This historical novel explores the human aspect of people affected by the war and others trying to bring solace decades after the war.

In 1990, Irene moves from France to Germany and obtains position at the International Tracing Service where French language was needed for a research project. Many people after the war were looking for a closure. People felt a deep, dark hole without any information of those missing. Thus, they wrote in hope of any information. Irene is to process those letters from French citizens.

She receives many letters, some accompanied by some objects. Her job is to try to find the family of the owner to whom a certain object belonged or hopefully find out what happened to a missing person. Her work involves making a lot of inquiries, and some of them raised certain ethical dilemmas. One of the letters she receives is accompanied by a piece of jewelry and the letter explains its story. And this story becomes one of the main threads.

As she tries to connect the stories together, she also reveals glimpses of her own life which are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the whole story.

The historical background brings to light the displaced people camps after the war and the dilemma of the stolen children – their adoption by theft and dilemma what was the right thing to do with them after the war. They were taken from their real parents during the war; some of them didn’t remember their real parents after the war. Was it right to be putting them through another heart-break and emotional confusion?

It also carries a theme of not asking questions. Should we persist when someone draws a line? When Irene applied for the work at ITS, she was welcomed by Eva, who was a Jewish girl growing up in Warsaw before the war. Eva put a distance with everyone, and Irene didn’t feel comfortable pushing the boundaries and asking certain questions. But after Eva’s death, Irene regretted not asking those questions as she felt she never truly got to know Eva.

It is a moving story presented with a beautiful prose and good pace. However, there are some prejudices presented in the story which are generalized. That’s something to keep in mind while reading.

Irene works for the International Tracking Service, and dedicates her life to tracking down the ancestors of persons who died in Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Ravensbruck concentration camps. The book's chapters are people's names who Irene works to connect dots between the living and the dead, most often through a trinket of some sort that survived the war. This was a novel approach to story telling from this horrific period in world history. I enjoyed the book and entering the people's stories.

This was a surprising and unexpected story about the Holocaust that I did not anticipate. This story is about a French woman named Irene who is working for the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Germany, helping to identify artifacts and last known effects of men, women, and children sent to death and labor camps during WWII.

Irene is a dedicated archivist who works tirelessly to identify objects from the camps and learn the stories of the people who left them behind. The clock is ticking as she finds living family members and helps to tell the stories of those who did and didn’t survive.

This is a beautifully written story about an area of post-war life I’ve never come across before. The story is new and riveting and a must read for all.

I received an early advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the English translation and it was so excellent. This book was an incredible journey. I was not as well read or as informed about the aftermath of the holocaust as I thought I was. I learned an immense amount of what people went through trying to find out what happened to their loved ones, and the author told it in such a fascinating way. The main character Irene goes through her career combing apart clues like a cold case detective to track down people and return their ancestor’s lost artifacts and share their stories of both murder and survival. This book seems to be incredibly well researched and was told in a stunning yet respectful way. Nothing is sensationalized but every detail was so carefully rendered to share the truth of what victims went through and how it has rippled through generations almost 100 years later. I cannot wait for this to be published so I can tell everyone I know to pick it up!

In the tradition of The Lost and The Postcard, a powerful novel of loss and restitution in and after wartime, like a detective novel in reverse.

When young French woman marries and moves to her German husband’s small hometown, Bad Arolsen, she finds a world where no one discusses what the locals did during the war. She has no idea that her life will be changed forever when she accepts a job at the secretive International Tracing Service—founded by the Allies at the end of WWII to help trace the fates of millions of wartime dead and displaced. Meticulous and conscientious, Irene quickly becomes obsessed with her work—at the cost of her personal life.


Thank you Netgalley, for the ARC copy of Bureau of Unknown Fate.

This is such a beautifully written book

I don't know where to begin.

I wasn't prepared for the emotion that overwhelmed me throughout this story. I found myself in tears more than once, and my heart aching for all the people in these stories. This book inspired so many feelings as I read; anger, hope, unbearable sadness...I think it might be one of the most beautiful books I've ever read that's connected to WWII. I've read a lot of WWII stories, and this one is such a unique perspective. Looking through the lens of an investigator trying to return lost items, reunite lost family, offer answers to loved ones about missing family or friends, and piecing together forgotten mysteries. I love the premise of preserving memories and stories of those that experienced unspeakable horrors in the camps.
Overall, this was one of the most beautiful books I've read this year and I am so honored that I got to read it.

Uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Beautiful story, I was sad to see the story end. I want to learn more about this.

I have read a lot of books on the holocaust, and this one stands at the top. I realize it's fiction, but it's written so well, it read like nonfiction. There were a lot of real places and references to real books that helped this illusion. I saw reviews that stated there was a lack of character development. But to me, that's what added to the illusion of nonfiction. Plus, perhaps there will be a sequel. The writer wove in and out of each story very consistently, and the writing is superb.

This would make an excellent series on tv.

The Bureau of Unknown Fates
By Gaelle Nohant
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Series: None
Rated: 4-5
Back of the Book: “When young French woman marries and moves to her German husband’s small hometown, Bad Arolsen, she finds a world where no one discusses what the locals did during the war. She has no idea that her life will be changed forever when she accepts a job at the secretive International Tracing Service—founded by the Allies at the end of WWII to help trace the fates of millions of wartime dead and displaced. Meticulous and conscientious, Irene quickly becomes obsessed with her work—at the cost of her personal life.

Years later, she is entrusted with returning thousands of confiscated objects, recovered from the liberated camps. Irène pieces together the identity of each object's rightful owner, in order to give the descendants of the victims something to remember their lost relatives by. A faded cloth doll, a medallion, an embroidered handkerchief . . . every object contains its secrets. During her research, Irène meets people who will inspire and guide her from Lublin to Warsaw, from Berlin to Paris, to discover a past that concerns her personally. In so doing, she glimpses humanity—at its worst, but also, its best—and looking for the dead, she finds the living.

Weaving together the trajectories of these individual lives with the collective memory of Europe, this devastatingly beautiful novel is suffused with wisdom and compassion.”

Impressions: This was an interesting perspective, and I enjoyed learning about European relations post war through this story. I think that is my favorite thing about historical fiction; you learn real facts intertwined in a story. There were political, moral, and faith ideas and comments that I did not agree with, but I could still appreciate the story. This was easy to read and had depth in the characters and storyline. It was definitely a book I won’t forget.

Quotes: “Sometimes I felt suffocated, I wanted my own life. It’s ironic, isn’t it? Now I have that life. Only it’s empty because my family aren’t here.”

“They had to reject their own powerlessness and ignore their fear. Freedom can reach through even the thickest walls, but only if you rise up to meet it. And once you start down that path, there’s no turning back.”


Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for the opportunity to review this book!

The Bureau of Unknown Fates
By Gaelle Nohant

This is the story of the search, post-World War II, for the identities of the millions of unknowns killed in the holocaust and of the families who have had no idea what has become of their loved ones.

Irene Martin is a French woman living in Germany and working for years for the International Tracing Service. The ITS has the difficult job of trying to identify and find survivors of the camps and to return to them any possessions (no matter their worth) which have been recovered. Or, as the years go by and many survivors have died, to reunite these articles with the loved ones of the deceased. Irene and her co-workers are investigators searching for clues to bring closure to people who have had none up till now.

This is a heartbreaking story with a cast of characters that will make you cry. But their persistence in the face of overwhelming odds will give you hope. There really are good people who will not let the millions be forgotten. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Bureau of Unknown Fates by Gaëlle Nohant ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Bureau of Unknown Fates by Gaëlle Nohant is a moving and beautifully written historical novel that explores memory, loss, and the enduring impact of war. From the first pages, I was captivated by Irène’s work uncovering the stories hidden behind ordinary objects and forgotten histories.

One of my favorite parts was seeing how each recovered item revealed a deeply personal story, creating an emotional connection across generations. The novel handles difficult subject matter with compassion and grace, and I found myself especially invested in Irène’s journey of discovery. This is a powerful and unforgettable read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction rich in emotion, history, and humanity.