I devoured this book! Talk about a roller coaster of emotions, this is quite the ride! Eva and her mother flee to the free zone in France, after her father is taken by the Nazis. She discovers her talents can be put to good use by the Resistance. What follows is a story of incredible courage, danger, love, loss, deceit, and self discovery. Many times along the way I found myself holding breath and clenching my jaw!! The ending wrecked me.

THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES
BY KRISTIN HARMEL

This book was very similar to a book I recently read and reviewed early called, "The Paris Children," by Gloria Goldreich." It also was about a woman fleeing Paris during occupied France to the Southern free zone to forge documents for children to be led across the mountains to be free in Switzerland. The only difference was in "The Paris Children," the children were to travel further to Pakistan. In this novel in the Author's Note she also drew much of her research on a book called, "Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life by Sarah Kaminsky among others. In "The Paris Children," Kaminsky is mentioned in the text as a character where one of the forgers in the resistance once worked besides to gain knowledge in how to forge documents. Both books are inspired by true stories and it is highly coincidental that I read both almost back to back.

This one was about an almost retired librarian living in Florida and one day as she is shelving books she spots an article where she sees a photograph of an 18th century religious book that goes on to say that there was much looting across Europe done by the Nazi's and she recognizes that the image in the article is the book of lost names that she hasn't seen in 65 years.

She was known back then as Eva who is earning her PhD when a young man named Joseph comes up to her in Paris warning her that the Nazi's are rounding up thousands of Jews and sending them to work camps. A couple of days later her father tells her that if anything happens he has paid his friend enough money for her and her mother to get false documents that will get them to safety in Switzerland. A few nights pass and that dreadful knock on the door comes and her father is arrested. Her and her mother visit that friend and he helps them but they go to Southern France where they stay. For the next year and a half Eva is involved in forging false documents for the masses until it is no longer safe to remain where they are. A priest had recruited Eva and she was first forging documents with a young man named Remy. Her mother never approved of the work Eva was doing. Her mother remains heartbroken over the loss of her husband Eva's father.

Eva had gone back to Paris within two days with Remy as her guide to Drancy to inquire about her father with fake paper's with a ruse to free him saying he was part Argentinian but when they arrived at Drancy they are told her father was already put on an eastward train bound for an extermination camp.

This was very much like "The Paris Children," also how many French gendarmes sold or traded the names of good French Jewish people doing important work who were betrayed by their own people. I thought this was also a well written story but felt as if I had read it already. This one was a little lighter as it had a happy ending.

Thank you to Net Galley, Kristin Harmel and Simon & Schuster Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

#TheBookOfLostNames #KristenHarmel #Simon&SchusterPublishing #NetGalley
THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES
BY KRISTIN HARMEL

This book was very similar to a book I recently read and reviewed early called, "The Paris Children," by Gloria Goldreich." It also was about a woman fleeing Paris during occupied France to the Southern free zone to forge documents for children to be led across the mountains to be free in Switzerland. The only difference was in "The Paris Children," the children were to travel further to Pakistan. In this novel in the Author's Note she also drew much of her research on a book called, "Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life by Sarah Kaminsky among others. In "The Paris Children," Kaminsky is mentioned in the text as a character where one of the forgers in the resistance once worked besides to gain knowledge in how to forge documents. Both books are inspired by true stories and it is highly coincidental that I read both almost back to back.

This one was about an almost retired librarian living in Florida and one day as she is shelving books she spots an article where she sees a photograph of an 18th century religious book that goes on to say that there was much looting across Europe done by the Nazi's and she recognizes that the image in the article is the book of lost names that she hasn't seen in 65 years.

She was known back then as Eva who is earning her PhD when a young man named Joseph comes up to her in Paris warning her that the Nazi's are rounding up thousands of Jews and sending them to work camps. A couple of days later her father tells her that if anything happens he has paid his friend enough money for her and her mother to get false documents that will get them to safety in Switzerland. A few nights pass and that dreadful knock on the door comes and her father is arrested. Her and her mother visit that friend and he helps them but they go to Southern France where they stay. For the next year and a half Eva is involved in forging false documents for the masses until it is no longer safe to remain where they are. A priest had recruited Eva and she was first forging documents with a young man named Remy. Her mother never approved of the work Eva was doing. Her mother remains heartbroken over the loss of her husband Eva's father.

Eva had gone back to Paris within two days with Remy as her guide to Drancy to inquire about her father with fake paper's with a ruse to free him saying he was part Argentinian but when they arrived at Drancy they are told her father was already put on an eastward train bound for an extermination camp.

This was very much like "The Paris Children," also how many French gendarmes sold or traded the names of good French Jewish people doing important work who were betrayed by their own people. I thought this was also a well written story but felt as if I had read it already. This one was a little lighter as it had a happy ending.

Thank you to Net Galley, Kristin Harmel and Simon & Schuster Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

#TheBookOfLostNames #KristenHarmel #Simon&SchusterPublishing #NetGalley
THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES
BY KRISTIN HARMEL

This book was very similar to a book I recently read and reviewed early called, "The Paris Children," by Gloria Goldreich." It also was about a woman fleeing Paris during occupied France to the Southern free zone to forge documents for children to be led across the mountains to be free in Switzerland. The only difference was in "The Paris Children," the children were to travel further to Pakistan. In this novel in the Author's Note she also drew much of her research on a book called, "Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life by Sarah Kaminsky among others. In "The Paris Children," Kaminsky is mentioned in the text as a character where one of the forgers in the resistance once worked besides to gain knowledge in how to forge documents. Both books are inspired by true stories and it is highly coincidental that I read both almost back to back.

This one was about an almost retired librarian living in Florida and one day as she is shelving books she spots an article where she sees a photograph of an 18th century religious book that goes on to say that there was much looting across Europe done by the Nazi's and she recognizes that the image in the article is the book of lost names that she hasn't seen in 65 years.

She was known back then as Eva who is earning her PhD when a young man named Joseph comes up to her in Paris warning her that the Nazi's are rounding up thousands of Jews and sending them to work camps. A couple of days later her father tells her that if anything happens he has paid his friend enough money for her and her mother to get false documents that will get them to safety in Switzerland. A few nights pass and that dreadful knock on the door comes and her father is arrested. Her and her mother visit that friend and he helps them but they go to Southern France where they stay. For the next year and a half Eva is involved in forging false documents for the masses until it is no longer safe to remain where they are. A priest had recruited Eva and she was first forging documents with a young man named Remy. Her mother never approved of the work Eva was doing. Her mother remains heartbroken over the loss of her husband Eva's father.

Eva had gone back to Paris within two days with Remy as her guide to Drancy to inquire about her father with fake paper's with a ruse to free him saying he was part Argentinian but when they arrived at Drancy they are told her father was already put on an eastward train bound for an extermination camp.

This was very much like "The Paris Children," also how many French gendarmes sold or traded the names of good French Jewish people doing important work who were betrayed by their own people. I thought this was also a well written story but felt as if I had read it already. This one was a little lighter as it had a happy ending.

Thank you to Net Galley, Kristin Harmel and Simon & Schuster Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

#TheBookOfLostNames #KristenHarmel #Simon&SchusterPublishing #NetGalley

Such a good book and well written!! It really conveys the love of books with the backdrop of the uncertainties of WWII...

Stunning, simply stunning! I am a fan of historical fiction, especially books set during World War 2, and The Book of Lost Names was impossible to put down. It is a book that touched my heart and soul; one that will haunt my thoughts for a long time. It is a book that I need to share with family and friends. I think The Book of Lost Names should be required reading for all high school students, and I think it would make a fabulous book discussion title. I can also picture it made into a movie. Well done, Kristin Harmel!

Inspired by true events, #thebookoflostnames is a story about forgers who helped save thousands of lives by creating documents that helped people escape to safety during the Nazi invasion of France. Hamel successfully creates storylines in dual timeframes, WWII and present day. She masterfully writes an engaging tale involving love, betrayal, courage, underground spy networks, and family. Highly recommend! #netgalley

3.5 for this book.
I always enjoy Kristin Harmel’s WWII books, the premise of this one was about Eva- a young girl escaping France with her mother helping others with forgery documents.
Very interesting to learn about and I was so deeply invested in these characters. I loved Eva. She’s a book lover so I loved her even more.
This book had a bit of everything- romance, family drama, history with a hint of mystery.
What I didn’t like was the ending- I felt like I was just left hanging. The story could have went on, there was more but it just abruptly ended. Also, through the middle there was a lot of repetition. Some more focus on the 2005 timeline would have nice too and with the son.
Overall, I enjoyed it and liked learning about this piece of the war I didn’t know much about.
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

A wonderful WWII historical fiction story. Eva is a young woman in occupied France who finds herself on the run with her mother after her father is arrested. She finds she has a knack for forgery after making forged identification papers for her mother and herself. This leads her to working with the resistance in helping thousands of children and resistance fighters, making forged documents to get them to safety.

This book has a bit of everything. A good story, believable characters, drama, romance and tragedy. Eva is a terrific character, she is risks her life repeatedly for others and loses nearly everything in the process. Her mother is a flawed character, grieving the loss of her past life and the uncertainty of what has happened to her husband. Remy the resistance fighter who helps Eva in the forgery process, and becomes Eva's love interest. The secondary characters are also well done and add to the story. I loved learning more about how the people of France fought back against the Germans even after they had lost the first part of the war and were occupied.

This book reminded me a lot of another WWII book I read last year with a female lead working against the Germans and the endings were even similar as well. I didn't give the book 5 stars once it was a little predictable and I liked to be surprised once in awhile. It was still a great read and if you are into WWII historical fiction, you'll love this one.

Once again, Ms Harmel has hit a home run with this WWII historical fiction!

We begin this story meeting an elderly librarian in Florida as she sees an image of a book that she has not seen in decades! The image and article is of a book that our librarian used to log the names of Jewish children that had been smuggled out of France. The story takes off from there...

The story is told in alternating timelines and it is easy to follow. When we are in our current time period, I kept thinking, "Let's get back to 1942/43". This was a wonderful book that kept me on the edge of my seat for a few days. I loved it and that is why I gave it 4 Stars! I did take 1 star away because I really would have liked to have focused more on the names of the children in present day. Perhaps that is her next book!!!!!

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

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.

This is an incredible 5 star read....
A WW2 fiction story based on true events that take place during this horrific time period. Eva Abrams suffers great family loss, and as a result joins the French resistance. She sacrifices everything as she becomes involved in the daunting task of saving children. Because so many of the children are too young to remember who they are, she devises a code and records the name of every child.
This is an amazing story of bravery and compassion. A story that you will not want to put down.

I am so very grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of publication.
My review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.
.

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 saw this book on bookstagram and knew I wanted to read it. I absolutely loved it. It drew me in and I didn't want to take a break. Definitely did not disappoint!

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.