Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2025 *Starred Review* With arresting majesty, a huge, ornately wrought golden clock presides like a mechanical sun over this Parisian tale of urban growth, change, and renewal. Hung on the high glass-and-steel wall of the Gare d’Orsay, which opened in 1900, the clock remains a fixture as bustling train travelers in finely detailed period dress pass below—with many a small incident and encounter that reward close examination by readers. Years tick by, trains (as Fong explains in her afterword) become too long to fit, and the station is abandoned for decades to darkness and rubbish. But ultimately, flashlights pierce the gloom, crews of workers follow, and today the space shines once more, brightened and remade. Refurbished, the magnificent clock presides from its high perch over a “world-class art museum” as new crowds of visitors gather beneath to look up in wonder. Along with further historical background about the station and how it was narrowly saved from demolition, the back matter includes photos of the clock in its original and current settings. Overall, the riveting pictures will provide the main draw, but their creator’s terse, measured commentary invites readers to think longer thoughts about time’s passage and how past and present are linked. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.