The Book of Lost Names is a historical novel that chronicles one Jewish woman’s experiences in France during World War II. The book begins with Eva, an elderly American librarian, seeing an article in the newspaper about books that were taken by the Nazis during the war. Eva recognizes the book in the article as hers and heads to Berlin to reconnect with her past and the book of lost names. On her journey, she reflects on all of the events that occurred during those harrowing war-time years and her role in the resistance.

The book switches between the present and 1940s France when Eva and her mother are forced to flee Paris. They end up in a remote Parisian town where Eva joins the resistance as a forger creating documents for orphaned Jewish children that are fleeing to Switzerland.

As they witness the atrocities of war, Eva’s mother makes a startling comment that changes Eva’s life forever. “They are erasing us, and we are helping them.” Eva, worried about their identities being erased, uses a book to secretly record the real names of the children.

This is a captivating look at how one woman changed the lives of hundreds of young people. Eva is a complex protagonist who joins the resistance, despite her mother’s protests, and puts her own life on the line to help others. In the midst of war and rebellion, Eva falls in love, deals with her mother’s disapproval (and often abusive ire), and realizes what is most important to her.

The love story is a slow-burning piece of happiness and lightness in the middle of chaos and tragedy. Eva and Remy have a deep and profound connection, and those feelings never fade. Other relationships in the story are fascinating as well, including Ava’s complicated relationship with her mother, the unique friendship with an old school friend, and the family-like relationships among the members of the resistance.

I also like that the book examines the different ways in which people deal with pain, tragedy, and loss. Eva is a fighter. She pushes back and refuses to sit passively, especially when the people she cares about are in danger. Eva’s mother falls prey to bitterness, anger, and despair. Others in the resistance, like Remy, Pere Clement, Genevieve, and Madame Noirot fight for the future, offer support and sanctuary and remain vigilant in their optimism and surety.

The powerful messages made in this book, not just about the war but about people highlight universal themes. For example, Eva in the present is in her eighties and is very much underestimated. People disregard and discourage her because of her age. It is similar to her years in the resistance when she is underestimated because of her youth and gender. Messages about freedom, persecution, and the profound effect one’s actions have on others are other poignant messages throughout the story.

Though I generally liked the pacing of the novel, the ending felt a bit abrupt and predictable. There were some questions left unanswered in relation to the lost names, Remy, and Eva’s relationship with her son. I would have like to see more resolution and explanation in these instances. That being said, the ending was also emotional and moving. It was equally devastating and uplifting, and I didn’t want it to end. I wept copiously through the events of the last several chapters of the book. Furthermore, the rest of the story is so compelling and captivating, that it made up for the mediocre ending.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction set during World War II will enjoy this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

Eva Traube flees Paris with her mother after her father is taken by the Nazis. They end up in a small French village, planning to just stay the night on their way to Switzerland.
But when Eva is recruited into the Resistance as a forger, they end up staying and ultimately ends up staying and changing the course of her future.
I was sucked into this story from the first page and had a hard time putting the book down. The middle of the book does start to drag and I wished for more. But the ending didn't disappoint.
The author does an amazing job of combining historical fiction with an incredible heartbreaking plot.


Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a free advanced copy for this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Inspired by a true story, The Book of Lost Names tells the story of Eva Traube Abrams, who used her artistic skills to forge false papers for Jewish children who needed to escape the Nazi roundups during WWII.

Six decades later, Eva works as a librarian in Florida when she comes across a photograph of her book - The Book of Lost Names - along with an article about Nazi book looting during WWII. The book is now in the hands of a German librarian. After all these years, Eva must confront the horrors of her past.

This story is absolutely awe inspiring. I highly recommend this book to all readers. It shows so much perseverance during one of history's most horrific periods. The people who inspired this story, who worked behind the scenes to save the Jewish people escaping the Nazi roundups are true heroes and deserve to be remembered.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Kristin Harmel for the advanced copy of The Book of Lost Names in exchange for my honest review.

'Those who realize that books are magic will have the brightest lives.' #TheBookofLostNames begins with Eva Traube Abrams an octogenarian librarian spying an article containing a book that reawakens her past. As she travels to Berlin to reunite with herself, the past she shelved returns.

After her father's capture, she flees Paris with her mother. While preparing to leave for Switzerland, an unexpected encounter makes use of her artistic talents. Instead of crossing the boarder, she commences a perilous undertaking of forging papers to save children and aid the Resistance..

At odds with her mother, religion and self, she perseveres despite the danger. How will Eva justify her actions with her family whom never knew her bravery during the war? Will she give herself permission to live the life she always wanted?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review. In spite of the insurmountable obstacles, Eva's World II journey revealed her strength and compassion to save others. Although I had difficulty reconciling modern-day Eva with her courageous younger self, their lives are bound by the choices they made. You can't judge a book or people by their cover as inside contains secrets to what's been lost and found.

I enjoy getting lost in historical fiction novels and Kristin Harmel is one of my top favorite authors for this genre! Taking place in France during World War II, The Book of Lost Names follows Eva Traube Abrams as she finds herself as a part of the WWII Resistance as a forger. The storyline is brilliantly written and extremely original-Kristin Harmel does a fantastic job blending historical fiction and romance! I think the reason I always connect to Kristin’s novels is the fact that her characters are incredibly well-developed! The Book of Lost Names is a 5 star novel that will absolutely stay with you long after you finish reading! This moving novel would make a fantastic book club selection!

This was another captivating book by Kristin Harmel set in France during World War II. There was something about Eva's mom that drew me in and I think it was her attitude toward her daughter. As World War II books, seem to be on the rise lately, I felt we got a reaction that we normally do not read from women during this time. But her reaction is perfectly normal and I could see where she was coming from. I wish we would have gotten how she spent her days in the boarding house when Eva was locked away in the library at the church. I thought Ms. Harmel handled the religious aspects with grace. There was something comforting in the priest words. To the point that they remind of a line from Steel Magnolias, "God does not matter just as long as you show up." If I was grading this book, I would give it B+/A-. Some the characters outside Remy and Eva were a little two dimensional. I would have loved to see the "network" characters flushed out a bit more. Kinda like Ruta Sepetys, Ms. Harmel was able to find an aspect of the war that I had not read about even though I have read books about the French Resistance. I have so much more to say on the ending of the novel but then I would be spoiling it for other readers.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is an excellent historical fiction novel focussed on the latter years of WWII France and interweaves between 1942 Paris/Free Zone and current day.

We meet our Eva current day and also then learn more about her past and how she entered into the harrowing world of the Resistance within occupied France. An art student that finally finds her hidden talents in forgery and creating fake papers for fellow Jewish children and assisting in smuggling them to safe territories. Eva herself is Jewish and has had to flee from Paris with her mother. Eva is a smart, fiery, talented, strong, and passionately flawed young woman who happens to be the daughter of an arrested Polish Jew. She ends up selflessly and potentially sacrificing all that she has to help the groups of amazing souls that join together to help save everyone that they can from a certain death.

We get to meet a wonderful cast of characters that all come with their own strengths, losses, and weaknesses. I enjoyed meeting each and every one. I especially liked the character, Remy. Their chemistry and fire jumped off the page.

This book has it all: an amazing plot, wonderful and realistic characters that are just normal human beings being thrust into abnormal and difficult positions in an unbelievably horrific time. Yet, they rise above and help save others, putting themselves last. I actually was interested in the dynamics and rough relationship between Eva and her mother. One could say she was a barrage of negativity and depression, however I think it was more of a mechanism of instinct and survival. Every one of us has no clue how we would truly respond in such a circumstance. I also enjoyed learning more about the art of forgery, the way it was used, and also after further research, learning more about the Fibonacci sequence. I also truly loved the final ending. This book is so unique, and I love finding historical fiction that gives a new light from a different angle to the events that we thought we already knew.
I cried, my heart raced, my stomach did summersaults, and I also learned something in the process. The author gave is everything in this book: heroism, suspense, mystery, romance, sacrifice, love, friendship, loyalty, distrust, and survival all in one glorious book.

The best part was reading the Author’s note to find it was all based on real-life heroes that helped save their fellow men and women all the while risking their own lives and loved ones in the process. It is stunning and humbling to say the least.

A magnificent book by Ms. Harmel and one that is sure to be remembered and cherished. This is not the first book that I have read, and loved, from this this author, and it most certainly will not be the last.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I have several books on the French resistance in the last several months and have learned new things ever time which is true with this book also. I found this book a little lighter than the others, more of a romance and a witness to their faith in God, It was shorter than the other ones and much easier to read and enjoyed it more as not all the violence in the others. Like others I have read it is told from present time, remembering the past. It is more of a "fairy tale" style because even though many died there was some happy endings. Eva, a Jew, worked as a forger in Southern France for the resistance. She fell in love with Remy, a forger and Catholic. She had escaped from Paris with her mother after her father had been imprisoned. Her mother made her guilty about all that had happened. After being repeatedly told by others, she knows she couldn't control what happened. The title comes from the ancient Latin book in which Eva encoded every Jewish child's name with their real name so that at the end of the war they could find family. It was stolen by the Germans and never used but that it was found and in a newspaper that Eva began this journey of retelling.

Highly readable and engaging. I loved this take on what is often a worn out and overdone WWII fiction genre. Very much enjoyed reading this.

Harmel manages to combine historical fiction with a hopeless love story. She has created a beautiful, memorable heroine in Eva Traube a young French Jew who manages to fight the Nazis by forging documents that delivered Jewish children from France to Switzerland.

As she created forged documents, fearful that these young children would forget their true heritage, she kept careful, coded records in THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES. It is a weird coincidence that she finds the book during her work in a local Florida library.

Besides lost names, Eva was haunted by a lost love, Remy who worked with her in the French Resistance. Throughout this turbulent era, and eventual emigration to America, she has never forgotten him.

It is finding this book that brings her life full circle. This is a lovely novel that truly engaged me. There are many topics that I hope to discuss with my book club virtually (perhaps, one day in person). This was a terrific read and I thank Netgalley for this opportunity.

Historical fiction will always be my favorite genre, particularly novels set during WWII. Just when I think there isn't a new angle to take for one of these stories, along comes The Book of Lost Names, a story about the resistance, and not just the resistance but the forgers making the documents for the resistance. I have read stories about couriers but never about the actual forgers. I can not imagine having to make the decision to help people you know are being wronged and putting your life on the line day after day to help them, but there were actual real life people who did that and I love reading stories like these because they always help me to remember that ordinary people did extraordinary things during a time when there were such abhorrent things going down every minute of every day. I loved this particular story for bringing to light the things the forgers had to do, and of course for the beautiful loved story of Remy and Eva. The Book of Lost Names is my absolute favorite WWII novel I have read probably since The Nightingale. I will be recommended it to everyone I know.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book. I am absolutely fascinated when reading about WWII and the brave people of the resistance. This book was so good and I highly recommend it.

What an interesting book! Although I have read many books about life during WWII, I had never read, or though much about, forgers and their importance in the Resistance. This is my first novel by Kristen Harmel, and it was captivating.

This has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a while. With every book I read about WWII, I’m amazed at how brave people were. I hope, had I been alive during this time, that I would have been half as brave as the people I read about, whether they are fictional or real. Highly recommend this book!!!!

The Book Of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is one of the best WWII books I've read. Eva Traube Abrams is a 86 year old semi0-retired librarian in Florida In 2005 she finds a photo of a book she hasn't seen in over sixty years - The Book of Lost Names. The article in the magazine is about the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during WWII. A librarian in Berlin is trying to reunite books with their previous owners. The photo brings back a flood of memories and parts of her past she never shared with her husband or her son.

As she travels to Berlin, her story unfolds of a young woman who escaped from Paris in 1942, lived in Aurigon, and became one of the forgers to help hundreds of Jewish children escape to Switzerland. She worked with Remy and Padre Clement in a secret library at the Catholic church. She decided there must be a way to record the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. Remy knew a code and the names were recorded in an ancient religious book in the library. As they worked together Eva and Remy grew to love one another, but Remy felt compelled to do more with the resistance than forgery. He had a knowledge of chemistry/explosives which would aid the resistance. They vow to meet after the war on the steps of a library in Paris they visited as children. When she arrives in Berlin, she shared her story, and the code in the book, with the librarian. He encourages her to let her son know who she really is.

This is a story that touches every emotion. Anger at the Nazis for the horrible things they did to people, and at the one who betrayed the network of resistance workers. Compassion for the children whose parents were taken to camps and they were left along. Pride at the courage of the ones who worked to resist the Nazis and keep the children safe. Sadness at the cruel death of good people. Joy at reunions of people who were long thought dead. If you like historical fiction, this is a must read. I was allowed to read this on NetGalley. It is scheduled for release July 21, 2020.

The Book Of Lost Names is a beautifully written novel set in World War II times. The characters are so well developed and the story is very well told in a different perspective than most novels set in this era. This is a book you will not be able to put down once it is started. Highly recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

It is a story that takes place in France during world war 2. It is about a women who is good at forgery and helps save many Jewish children to get away from the Nazis.. it is fast reading and poignant

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a superb WWII historical fiction novel set in France that dealt with forgery. The main characters Eva and Remy operate a forgery cell in southern France that provides paperwork for Jewish children to escape into Switzerland. The two fall in love but due to timing, religion, and family they do not marry. Eva's mother seemed to be a selfish sort that laid out major guilt trips. I didn't really care for her character at all. This book made me think about religion as Eva developed a deep relationship with a Catholic priest who helps her to grow and love. A WWII novel wouldn't be compete without a double cross and this book has that too. Well researched and written!!! I will definitely keep reading novels by Kristin Harmel.

3.5 stars

“You are still you. You’ve just found the strength inside yourself that was there from the start.”

Eva, a young Jewish woman living in Paris during the Nazi occupation, is thrust into a life of forgery, secrets, and immense danger. Much like other historical fiction books set during WWII, such as Harmel’s own ‘Room on Rue Amelie’ and the beloved Kristin Hannah book ‘The Nightingale’, this is a story about bravery, selflessness, hope, honor, and love during the most frightening time in the 20th century.

When Harmel released the synopsis of this novel, I was immediately interested. I won’t say I was disappointed by the novel, but I will admit it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be. It starts and ends very strong, but the middle lacked a plot layered enough to hold my interest. The middle of the book is about forgery—only about forgery. I thought it needed more subplots and background activity. Day after day of Eva forging documents got dull and the threat of being discovered didn’t feel real until the end of the book. The ending was very emotional and saved the book for me. I flew through the last few chapters and at some points was so emotional I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. A book is extremely well written when it makes you feel that sort of intense emotion.

Overall, I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction and those who, like myself, are already fans of Kristin Harmel.

Octogenarian, Floridian, and part-time librarian; Eva Traube Abrams is many things including a former member of the French resistance during World War II who specialized in forging official documents. Born in Paris to Polish immigrants, Eva was a free citizen until 1942 when the Nazis began rounding up Jews and Eva’s father was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. Swiftly employing her artistic abilities to create new identities, Eva and her grieving mother flee to a small town in the Free Zone where they hope to cross the border into Switzerland. But soon Eva’s talent at forgery is discovered by an underground network of Catholic townspeople working to save Jewish children and they convince her to stay and make hundreds of false documents for their safe passage before the Nazis discover them. Several of Harmel’s recent historical fiction novels illuminate heartbreakingly real but forgotten stories from World War II, blended with a dash of suspense and romance, and The Book of Lost Names is no exception. Recommended for public libraries and fans of romantic historical fiction similar to All the Ways We Said Goodbye, by Beatriz Williams, et al.