In his melancholy World War II novel, The Barman of the Ritz, French writer Philippe Collin brings readers into the life of Frank Meier, longtime barman at the Petit Bar in the Ritz Paris hotel. Collin explores Frank's inner struggles relating to the complicated decisions he made during the war, and also gives a detailed inside look at the hotel's clientele--including a number of high-ranking German officers--during those difficult years.
Translated from the French by Frank Wynne, Collin's taut narrative takes place during the occupation of Paris, from the Nazis' 1940 conquering march into the city to their surrender to Allied forces in August 1944. Frank, meticulous in crafting cocktails and managing the particulars of his bar, hides his loneliness and worry behind an impeccably groomed facade. He makes sure his right-hand man, Georges, and their young apprentice, Luciano, maintain the high standards he has set for the Petit Bar. Privately, though, Frank is terrified: he has long hidden his Jewish heritage, and he is determined to protect his secret, along with that of Luciano (also a Jew) and Blanche, the American Jewish wife of Ritz manager Claude Auzello.
As the war drags on, Frank must maintain an elegant front for the German officers who patronize the Ritz bar, while also working with a clandestine network to secure forged papers for Jewish families to leave France. The unexpected appearance of Frank's son, Jean-Jacques, and his niece, Pauline, provides some surprise joy, but also adds another layer of worry. Night after night, Frank mixes drinks at the Ritz while navigating shifting alliances among his clients and colleagues; worrying that his fragile protections will collapse; and wondering if his choices make him an unofficial Resistance fighter or a collaborator with the Nazi regime.
Collin, known for his "Facing History" podcast, draws on extensive research into the lives of Frank and other historical characters, including well-known figures such as designer Coco Chanel; the hotel's senior staff, such as owner Marie-Louise Ritz and the Auzellos; and several prominent Nazi officers, whose patronage ensures the Ritz continues to flourish during the war. Readers also get a window into Frank's inner life through excerpts from his diary, where he muses on his past life, his tangled present, and the precarious future of Paris and the Ritz. As complex as one of Frank's signature cocktails, The Barman of the Ritz presents a multifaceted account of life under Nazi rule and a sensitive portrait of a man forced to make impossible choices. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Philippe Collin's melancholy novel takes readers deep into Nazi-occupied Paris through the eyes of Ritz bartender Frank Meier.