Former South Wales Argus chief feature writer Brian Jarman has published his sixth novel, Parisian Shadows, a historical work inspired by his time teaching in Paris during the 1970s.
Set against the backdrop of post-war France, the novel follows Steff, a young man from Aberystwyth who relocates to Paris. While settling into his new life, Steff discovers a decades-old photograph of two young girls in his attic—an image that sparks a personal investigation into long-buried family secrets. The photograph leads him to the revelation that his mother had a sister, Céleste, who mysteriously disappeared during World War II.
Driven by curiosity and a growing sense of unease, Steff confronts silence from older relatives and uncovers a deeper narrative involving the persecution of Jews in wartime Paris. His search ultimately intersects with the city’s hidden history of deportations and the lingering legacy of the Holocaust.
Speaking about the book, Jarman reflected on his time in France:
“When I was a teacher in France in the 1970s, I was astonished that so little was taught about the deportation of Jews from the country in the 1940s.”
His interest was reignited after reading Bad Faith by his late friend and fellow author Carmen Callil. That experience led him to delve into archival research and visits to Jewish memorials in Paris. One of the largest wartime round-ups of Jews occurred in the city’s 11th arrondissement—an area Jarman knows well and which, in more recent memory, was the site of the 2015 terrorist attacks that left hundreds dead and injured.
“Parisian Shadows was a book I had to write,” Jarman said. “It had that compelling element of hidden history on your doorstep.”
Originally from a farm in Wales, Jarman studied in London, Paris, and Cardiff. Alongside his career in journalism and education, he is also a publishing consultant and the author of five previous novels.
Parisian Shadows is published by Troubador Publishing and is available now.
