Schneider’s ‘beautiful’ historical novel goes to Penguin Michael Joseph in two-book deal

Penguin Michael Joseph has acquired The Paris Affair and one other novel by Fiona Schneider.

Editorial director Hannah Smith bought world all-language rights to two novels, from Rebecca Ritchie at A M Heath. The Paris Affair, “a beautiful, sweeping historical novel” will be published in summer 2024.

The Paris Affair is a dual-timeline novel set between 1940s Paris and 2002 Germany. The synopsis reads: “As the Second World War rages around them, Christoph and Sylvie are two star-crossed lovers determined to fight for their survival. But then one night, Sylvie disappears without a trace.

“Sixty years later, Christoph’s health and memories are fading, so his musical protégé, Julia, uses an old recipe book to re-capture Christoph’s mind. With each recipe, the memories of Sylvie begin to return to Christoph, so Julia makes it her mission to return to Paris and find the woman who disappeared. This is a story of survival, of long-lost love, and the importance of never giving up.”

Schneider said: “I’m over the moon that The Paris Affair is going to be published by Penguin Michael Joseph. The warmth, enthusiasm, and love for the book that radiated from Hannah Smith and her colleagues totally bowled me over. I could tell right away that Hannah was completely in tune with the book and it’s a dream come true to be working with her, and the incredible team at Penguin Michael Joseph. I’m also grateful to my amazing agent, Rebecca Ritchie, for her support in finding the book a perfect home.”

Smith said: “There are very few submissions that land in your inbox and from that very moment take your breath away, but with The Paris Affair I was immediately captivated by Fiona’s enchanting, emotional story. I knew this was a very special book, as it had all the ingredients I’d been looking for within the genre. The Parisian setting paired with the depth of character had me thinking of these characters long, long after the final page.”