I love a good WW2 novel, and this one did not disappoint. The story is about Eva, who travels outside of Paris after the roundups of Jewish people by the Nazis, and she gets swept up in a forgery system creating new identities so Jewish people can escape into Switzerland. The book goes back and forth between past and present in just the right amount. I prefer when the book spends most of the time in the past, so this was good!
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Eva was such a strong character. She goes through so many horrible things, so many traumas, and she has to sacrifice a lot. But she understands that these sacrifices are necessary to save lives, which is very brave! Eva's mom was kinda awful, but she had gone through her own trauma's so it was hard to hate her, even though I did not like how she treated Eva.
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I also thought it was such a cool idea to keep the real names of the Jewish children coded in the book! Overall this was such a great read and I highly recommend if you are a fan of The Nightingale.

Without a doubt, one of my top reads in 2020! Kristin Harmel is historical fiction as its best.

The Book of Lost names is a WW2 novel inspired by true events, and filled with immense amounts of heart, courage, dedication and struggle to overcome. Eva, the stories central character, is a young graduate student who is forced to flee Paris after the arrest of many Jewish people - including her father. Eva becomes involved in the resistance, in a remote mountain area of France, as a forger and helps hundreds of Jewish people flee to neutral Switzerland for safety. This story navigates trust, in ourselves but also in each other, it navigates betrayal in many forms, as well as repair whether it be between family, friends, or new loves. Working under immense pressure, and hoping to work towards a free France again, Eva and her counterparts in the resistance are fighting day in and day out.

I loved this book for several reasons, but some of the main reasons lie in the evocative language used to describe love that evolves in many forms for the characters, the narrative style used to depict Eva's past and present, as well as the accuracy of the fictional WW2 aspect.

When Eva speaks about her love for her parents, her love for her country, and love for others, the language used really transports you right into her heart and her mind. I felt excited, thrilled, scared and more when seeing the world through Eva's eyes - Kristin did a fantastic job here of using all the right language to connect with her readers in a very emotional way.

Second, I love the style of writing that flips between a characters past and present, swapping back and forth between chapters. One thing I really appreciated in this book was that the swapping back and forth was not happening too often - the book mostly existed in Eva's past, and every so often we got a glimpse back into her present to continue to give the book context. It kept the flow of the book very easy to follow, and allowed for me to dive right into the story of Eva's past without too much jerking back and forth between past and present.

Third, I very much value that Kristin does a great amount of research when writing her novels and ensures that the fictional aspect is spot on. When I did my own research (out of curiosity after learning things during this book!) I found a lot of information that was in line with the story's information. Kristin also offers historical texts to consult at the end of the novel, for anyone who is interested - something I found interesting!

Ultimately, I loved this book and would highly recommend to any historical fiction fans out there! WW2 is one of my personal favourite topics for historical fiction, and The Book of Lost Names is easily one of the best I have read. For anyone who is a fan of books like The Alice Network or The Lost Girls of Paris - you will love this one!

It is a definite 5 star book for me. :)
Thanks to #NetGalley for this #ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I flew through most of this book in a single sitting and then spent the last 10-15% absolutely sobbing, so that should give you a good indication of how much I loved this book.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and a book set during WW2 can hardly ever go wrong. This book started a bit slow but really picks up once the main character, Eva, is forced to flee Paris with her mother after the arrest of her father and the larger roundup of Jews by the Nazis. She finds eventual refuge in an underground network, forging documents for children who are being smuggled out of the country and into safety.

In general, the story reminded me a lot of The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, in regards to a female main character in France joining a network devoted to helping Jewish people escape and survive. I absolutely loved the occasional cuts to the present-day, as Eva, now well into her eighties, recognizes a book in a newspaper article that calls her back to the past. (And the ending! Ah! My favourite.) That's a framing device The Nightingale also uses, and I think it's a really clever move to keep readers engaged and curious to see what happens next.

Really, I just loved this novel a lot. Its characters were full and complex and it was heartbreaking to read at times, knowing the likely outcome of those taken away by Nazis. This was my first time reading a book by Kristin Harmel, though I've heard rave reviews for The Winemaker's Wife, and I am definitely going to dip into her backlist. Highly, highly recommend.

For me, this was a vast improvement over The Winemaker's Wife. A similar story but this one flowed much better for me. I enjoyed the characters and the history behind the story. Another win for me and I cannot wait for the next book.

“I would rather die knowing I tried to do the right thing than live knowing I had turned my back.”
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It was a World War 2 novel set in France that kickstarted my love of historical fiction, and Kristin Harm reminded me in this book why I love them so much.
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Eva is a French-born Jew living in Paris who manages to escape the roundup, and ultimately finds herself part of a resistance ring of forgers, people who made false documents to help Jewish children escape France and get to the safety of Switzerland. I have never read a novel about forgery during WW2 and I learnt so much. What these men and women did was so brave because they actively resisted while trying to make it easier for people to escape right under the Nazis noses. I loved Eva, Remy, and everyone else in the Resistance. I also liked the fact that Eva’s mom struggled with the fact that Eva was working to erase her identity and those of others, despite the dangers being Jewish presented. That being said, the tribute that was the Book of Lost Names in the book was absolutely beautiful. If you love WW2 fiction, France, books, or The Nightingale, this is the one for you.
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Thank you so much to @netgalley @simonschusterca @gallerybooks and @kristinharmel for this e-ARC. Grab yourself a copy when it hits shelves this July 21 💜

What a beautiful story! I read the 10 first chapters of this historical novel and it's already evoke strong emotions. The story goes between now (2005) and the 1940's with Eva living in Paris, as the main character. I'll continue my reading on the paper copy I'll buy myself when the book is released.

My thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Canada and Gallery Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in July 2020.

I absolutely loved this book. I have read (and loved) one of Kristin's previous novels, and this one did not disappoint either. It tells of Eva, a young Jewish woman living in France in the 1940s, who falls into life as a forger when she has to flee Paris for her safety. I found the storyline incredibly fascinating and action packed. Even though you know she lives, as the novel starts out in the 2000s, I was still on the edge of my seat for the last half of the novel, eager to see how she would get out of increasingly desperate and awful situations. I will definitely be purchasing this book once it is released. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves stories of resistance during WWII.

I was hooked on Kristin Harmel's books after reading The Room on rue Amelie last year. I absolutely adored this book, it was definitely in my top reads of the year. Earlier this month I read The Winemaker's Wife, which I also really loved. I was so delighted to see Harmel was releasing another book and even more so when I was provided an eARC.

This book is a lot of things; it's insightful, thought provoking, heartbreaking and emotional. It is evident thought the characters and details of the story line that research was essential to this book, to create a well-crafted, well-rounded book.

In historical fiction, which is a favourite genre of mine, although I do enjoy dual time lines, I much prefer the one of the past more. What I really grabbed me with this book was that there was only a handful of chapters in the present day (or 2005), versus war time. And at that they were spread out throughout the book. I really appreciated this aspect because it gave me time to really be immersed in the story without being distracted. I believe this really benefited the story because the present time wasn't used to rehash the story, but instead provided a beautiful wrap up and ending.

I love historical fiction because I always learn something. Although there are so many novels about WWII, each one is unique and draws out a new aspect. This one spotlights the document forgers of the french resistance. This group was many things, they were strong, determined, courageous and tenacious. I appreciated each character for who they were and what they brought. The writing as well was beautifully crafted and made this book so easy to fly through.

Yet another book I will be highly recommending. For those that love historical fiction and/or want to dip their toes in, this one is for you. I know I will be putting this on my list for getting a physical copy to enjoy again one day.

This book struck a note with me. It was well written showing true compassion for the people that lived through this horrible time.

Because of his book I read several others by the author. She did not disappoint me.

This latest chronicles the story of a skilled forger who risks her life to help hundreds of Jewish children escape the Nazis during World War 11. This unforgettable historical novel is inspired by an astonishing true story. “The Book of Lost Names” is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of evil. This is the story of Eva Traube, her story transitions between 2005 in Florida and France 1940 where the life of a young Polish-French changed for ever.

The dual time line is easy to follow, it is smoothly done. Mostly set during the war, of course there is a great deal about the French Resistance and the incredible important role the forgers had to play in order to save thousands of lives. We follow Eva’s journey into a world of inner working of networks and into Eva’s personal sacrifice. We also have a love story of two people which time is not on their side.

The writing is touching and much care is brought to each character making this one of the most engaging stories I have read in some time. Who to trust and who not to trust were on everyone’s mind and the author highlights the struggles Eva suffered to find the right balance. There is a lot to this story, so much humanity in the words, so much pain…In Eva`s clandestine group we will meet other forgers, a priest, a bookstore keeper, her landlady and her mother who plays an important role. These good people are just a drop of good people doing dangerous activities under the nose of the Nazis.….many of them will be betrayed and will never be seen again…

The author tells us although her story is based on true historical facts she took liberty to change place, names and modified events to give her more freedom to transport us into a heart-warming story that would stay with us after the closing page….This page-turner surely did for me. This is one novel I had a very hard time to put down. Well-done.

Wonderful! Great story. Set during WWII France, Eva`s life is impacted by the war, She has to make decisions that will not only impact her life but her mother`s and strangers as well. Who to trust, to befriend, to love, to worship is questioned not only by her mother but also by her conscience. Navigating through new surroundings, new acquaintances in a time when trusting the wrong person can put Eva`s life in danger, is hard enough yet she chooses to help others regardless. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is a book that reached the top of my recommended list of must read WWII historical fiction. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

In her latest historical fiction novel, Kristin Harmel takes readers to the fictional town of Aurignon, in unoccupied France, There, those citizens who felt that Germans would win the war, complied with the new Bosch "puppet" government. The patriots (who believed in Liberté, Égalité and Fraternité), helped fight the Germans, hoping the Allied forces would eventually come to end the war, once and for all. A young woman, Eva Traube, escaping occupied Paris, arrives in Aurignon, with her mother, and becomes involved in the underground, creating forged documents. Many of these false documents were for rescued children, whose parents were taken to concentration camps, leaving them alone with no documents. They were given new names (to hide their identity), so Eva, (in an effort to preserve their identity), together with her partner, devised a code, and recorded their new and old names, in an antique book.

Eva survived the War, and is living in Florida, and working in a library, when she sees a large article in the newspaper, about a Berlin library hoping to return books stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners. She sees her book pictured in the photo, and immediately decides to head to Berlin to reclaim #thebookoflostnames.She has another reason why she has dreamed of finding this book after so many years ....

The Book of Lost Names is a classic dual time line WW2 historical fiction, based on the heroic actions of the resistance of people in South Western France, combined with a tender love story. I enjoyed reading the book, and, the author's note at the end (always the best part!). Thank you #netgalley for the e-ARC in return for my honest review.

I'm not crying you are (the last few chapters had me crying and I still am). This book has made its way into my heart and has become one of my favourite books. I know that it'll stick with me for so long. People like Eva are heroes. Everyone who were brave during WWII were heroes. This book will touch your heart. This book has love, misunderstanding, bravery, sadness, and so much more. Kristin Harmel has done it again!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy of this amazing book.

As author Kristin Harmel so neatly says, "one of my favourite things about writing about the war [WW2] is that I'm able to dig deep into subjects many of us may not be familiar with." So true! There is a treasure trove of novels set during that time period, but only the ones that contain thorough and careful research - novels like "The Book of Lost Names" - stand out. I have read a great deal about the French Resistance, but I had never really considered the forgers and the incredibly important role they had to play in the war. I was captivated by the inner workings of their network from the beginning of Eva's journey into that world, and I stayed up late into the night along with her as she worked. And of course there is a love story - a beautiful story of two people whose lives are twisted again and again by fate, and by their choices to sacrifice for the greater good. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the book for an honest, unbiased review.

Wow. This book has left me speechless with tears in my eyes. This was so incredibly beautiful and haunting.

Eva is a Jewish girl living in Paris during the time of the German take over of France. Eva flees with her mother to escape the Nazis and start a new life in the free zone. On the way, she gets involved in the resistance and forges documents for innocent people to escape France to Switzerland. There are a lot of twists along the way and a lot of heartbreak.

Remy is a man who works with Eva during this time. All I can say is that Remy is an amazing character and he tore my heart out and then brought me back to life. The ending of this story shook me!!

This is such an interesting story of bravery and love. Eva is amazing! She is a hero. She lives all her life with regrets and her story is so sad. This is truly an unbelievable story. All of the people who helped the Jewish population during WW2 are heroes. It is heartbreaking thinking about what happened to people. This story opened my eyes to things I already knew, but took me there to really feel it in my heart.

Read this book. The author is amazing and this story in life changing. So beautiful and full of despair, yet hopeful in a way. The last few chapters will make you go insane. I LOVED this book!

Those "who realize that books are magic..... will have the very brightest lives". Forger Eva Traube devises a method to record the real names of Jewish children who have escaped the Nazi's in an 18th century book. Decades later the book is mentioned in the New York Times and she travels to Germany to be reunited with the book. This is the story of Eva, Remy and others who risked their lives so that others might flee to safety. A mesmerizing read. You won't want to put it down.

This book is simply wonderful. While I knew somebody had to forge the papers for people escaping I didn’t realize how dangerous of a job it was. This is a book of fiction but it covers a real topic of some of the numerous brave and honourable people that helped save thousands of children during WWII. The selfless chances they took, to ensure that people had realistic papers, was braver than those soldiers that fought the war. The story flowed smoothly from the past to present and back again without getting jumbled up. I really enjoy books that travel from one era to another. It gives a book depth and makes the story mor heartwarming. I loved Eva’s character immensely. She was not without flaws but this made her seem human and not just a character in a book. She was strong and brave and stood up for what she believed in, even when her own mother said she was useless. There is a good mixture of genres in this novel. The war story never gets old and I never tire of learning more about the resistance. I have read a couple of books by the author and he does a wonderful job of creating a scenario that you can visualize easily, feeling the bitterly cold wind and feeling the hunger pangs as you go another day without supper. Human interest, romance, war, family relationships and friendship and bit a few traits this novel has to offer. You will not be disappointed if you read this book. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book.

A time slip novel focused mostly on WW2 France. Although a fictional, it is based on events that took place - foragers, the French resistance, and the smuggling of people out of France. A beautifully woven story of the main character Eva remembering her short stint as a forager during WW2 when she recognizes the picture of a book in an article about hundreds of thousands of books that were looted by the Nazis, that Germans wish to return to original owners. The flow of the story was good and it was a fascinating read a fictionalized story based on real events.
Note: The book was an advance reading copy but the review is my own opinion.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is the story of Eva Traube, a young Jewish woman with a talent for forgery who, upon fleeing Paris after narrowly escaping capture by the Nazis, unintentionally finds herself at the centre of the clandestine world of the underground French Resistance.

I have always been fascinated with novels and history related to the French Resistance in WWII. The spirit and tenacity of these people to fight back in whatever ways they could in order to save the lives of strangers - at great risk to their own - never fails to fill me with awe and respect. I was drawn to the concept of this book as it adds a unique perspective to this genre, focusing on the lives of forgers in the resistance who helped to create the documents needed to smuggle thousands of Jewish people out of occupied France.

This one is a bit of a slow burn. If you like historical fiction because you have a genuine interest in the history, this is not a problem at all, as it was incredibly fascinating to learn about the innovative techniques they developed for forging the documents. If you are a lover of fast-paced plots, however, you might find it slower to get through, but it's worth the wait when the story starts to build towards its climax. When it does, it will have you experiencing the emotions - the fear, the tension, the love, and the loss - right along with the characters.

There were some characterizations and subplots/conflict in the novel that I struggled with - finding them hard to relate to or unnecessary, but it didn't detract from the main story.

There is also a love story that develops through this novel and I've seen some comment that romance in this genre is sometimes portrayed as "too fast" or unbelievable. I think we sometimes forget, though, that those were different times. Shared experience of trauma and survival can create deep immediate connections between people, something we don't fully grasp having not experienced it ourselves.

Reminiscent of The Nightingale and The Alice Network, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction about the French Resistance and are looking for a fresh take on this genre.

Thank you to Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for providing me this digital ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First off thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this book. Kristin is one of my favourite authors and I was thrilled to receive this ARC.
This book (like many of hers) captured me in a way lessons about a history in school never could. While this is fictional, these stories and people like Eva and Remy are very real. Reading about how the underground operated and how forgery worked hooked me, then a story about love (not only romantically) is beautifully entwined leaving you feeling that there is hope. And as a book fan, stories about old novels and library always capture my heart. If you’ve read any of Kristin’s books, if you like female lead stories about the war I encourage you to pick this up. It’s absolutely worth your time. Remember that you don’t have to be the biggest player in the game to make a difference.