I can’t begin to tell you the number of WW2 books I’ve read...so when one comes along that I start and don’t put down until I finish 3 hours later...we’ll that says a lot.

A captivating, truly refreshing book based on a true story. Eva’s talent for forgery helps her escape the Nazis in Paris and lands her in the middle of a group of French partisans who work to free thousands of adults and children through false identities and underground rescues.

Well written and moving, what I love most about this story is that it doesn’t dwell on (but doesn’t dismiss) all the typical literary tropes of WW2 novels. A must read for sure.

At first, I wasn't sure where this book was going, with an incredibly naive and gullible Jewish girl, and it didn't "feel" realistic. BUT....1/2 way through until the end, this book was un-put-down-able. The story line picked up dramatically, and I ended up loving this one!

Kristen Harmel has written an unforgettable book about World War II that will live forever in my heart. There are two timelines, Eva as a young woman in the 1940’s and Eva in 2005. It’s a story of immense courage and love during one of the most horrific times in the history of the world. The story of the Resistance in France is prominent when detailing the measures taken to forge false documents so many children could escape to neutral Switzerland. While identities were changed, the original names were encrypted in a book with a secret code. This is another great historical fiction written by a very talented author!

Eva is a Jewish girl living in Paris and working in the library during WWII. She has her whole life to look forward to until the Germans invade France. Then Eva and her parents start to worry.Eva and her mother are caring for two children in the next apartment when the Germans invade and take Tatuś away. Knowing that they will be back, Eva falsifies documents for her mother and herself and they flee to Aurignon. It is in Aurignon that Eva finds her purpose.
This story is wonderful. It embraces love and hope in the face of darkness. It shows sacrifice for the sake of the greater good. It explores relationships and loyalty. Above all it shows how one person can make a difference.
I loved this book. Kirstin Harmel is a wonderful writer and her books excite you and enlighten you on parts of history you may not of been aware.
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the advanced readers copy. The options are my own.

I have read several of Kristin Harmel's books and this is absolutely one of her best. She has such a gift for storytelling and pulls you right into her created world. This story follows Eva, a Jewish girl in Paris during WWII. Her father is taken during the Paris raids and she and her mother managed to escape to a small French town where she becomes a master forger of documents for others on the run. This book is gorgeous, heartbreaking, romantic, devastating, and thought-provoking. Harmel is not afraid to take on the hard stories or topics, and she treats them with such care and respect. I loved her author's note at the end about the origins of this story and it made me more excited to read The Winemaker's Wife, one of hers I have not gotten to quite yet. Do yourself a favor and read this beautiful story - you will not regret it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book - all opinions are my own.

Again, I have cried at the end of a Harmel book. The ending of this one was SO perfect I couldn't help shedding a few tears. I loved this book from the very beginning and didn't want to put it down. The way Harmel described how beautiful and powerful books were had me swooning. The story of forgery in WWII I had heard mentioned in other historical fiction books but I had never read a book just about it and it was very interesting. I appreciated the author's note about Harmel's research about it. I liked the present and past timelines and how it all came together. I never wanted the book to end.

While many books on WW2 exist, this book was unique in bringing to light the role of forgery during the war. Foragers played a critical role in helping Jews escape. The documents they created had to be foolproof. Furthermore, this novel brings to light the Jewish children who were rescued from the Nazis, their identities being changed to keep them alive.

This book furthered my knowledge of the intricacies involved with the underground system which saved thousands of Jewish lives. It was evident how much research the author combed through to write this wonderful novel.

Despite the predictability of the ending, I really enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it.

The Book of Lost Names solidifies Kristin Harmel's place as one of the top writers of historic fiction about strong women during WWII. I would give 10 stars to this book if I could. Her book is based on real people and she ties that in with comprehensive research and we have a chance to read a fantastic book that won't soon be forgotten.

Eva, a semi-retired librarian in her 80s is shelving books and sees a newspaper picture of a book that she immediately recognizes. It's a book that she hasn't seen in over 60 years and she refers to it as 'the book of lost names'. Much to her son's disapproval, she immediately books travel to Munich to see the real book. The German librarian who wrote the article discussed that many books had been taken back to Germany by the Nazis and he was trying to find the original owners. He also mentioned that there was some sort of code in the book and he had no idea what it was. But Eva knew what the code was - she had written those codes in that book during the war when she lived in France.

This is a book about love and war, friendship and family and endangering your own life to help other people. The characters are well written and the story line is intriguing. Plus I learned some history that I'd never known. I knew that children were sent to safe places without their parents but not about them changing their names or about the importance of forgeries during the war. This was a wonderful book and is now on my list of favorite books about strong women in WWII. Eva is a character that I won't soon forget.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was a great read. I will admit that I love WWII historical novels. I learn so much about the horrors and also the heros of war. This book was no different. I cheered Eva on, hoping always for the best. The bravery shown by so many during such a horrific time is astounding. Add this one to your TBR list! I am going to check out the author's other books!

This is a historical fiction masterpiece. For someone who doesn't run to every historical fiction book, I did indeed love this one! I love that it was flipping back and forth between the present and the 1940s. It kept me as a read so entertained and hanging on every word.

What a BEAUTIFUL story! After reading two of Harmel's books, I'm a definite fan. Eva is such a well-written character and an extremely brave person. Knowing how much research the author did and that this story was loosely based on true events makes the story that much more powerful. I loved the dual time lines and experiencing Eva's memory as she's in her late 80s and reflecting back on her time as a young girl in German-occupied France. Honestly, what I disliked the most was her mother, who was a pill to deal with the entire story. Eva's relationship with Remy was captivating, while her friendships with Genevieve and mon Clement were truly special. The ending was perfect.

I liked this book right up until the end. I thought the ending was a bit gimmacky. The story itself was a beautifully told story of the resistance against Hitler's regime. The coding of names and identities was interesting and their work in forgery was a story itself without mentioning the relationships that occurred.

Still, the ending was frustrating. Did they lose their sight? Why couldn't they find each other at their meeting place? It defied their characters' tenacity and determination. I loved the book until the ending.

This is an absolutely captivating book. I couldn’t put it down! The plot is engaging and the characters are lovely. I can’t wait to read more form this author.

I got 'The Winemaker's Wife' shortly after it came out, put it on my kindle and forgot about it since I had so many other titles to read. So Kristin Harmel was on my to-read list but I'd not read any of her work until. now.

The story of a student whose life is upended during the Nazi's occupation of France, it switches from the past to present tense seamlessly. After I started it, the author's talent as a storyteller kept me reading well into the wee hours. I found this book to be an extremely good read; my only issue was the very abrupt ending.

I will definitely read more of this author, starting with my own unread copy of 'The Winemaker's Wife'.

My thanks to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the eARC. in exchange for my review.

Eva was a young Jewish woman with a talent for forgery. Using her talent she helps hundreds of children escape german occupied France. Now, Eva is a semi-retired woman living in Florida with her past securely tucked away. But her past comes rushing to the present when she picks up a newspaper with a long lost book on the front page.

This book! Where do I even start? I absolutely loved this book and I could not put it down. The Book of Lost Names had every thing I love in a historical fiction novel, strong women, bravery, romance, adventure and family. I was crying sad and happy tears. If you like WWII fiction this book is a must read!

A special thank you to NetGalley & Gallery Books for my ARC! The Book of Lost Names will be available for sale July 21, 2020!

Did you ever read a book that when you finish you just have to close your eyes and adjust back to your own reality. This book had me so mesmerized and involved the story.
From the start of this book we meet Eva, a librarian in Florida who, while working one day sees a photo in a magazine of a book she hasn't seen in over 60 years. The article tells her it is being housed in a Berlin library while they try to track down the owner. Eva knows the book well, it is the Book of Lost Names. This book takes Eva back to her 20s and tells us her story of a graduate student, forced to flee Paris with her mother and fake identity papers she made in order to save their lives.
They make it to a small town in the free zone and the people there are more than they seem. Most of them are involved in a network of operations working in forgeries and accompanying Jewish people into Switzerland to save them. They recruit Eva to help them and that's when she meets Remy. Together they use the old religious text to track children's real names in code, in hopes that when the war is over they can use the information to connect them to their real families.
This book, inspired by a true story, had me emotionally attached to these characters and it shed light on the strength and hope that people had during WWII.
Thank you Netgalley Gallery Books and Kristin HARMEL for the chance to read this amazing book.

I always love historical fiction, and this was no exception. The Book of Lost Names tells the story of Eva, an evacuee of Paris during WWII. She finds herself in the middle of a resistance ring, and she becomes a forger of documents to help others escape to freedom. I fell in love with the characters in this book, the entire story was so well done, I highly recommend!

The Book of Lost Names is not just a book about the Nazi invasion of Europe. It is about what heroes of that time did to help others escape to freedom. Eva teams up with a group that is getting children to Switzerland where they can have a chance to live. I hope there is a sequel to this book.

I have read all of Kristin's books along with many other stories about WWII... The stories of what people endured and the courage and history that is brought to light is always fascinating. Its always interesting to learn the history with these imaginary characters especially in light of my own mothers escape from German as things were beginning to go south. The idea that this could not happen to us in our own countries and the rude awakening is often a painful memory. The characters and love story was a bit contrived and predictable but does serve to take away the real sting of the true horrors people survived during the war.

Wow how to even have the words to explain this beautiful book. I love reading WWII books, they don't all live up to expectations, but this one really blew me away.
I didn't love Eva at first, but how she adapted and changed during the war was really amazing. I couldn't stop reading this, I wanted to know what happened to her in both timelines. It was heartbreaking, yet beautiful, and I found myself racing through the pages.
It is still so heartbreaking to read about what was done to the Jews and many others during this time of horrible war. Kristin Harmel's writing flows easily and her little bits of hope sprinkled throughout is really lovely.
This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

If you like Kristin Hannah's 'The Nightingale' you will probably like this one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!