I'm almost ashamed to admit that this is my first book by Kristin Harmel, but definitely won't be my last. Historical fiction is my "comfort genre", a place to escape and learn, and this book definitely offered that in spades.

Eva Traube is thrown into the resistance movement in WWII, when she shows an affinity for forging documents, allowing for hundreds, if not thousands, of orphaned and displaced Jewish children to escape Nazi-occupied France safely. But her conscience is bothered by the idea that their new identities will effectively wipe out their histories, and hamper the ability to reconnect with loved ones once the war is over. As she and her fellow forgers develop a scheme to record the original names with an elaborate code, she becomes more deeply involved in the lives and paths of those she is helping. When trust is forsaken, though, she must make incredibly difficult decisions to save her life, and the lives of others around her.

Harmel's research into the resistance movement in France during WWII is clearly evident throughout the book, and I was thrilled to learn so much about the forgers and the important work that they did to save thousands of people from certain death. I found myself searching the internet for more details and stories, and might have disappeared down some rabbit holes in the process.

This book is told with two distinct timelines, one following Eva's work through the early 1940s, and then in 2005, when she is suddenly reminded of the work she had done, and the secrets she has held tightly for the past 60 years. While both storylines were compelling, I definitely favored the earlier timeline, and felt slightly disconnected from the older Eva.

I anticipate this book will be a strong favorite with many fans of historical fiction, and am grateful for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Thank you to Gallery Books, and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I recently read my first Kristin Harmel novel, The Sweetness of Forgetting, and quickly added more of her work to my TBR. When I heard she had a brand new book inspired by a true story coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy.

Eva hasn't seen The Book of Lost Names in sixty-five years, but she is about to embark on a journey to reunite with a book that holds so much history, the identities of thousands of young children, and hold a special place in Eva's heart. What she doesn't know if that this journey has the potential to change her life.

Rewind back to 1942, after her father's arrest, Eva and her mother are forced to flee their beloved Paris and everything they know, for a small town in the country. It is here where Eva will be begin to work undercover for the resistance, by forging documents for Jewish children set to flee to Switzerland. Eva struggles with erasing the identities of some of these young children who will never be able to remember who they are or where they came from, and so she teams up with fellow forger Remy to record the names of all these children in a book. Because of the danger of having these names recorded, the pair must come up with a code, one only the two of them are aware of.

At it's core, this is a story of bravery, human resilience, and the power of love. I was drawn into the powerful narrative from the very beginning. Not only did I enjoy this book for the plot line, but it was educational, it was thought-provoking, and it was heartbreaking. The structure really benefited the telling of this story, in that the present didn't interfere with the past. I commend Kristin Harmel for her excellent research and pulling together several different aspects of reality into a fictional story without betraying the authenticity of what really occurred. I found some of the character development to be underwhelming, but Eva and her mother both made this novel shine. Where The Book of Lost Names fell a little short for me was the ending. I cannot say too much without giving it away, but I struggled with it. While I imagine the majority to be satisfied, for me it just didn't seem plausible.

If you love historical fiction; books inspired by true events; WWII literature; are a fan of the author; and/or enjoyed The Nightingale, The Alice Network, or Sarah's Key then this is a book for you. I cannot wait to read more backlist titles from Kristin Harmel and as a fan of historical fiction she's definitely become an auto-buy author for me.

Content warnings: violence, grief, loss

Fascinating, heartwrenching, and exceptionally absorbing!

The Book of Lost Names is an evocative, beautifully written, touching tale set in France during WWII, as well present day, that takes you into the life of Eva Traube, a young Jewish woman who spent the majority of the war, to the detriment of herself and those she loved, using her artistic talents to help save as many lives as possible.

The prose is atmospheric, authentic, and insightful. The characters are vulnerable, brave, and strong. And the plot is a poignant tale of life, loss, love, deception, perseverance, survival, betrayal, sacrifice, courage, selflessness, the unimaginable horrors of war, and the important role of the Resistance in transporting people from the free zone in France to the safety of Switzerland.

Overall, The Book of Lost Names is a thought-provoking, immersive, moving tale by Harmel that does an incredible job of reminding us that millions of lives were lost, numerous aliases were given, but real names and true identities should never be forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WWII... France ... family secrets ...forgery ... a forbidden love story ... betrayal

This is the story of Eva, who escapes a roundup in Paris and finds herself in a small French town, helping the local community smuggle Jewish children, resistance fighters and allied soldiers out of France into Switzerland, by helping forge papers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story . It is a great tribute to those local heroes who fought against the Nazis in their own way, even with the threat of persecution hanging over their heads. . The forgery aspect was quite interesting for me as well- so many details to consider .
One thing I did not like - Eva’s mother’s constant nagging and basically blaming Eva for everything going wrong in their lives. Even if she redeemed herself in the end, she was just totally getting on my nerves .

what a great story!. The pace of the book is perfect, I kept wanting to turn the page and find out more. My heart was in my throat as Eva did some dangerous things. Sadness for those lost, elation for those saved, this book has everything good about the Resistance in France. <3
Thanks go to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC. this review is all my own.

Such a fantastic book. I actually read this fairly quickly because I was so into the story.

I do highly recommend it.

I loved this book!!! From the very beginning to the very end, I was hooked on this historical fiction and could not put it down. The main character Eva is a young Jewish woman who begins working for the resistance in France during WWII. The story alternates between then and Eva in present day 2005. The story was so engaging and well written. I felt the ups and downs along with the characters. I rated this book 5 stars out of 5. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy.

The Book of Lost Names is my second book by Kristin Harmel and like The Winemaker's Wife (which I read two weeks ago), it is set during WWII, uses two time frames and is inspired by a true story.

The focus of this story is set in France during WWII while the current-day time frame remains quite secondary. The older story line follows Eva, a young Parisian Jewish woman who suddenly finds herself (and her mother) in a small French village. There, Eva uses her artistic talents to help a small cell of the French Resistance by forging false documents to help hundreds of Jewish children escape to safety in Switzerland to avoid the Nazis.

It's an awesome premise, right? The setting of WWII is always an emotional one and the book starts out (and ends) strong but the tension and pacing slow dramatically in the middle as the story focuses more on Eva's day-to-day tasks as a forger. It's at this point that a lot of page time was given to rehashing the same arguments between Eva and her mother, whose constant complaints, belittling comments towards Eva and her obstinate behaviour quickly became tiresome. We see some growth in Eva but I can't honestly say I felt invested in her life and even with the subject matter and setting, I didn't feel emotionally connected to the story like I thought I would.

The Book of Lost Names had an intriguing premise, but I found it to be a predictable story that I was hoping would be more emotional. I'm hopeful that it may introduce readers to parts of history they knew nothing about and perhaps encourage them to learn more about the French Resistance. For those who enjoy learning about the human toll of war but with a lighter hand, The Book of Lost Names would be a great pick.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a complimentary eBook copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The characters and overall plot are typical of the genre and are very well written. I always enjoy the weaving of past and present storylines that historical fiction writers are so fond of. This one though fell a little short on the “present” storyline. I really liked our main character Eva and would have liked a little more of her present day life. This could have been achieved easily by editing out some of the “past” storyline which also conveniently brings us to the only thing I disliked about this book; Eva’s mother.

Mamusia is the reason I’m giving this book a lower rating than pretty much everyone else who’s read it. Her constant nagging and complaining was unbearable. It felt like a chore to read just about every scene she was in. Her character nearly ruined this story for me.

Just when I was starting to feel like this book was going to be a lost cause I read a line that opened the weepy flood gates. The tears started flowing and just kept coming up until the last page. In the end this slow burner’s powerful conclusion made it all worthwhile. Any fan of WW2 historical fiction will fall in love with Eva’s story. I am looking forward to reading more of Kristin Harmel’s work.

This is the newest release by the successful American author, whose last book was The Winemaker's Wife. This historical fiction novel tells the story of Eva, a young Jewish woman who escapes occupied Paris and becomes a successful document forger enabling many children to escape France into Switzerland. Hopeful of a time when they may be reunited with family members, their names were recorded in code in a book. Inspired by the lives of various women who risked everything to forge documents this is a great recommendation for fans of books such as The Nightingale or The Alice Network. It is an easy read (in spite of the subject matter) and has a nice bit of romance as well. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, Gallery Books and Kristin Harmel for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I have been getting more into historical fiction over the last couple of years and I think this may be one of my favourites! What an incredible story! I am always in awe of the acts of bravery and kindness people committed during war and trying times. This story is more proof of that!

The Second World War is full of so many heroes, and not all of them were in the front lines. Before reading this book it had never crossed my mind that there would have been people who forged documents in order for Jewish people to get to a safe place! This story follows Eva and her path to becoming one of the best forgers in France.

I love that this books flips back and forth a bit from more recent times (2005) to the time of the war. It helps build suspense, starts that list of questions in your head, and curiosity soars! The characters are incredible, the setting is perfect, and the emotion is very raw and real. I cannot even begin to imagine what the world was going through during these times so long ago.

Pick this book up. It is so good, I had a really hard time putting it down and it was definitely a “just one more chapter” book for me. Well worth your time!

Sixty years ago, Eva Traube created The Book of Lost Names, a way to keep track of the real identities of Jewish children she saved during the second world war. Years later, in 2005, the book makes a reappearance in Germany and Eva cannot believe her eyes thinking the book was lost forever. Now, Eva must revisit all the memories she had kept buried inside for years.
When I thought I had read enough historical fiction on World War II to believe I could not possibly be blown away, The Book of Lost Names completely took me by surprise. I was mesmerized, and I ended up learning a lot more about World War II than I expected. The Book of Lost Names focuses on Eva Traube, a young Jewish woman with an artistic talent who spends her time creating false documents in order to save Jewish people fleeing to Switzerland. Although the characters and plot are fictional, there is also a lot of historical accuracy woven into the text. The resistance used to forge papers to save Jewish people from persecution. People’s names and identities had to be altered, and the papers needed to be super convincing.
Not only did I learn a bit more history, I also loved the story and the characters. When I got to the last one hundred pages, my eyes darted across each sentence and my heart was pounding, I needed to know what happened! I grew so attached to the characters in such a short time, I just had to know if they were okay. I couldn’t put the book down until I got to the end of the last page.
I would recommend The Book of Lost Names to fans of historical fiction, and to those who thought (like me) that they can’t possibly read anything new about World War II.

I love reading about strong women from the past, not just during the war but anytime. This book takes place during WW2 along with a few chapters in current time (but with no pandemic). There are a number of books that portray spies, those that infiltrate inner circles of the enemy, Book of Lost Names takes on a different view. Eva forges documents to help children escape Nazi terror, to keep them safe, and give them a future. No spoiler, the blurb says that. The process was intriguing, learning some of the tricks of the trade, educational and the risks was compelling.

This book is a story of Eva, her desire to not sit by but use her talents to help thousands of children escape France. It's a realistic look at the times, to feel the heartache of what the citizens of France endured. Eva's mother is with her, I really felt for her. Her fear and confusion shine through, she ages so much that I can’t imagine what she is going through. The fear of what was happening, what the future holds when they planned, and work so hard for the life they had and then taken away like that with just the clothes on their backs. Great character development!

Eva's passion to remember these children, to record them with the hope of reuniting families is evident and commendable. Whether that book actually exists, I'd like to believe it does. The author notes highlight facts of the time, the forgers, and sadly how many families were ripped apart.

Kristin Harmel has written a number of books now taking place during WW2 (this is my 2nd), her knowledge of the time shines through. This is a book and author I recommend.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a time when a country tries to wipe out and erase thousands of people into non-existence, documenting those names to forge a connection with their identities so they never forget who they are or where they come from becomes significantly important. 10/10 would recommend this story.

"The Book of Lost Names" by Kristin Harmel is a fascinating tale that will astound and awe audiences, filling them at once with terror for the harm done to countless innocent people and pride for those who risked their lives to create a significant change in the cruel, merciless, and unjust world they found themselves living in.

There is so much that took place during World War II that hardly ever gets spoken about, and forging identity documents is one of them. Harmel sheds a light on the incredible bravery of those who risked their lives to help Jewish people flee concentration camps, execution, and other equally horrifying fates. In this tale, Harmel recognizes the courage of not just the soldiers who fought in the war, but the more subtle and just as important freedom fighters who gave up their own rights to safety to ensure the future and survival of so many others.

The novel follows Eva Traube Abrams in two periods of her life. It starts off in the twenty-first century with Eva as a librarian who comes across a magazine showcasing a book she hasn't seen in over sixty years: the Book of Lost Names. A book that had disappeared during the war and held important information that could've jeopardized many lives if it fell into the wrong hands. The story then switches to Eva's younger years during the war, explaining her personal experience during those brutal times and the personal connection she has to the Book of Lost Names and those who helped her to create it. Eva's re-telling of her past explains the complex system of forging documents and fighting back against the Germans, as well as the devastating consequences the war caused on families and loved ones and the heartbreaking loss of so many cherished people.

This is a beautiful but incredibly sorrowful novel that Harmel has done an indescribably phenomenal job of writing. The events that took place were not overdramatized or exaggerated but handled with immense respect toward the experiences real-life forgers and fleeing Jews had to face during the war. Harmel's writing is so vivid and rich in detail and emotion that it is impossible not to be affected when reading such an important and devastatingly tragic novel.

"The Book of Lost Names" is a book that is going to stick with me for a long, long time. Thank you Kristin Harmel for writing an important story of fighting against those who wish to erase the existence and identity of those who every right to be proud of their names and where they come from. The expected publication date is July 21, 2020. Look for this book when it's out and give it a read!

A big thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with the opportunity to read an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I think it's safe to say that I am officially a Kristin Harmel fan! After reading The Wine Maker's Wife a while back and rating it five stars, I was so excited to receive this book from Netgalley. I expected great things from it, and it delivered. Kristin's writing style is fabulous and she told a beautiful story. It was clear that she researched her topics very well before she writes about them.

This book was told in dual timelines and I really liked this. The war time plot line was much more dominant and really allowed me to immerse myself in the story. The other timeline, which took place in 2005, was there to give a little extra to the story and it also helped provide a beautiful ending.

The book told the story of a group of document forgers from the French resistance during the time of World War ll, when German soldiers were taking over and holding Jews hostage. The group was forging documents to get people safely across the border to Switzerland where they could be free. This story was heart breaking at times but the characters were so strong. I've found a new love of historical fiction and I really enjoyed this one. I need to go back and read Harmel's earlier novels because I'm sure they are just as great!

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book to read!

Being remembered by your given name is important. In this book the relevance of this is shown . Eva the main character understood the need to document the real names of the children who fled because of persecution from the Germans. Her ability to forge documents aided in many children being able to escape the brutal Nazi regime and have a future. Eva’s other story in this book is one of a love and survival . An interesting historical read about working the Resistance during the Second World War. The book has some tense moments but for the most part is a fairly tame read about a gruesome time in history.

Such an interesting an informative book. I must admit that I have almost had my fill of WW2 books. They are almost all good but they lay heavy on the heart.

I picked up this one because of the author, I have really enjoyed her previous books. There is no point summarizing the plot, that has already been done.

Dual time lines, war times and very minimally present day. Eva is the main protagonist. A strong, intelligent and extremely brave woman.

It amazes me that the better part of a village can consist of good people trying to help persecuted Jews escape to a safe zone. This done in a cloud of secrecy to protect themselves. They showed kindness and compassion in the face evil. And people who suffered show a resilience that is hard to believe.

The horrors of war are foreign to most of us. The inherent evil that exists is so hard accept. Books like this will ensure that the suffering of innocent people is never forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for a review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I love a good WW2 novel, and this one did not disappoint. The story is about Eva, who travels outside of Paris after the roundups of Jewish people by the Nazis, and she gets swept up in a forgery system creating new identities so Jewish people can escape into Switzerland. The book goes back and forth between past and present in just the right amount. I prefer when the book spends most of the time in the past, so this was good!
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Eva was such a strong character. She goes through so many horrible things, so many traumas, and she has to sacrifice a lot. But she understands that these sacrifices are necessary to save lives, which is very brave! Eva's mom was kinda awful, but she had gone through her own trauma's so it was hard to hate her, even though I did not like how she treated Eva.
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I also thought it was such a cool idea to keep the real names of the Jewish children coded in the book! Overall this was such a great read and I highly recommend if you are a fan of The Nightingale.

Without a doubt, one of my top reads in 2020! Kristin Harmel is historical fiction as its best.

The Book of Lost names is a WW2 novel inspired by true events, and filled with immense amounts of heart, courage, dedication and struggle to overcome. Eva, the stories central character, is a young graduate student who is forced to flee Paris after the arrest of many Jewish people - including her father. Eva becomes involved in the resistance, in a remote mountain area of France, as a forger and helps hundreds of Jewish people flee to neutral Switzerland for safety. This story navigates trust, in ourselves but also in each other, it navigates betrayal in many forms, as well as repair whether it be between family, friends, or new loves. Working under immense pressure, and hoping to work towards a free France again, Eva and her counterparts in the resistance are fighting day in and day out.

I loved this book for several reasons, but some of the main reasons lie in the evocative language used to describe love that evolves in many forms for the characters, the narrative style used to depict Eva's past and present, as well as the accuracy of the fictional WW2 aspect.

When Eva speaks about her love for her parents, her love for her country, and love for others, the language used really transports you right into her heart and her mind. I felt excited, thrilled, scared and more when seeing the world through Eva's eyes - Kristin did a fantastic job here of using all the right language to connect with her readers in a very emotional way.

Second, I love the style of writing that flips between a characters past and present, swapping back and forth between chapters. One thing I really appreciated in this book was that the swapping back and forth was not happening too often - the book mostly existed in Eva's past, and every so often we got a glimpse back into her present to continue to give the book context. It kept the flow of the book very easy to follow, and allowed for me to dive right into the story of Eva's past without too much jerking back and forth between past and present.

Third, I very much value that Kristin does a great amount of research when writing her novels and ensures that the fictional aspect is spot on. When I did my own research (out of curiosity after learning things during this book!) I found a lot of information that was in line with the story's information. Kristin also offers historical texts to consult at the end of the novel, for anyone who is interested - something I found interesting!

Ultimately, I loved this book and would highly recommend to any historical fiction fans out there! WW2 is one of my personal favourite topics for historical fiction, and The Book of Lost Names is easily one of the best I have read. For anyone who is a fan of books like The Alice Network or The Lost Girls of Paris - you will love this one!

It is a definite 5 star book for me. :)
Thanks to #NetGalley for this #ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I flew through most of this book in a single sitting and then spent the last 10-15% absolutely sobbing, so that should give you a good indication of how much I loved this book.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and a book set during WW2 can hardly ever go wrong. This book started a bit slow but really picks up once the main character, Eva, is forced to flee Paris with her mother after the arrest of her father and the larger roundup of Jews by the Nazis. She finds eventual refuge in an underground network, forging documents for children who are being smuggled out of the country and into safety.

In general, the story reminded me a lot of The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, in regards to a female main character in France joining a network devoted to helping Jewish people escape and survive. I absolutely loved the occasional cuts to the present-day, as Eva, now well into her eighties, recognizes a book in a newspaper article that calls her back to the past. (And the ending! Ah! My favourite.) That's a framing device The Nightingale also uses, and I think it's a really clever move to keep readers engaged and curious to see what happens next.

Really, I just loved this novel a lot. Its characters were full and complex and it was heartbreaking to read at times, knowing the likely outcome of those taken away by Nazis. This was my first time reading a book by Kristin Harmel, though I've heard rave reviews for The Winemaker's Wife, and I am definitely going to dip into her backlist. Highly, highly recommend.