The world we live in is confusing. At times it’s a beautiful, wondrous place filled with amazing books and infinite possibilities and other times…. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m enchanted by Paris. Certainly a part of that is dictated by the romance and myth that surrounds the city. Another part is because I’m an architecture, museum and art geek who loves to see what cities have to offer in that regard and Paris is like hitting the mother lode.

When I visited Paris a few years ago, I noticed there was something else that made Paris an amazing place: the people. My visit was punctuated by friendly, helpful and endearing individuals: the businessmen who helped and cheered me on as I figured out the door on the subway car (they don’t open automatically); the hotel concierge who never stopped giving me a warm, welcoming smile; the waitress who patiently taught me how to pronounce “chestnut” and a few other food words in French; the Disneyland Paris (don’t judge me) cast member who brightly exclaimed “Le magique du Disney!” as she retrieved something for me; the Eiffel Tower worker who gave me a wink and a salute as I tried to distance myself from a rowdy tourist group; the weary commuter who exchanged a compassionate glance with me while we were stuck on the Metro. None of them had to be even remotely as kind to me as they were, but they were and they showed me that they were denizens of a city housing compassionate individuals.

I’m not even remotely qualified to speak about the events that happened in Paris last weekend, or in other parts of the world over the past couple of weeks. Others who are arguably more qualified than I am have already written some impassioned pieces like this one and this one. There are hundreds more. The one that resonates with me the most is the Dalai Lama’s response as he insists that “we are one people,” but others may find resonance elsewhere.

My only hope is that the beleaguered commuters, the cheerful businessmen, friendly tourist-trap workers and everyone else in Paris be they natives, tourists or immigrants, finds their own peaceful way to navigate the “after.” My limited experience has shown me that Paris’s true strength is in its people, so here are a few selections that highlight that strength:

The Only Street In Paris: Life on the rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino

I started this book shortly before the events in Paris occurred. I wasn’t 100% sure I would be able to finish it and did take a break from it for a couple of days. Reading about the daily lives of the Montmartre neighborhood residents, whose lives, like those in every other neighborhood in Paris, have undoubtedly changed. But Sciolino drew me back in as she writes lovingly of the neighborhood, of its people, of its shops and traditions. She writes of the way life there is changing and of the anachronisms that remain. This book is more than a lively slice of life; it’s a love letter to the people of that neighborhood who have accepted Sciolino (an outsider) and embraced her into their way of life. I did finish this book and because the strength of the individuals and of the community as a whole was palpable, I was left with a resonating hope for Paris itself.

How to be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas

Longtime friends and native Parisians offer a modern, more authentic take on the Parisan style trends that float into the US. Using themselves as models, they show the reader how life, love, style and history are viewed by Parisians and they do so with wit, class, and a certain amount of self-deprecation that keeps this book down-to-earth, rather than becoming a lofty, wistful “maybe someday’ guide. Poignantly, they note that “The most famous Parisiennes are foreigners,” acknowledging “Yes, the Parisienne often comes from somewhere else. She wasn’t born in Paris, but she’s reborn there.” These four authors will help everyone who reads their book take a little bit of Paris with them everywhere.

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough

It’s usually a safe bet that a study by Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCullough will be a worthwhile read. This work examines how Paris has left such an indelible mark on America and Americans, having opened her city streets to the literary, cultural, intellectual and scientific expats who brought the American pioneering spirit across the Atlantic and brought back a sense of culture and finesse. Elizabeth Blackwell, James Fenimore Cooper, George P. A. Healy, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain and more sought refuge, knowledge, anonymity or camaraderie in the City of Light. McCullough demonstrates here how Paris has long been a place that opens its borders and is willing to share its treasures (both physical and intellectual) with the world.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

There are many books that capture Paris in the 1920s when Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Company was helping struggling artists and to attend a literary salon at Gertrude Stein’s 27 rue de Fleurus was the ambition of many  young writers. But Hemingway’s account is deeply personal and has shaped the way many view Paris with his immortal, titular quote: “If you are luck enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Hemingway can be petty and not everyone is fond of his sparse prose, but his impressions, particularly of the people are still memorable. Paris has begun purchasing the book en masse as an act of solidarity; according to the International Business Times, it’s temporarily sold out. In September, Booklist revisited the book noting that: “Indeed, Hemingway could be annoying, but he could also be poetic; such an articulate paean to Paris and the influential people he met there qualified A Moveable Feast as being worthy of rereading.”

Paris in Love by Eloisa James

The pseudonymous author of wildly popular and immensely clever Regency romance novels and a Shakespeare professor at Fordham University, decided to take a sabbatical and move her family to Paris. Highly recommended by fellow library blogger (also referred to pseudonymously as Arabella), this is another love letter to daily Parisian life as James discovers hidden museums, Parisian style triumphs and the joys of walking in the city. This book illuminates family life in Paris, highlighting the quirky and joyful moments of her time there.

There are so many more wonderful, loving memoirs, histories and stories about the strength of Paris and its people. I encourage you to seek them out or stop by the Library for recommendations. I will continue to read stories like this about Paris because they give me ample reason for hope. I hope to return to Paris sooner rather than later. I hope that the “after” Paris becomes stronger and more unified than the “before.” I hope that worldwide, we work at being more peaceful and compassionate. I hope that all of you, dear readers, stay safe and remain hopeful yourselves.