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.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I started this book and read it until the end. Laughing and crying all the way. Compelling story, gripping characters and a different view from the usual WW2 tales now out. This small part of WW2 resistance was life changing for everyone, including the reader. The characters were insightful and well drawn. Am now looking forward to listening to the audio version, and re-reading this superb work.