays out. And there actually did manage to be one or two small surprises along the way which was nice.As for my criticism of the novel, I thought Aurelie got lost in the shuffle a bit in the first half of the book. I had the most trouble remembering the things going on with her storyline compared to the other two characters. She became distinct in my mind eventually and was an important part of the story, but I really wish it hadn't taken quite so long to get there. I also wouldn't say this is the most memorable historical fiction book when compared to some of the other books about the war in that genre. A few touching moments here and there but I wasn't moved to tears like I have been with other World War 1 and 2 historical fiction novels. I enjoyed reading this book and liked how the story highlighted some of the Resistnace efforts by women but I wouldn't place this in the must read category. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
    • 5/5
      All the Ways We Said Goodbye is a wonderful work of historical fiction. Primarily about the three women, each in their own general timeline, this encompasses what is in everyone's lives, namely happiness, difficulties, and how those things align with what is generally considered historical events. So some mystery, some family intrigue, some romance, some basic drama, but not so much of any one that someone will be turned if you aren't a big fan of one of the genres.I enjoy chapters that alternate perspective and this one works very well for me. Usually the various narratives are from different perspectives on the same events, so it can get a little confusing if not done well. This one takes place along three different timelines which helps the reader avoid disorientation. Concurrent storylines often use shorter chapters so readers can quickly go from perspective to perspective. Here, the chapters are longer so the reader can become immersed in each woman's world. But the change from one to the next is not particularly difficult since there are few things that would cause confusion, with the possible exception of The Ritz itself. But overall the alternating chapters work very well.I will warn readers that this might not be for those who simply want "the story." By that I mean that some readers want to quickly move from scene to scene, event to event. This book immerses you in the details. They are part of each story while also, for those only interested in any overarching broad narrative, less important. For me, they make the book richer and far more textured. For some, they may well make it appear "drawn out" or "too detailed." We all have our preferences so just be aware this is a detail-rich triple immersion novel.I would recommend this to readers of historical fiction as well as those who like family saga style novels. While no book is perfect this one has very few flaws and what there is is minor.Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
    • 4/5
      The scope of this novel, with three intertwining stories covering two world wars, is vast but the authors manage to make each story-line come together and capture the spirit of different eras and women. Babs is a 1960s British widow who comes to Paris, and specifically the Ritz, to discover what her late husband might have with a French Resistance spy during WWII. Aurelie is the wealthy daughter of a French aristocratic family who finds herself behind enemy lines during the First World War and at odds with a German officer she knew in Paris before the conflict. Daisy, Aurelie's daughter, is a Parisian housewife in the 1940s who starts to work for the Resistance by delivering messages from a local bookshop. These three women each evoke different eras and personalities but they all manage to tell a seamless story of war, resistance, and love that's often just too good to put down.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. It is amazing to think that 3 amazing authors were all able to bring their ideas and it blended into a fabulous read. I liked all 3 timelines and the strong women in the book and the love they find in their lives. I also liked that while this book has parts that take place during the wars in Europe, it wasn't done in a sad overpowering way that some Historical Fiction books can be.