Author #Kristin Harmel has a new novel #’The Book of Lost Names’. This is inspired by a true story from World War ll, a young woman with a talent for forgery, she helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis. This is a must on your TBR list for summer time.
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Kristin Harmel and # Gallery Books

I loved this book. I don't even know where to begin. This was an extremely moving book. It is the story of a Jewish girl, Emma, during WWII and her work as a forger for the French resistance. It tells of how she helped children escape to Switzerland and how she kept their true identities alive by recording them in a secret code in "The Book of Lost Names". I devoured this book. I highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction based on actual events in people's lives.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

The newest historical fiction from @kristinharmel is a captivating read! I absolutely loved this story of courage in the face of adversity. I was completely absorbed in the time period and sat breathless until the end, when I was moved to tears. A young woman with a talent for forgery risks her life to save hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust. The author did a tremendous amount of research for this book, inspired by a true story. I learned a lot about forgeries and the time invested to alter Jewish documents. This was a dual timeline story and while I enjoyed one more than the other, the story comes together in a beautiful way. The Book of Lost Names is a beautifully crafted, exceptionally written story. My thanks to @gallerybooks for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely breathtaking! Beautifully written story of love and war that gives a glimpse into WWII from a slightly different perspective. For those that love historical fiction, this is a definite must read!!

What a fabulous, heartwarming read. I have read many books about WWII but have not read any that feature a woman as a forger. It was very interesting and informative. This novel made one want to read more about the real people that were forgers during the war. This was a great historical fiction book.

Haunting Story of The Unsung Heroes of WWII
This novel is a tear-jerker. While it is fiction, it is based on the historical truth about the French Resistance smuggling out Jewish children and saving their lives in WWII. The characters in the story are based on the many heroes of WWII. For all of the atrocities of the war, there were everyday folks trying to make a difference by saving lives. I hope that the loss of life and innocence is never forgotten. This book is very well done. No one is made bigger than life which just goes to show the difference that regular people can make. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

5 Stars,

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite new reads from 2020. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and Harmel gives a heartbreaking glimpse into the WW2 era. I didn't want to put this book down.

The story is about Eva, a young French woman, who escapes with her mom to a northern city in France, but before escaping to Switzerland, she agrees to use her artistic abilities to forge legal documents for those fleeing from the Nazis. I don't want to give any spoilers, so grab this book and read it yourself. I think you will love it!

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend.

I have all the praise for this wonderful book ! I loved it.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

This is a heartwarming story that transcends present time and transports the reader to WWII. Its a wonderful story of a lost book soon to be found in present day Berlin that will reunite children hidden from the Nazi's with their long lost families and family history long lost when they escaped. it is heartbreaking to read of the Nazi invasion but the strength of the women that hide the children is remarkable and brave. I loved reading this book and highly recommend it for all that enjoy historical fiction. A outstanding book .

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is exactly what an historical fiction novel should be for its readers. It should entertain, educate, make you feel and stay in your heart long after the last page is read.

In 2005 Eva is a semi retired librarian in Florida living a quiet life until she sees the picture in a magazine of the book she has not seen in 65 years. The book the Nazis stole but never knew about its secrets.

We are brought back to France during the Nazi occupation where Eva and her mother are forced to flee when her father is arrested for being a Jew. They find themselves in a small village hidden in the mountains that serves to hide mostly Jewish children separated from their parents. Eva becomes an expert forger and with her fake birth certificates and ID cards these children find safety in Switzerland. But Eva has a secret. She has made a code in an centuries old Catholic book of prayers that has the real names of these children so that maybe one day they can be reunited with their family. She doesn' want their history erased!

This story is based on real people of all religions who sacrificed everything, including their lives, to save countless lives and fight the Nazis at every turn.

It is also one of the most poignant love stories I have ever read. Tears stream down my face now thinking about Eva and Remy, the Catholic man her mother disapproved of, despite his risking his life for complete strangers because he knew what Germany was doing was so wrong.

This author brought a newness to a history that has been written about for decades. There is tension, foreboding, fear, compassion, empathy, love, faith and abundance of hope.

I also loved that books play an important role in this story from Tom Sawyer's adventures to Dorothy finding home.

I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is a story of the French Resistance, the underground network which worked to fight against the Germans during the French occupation. The story opens in May 2005 when a German librarian is featured in newspapers as he announces that he wishes to return the books the Nazis looted from their rightful owners. An elderly woman sees the article and recognizes the book the librarian is holding is hers! She sets out to Berlin to retrieve the book and remembers the events which centers around it. The story then rewinds to France, 1942 when Eva Traube is a student living with her parents. She gets a warning from a friend that the police are rounded up the Jews and shipping them off. Not heeding the warning, Eva’s father is taken in the night and Eva and her mother must now run for their lives. They reach the small village in the Free Zone where Eva becomes a member of the underground network and their dangerous work against the Germans. Will Eva be safe? Will she survive? Will she be reunited with her father?
The Book of Lost Names is a gripping, heartbreaking and inspirational story of a people’s resilience and fortitude to fight back. From the opening chapter to the final pages, Ms. Harmel takes the reader on a journey of heartbreak and danger. Every character was great. Even the villains with their nasty attitudes are those you love to hate. I loved Eva with her courage and resolve although she was a bit naïve at times. Based on the real French Resistance, it captivated me as I realized that people did fight back and at the cost of their lives to save many more. It is hard to imagine the strength and courage these people had to risk life and limb for their cause. As one character notes, “With courage and a bit of faith,” the individuals of the Resistance did what they could to fight back, never truly knowing if it would work or if they would survive. Many of the events and attitudes in the book are eerily similar to events happening today and it saddens me that we still haven’t learned our lesson. I highly recommend The Book of Lost Names.

The Book of Lost Names
is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

When Eva Traube Abrams sees a newspaper come across the returns desk at the library where she works, she freezes at the sight of a book she'd thought long lost to history-- the Nazis to be exact.

Eva begins a journey to Berlin to reclaim The Book of Lost Names, which contains a code only she and two other people ever knew. She's the only one left to make sense of the markings in the old book.

When Eva's father was rounded up and sent to a concentration camp, Eva and her mother escape to the Free Zone thanks to Eva's artistic talents and a blank set of documents. When they arrive, Eva is approached by the local priest to help create documents for children escaping to Switzerland. She joins Rémy, a handsome forger, as she learns the skills needed to save lives. But the thought of erasing the children's past doesn't sit well with Eva and she comes up with a way to save their identities, so they can be reminded when the war is over.

The book was stolen at the end of the war... but it's never too late to make things right.

Eva’s father is taken one night by the Nazis. Eva and her mother were spared because they were helping out a neighbor. They flee Paris and Eva, by chance, begins a life as a forger to help young Jewish children escape the Nazis.

This is a great story based on a real person. Eva is a strong woman during this terrible time period. She is determined to preserve all the real names of the children. Eva has to change the real names to fake ones and she understands when the war is over, someone will be looking for them.

This story did move a little slow for me, especially in the middle. But, I enjoyed the premise of preserving the names of all the children which were saved. And to know people risked their lives to see that happen is a great joy during this time of war. Kristin Harmel did a great job with the history and the intensity surrounding this tale. Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Special!

I must admit that the plight of Eva Traube unfolded before my mind's eye in startling detail, even if it was smudged in tones of grey with the occasional flashes of color.
Escaping Paris in 1942, a sliver ahead of the rounding up of Jewish Parisians by the Nazis, Eva makes her way to Aurignon, in the Free Zone.
By a set of twisted circumstances she ends up forging papers along with a fellow forgerer and Resistance member Rémy, for Jewish children being funnelled through to Swizerland. A local priest, Père Clément, is embedded in the program. Eva and Père's discussions about God and guilt and their efforts are touching parts of the story.
Eva is determined that as new identies are being forged for the children a list of their names should be kept. Using a mathematical code sequence, the Fibonacci sequence, she and Remy record the childrens'real identities in a religious text.
Spurred on by her mother's despairing voice that the Nazis were "erasing us, and we are helping them." It becomes "very important to [her] that they are not forgotten.”
Years later in 2005, now an elderly woman, widowed Eva Traube Abrams sees that particular tome, she referred to as The Book of Lost Names being discussed in an article about the looted books of Europe.
Now in the care of Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it's seen to contain mysterious markings. After sixty-five years Eva sights the book that had meant so much to her. Her decision whether to go Berlin or not to see for herself after all these years has her re-examining her buried memories from that time. As readers we join with her, swinging between those frenetic, fearful times and the present.
Lightly held, with just the right amount of emotion and understandings this is a fascinating look at dark times in World War II, and French history, particularly honing in on the dangerous work done by forgerers, capturing the uncertainty and dedication for many.

A Gallery Books ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Wow! This book was amazing! Yes, it lives up to all the hype, and yes, you need to read it. A beautiful WWII love story that librarians and bibliophiles will fall in love with. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

Have you ever felt that a book speaks to you? Well, that's how I felt when I started reading this book. It captivated me from the first page and I couldn't stop reading. The story is about Eva Traube Abrams, who lives in Miami and works as a librarian. One day she finds a recently published magazine that contains the photo of a book that she has not seen in a long time. This book is in an important Library in Berlin. What is interesting about this book is that it contains a code that only she can decipher. Immediately, she begins to recall what she experienced in France during the time of the Second World War. In 1942 she had to flee Paris, after her father's arrest. Fortunately, she finds refuge in a small town in France. Shocked by the current situation in her country, Eva wastes no time and joins a clandestine group, in which she was immediately accepted thanks to her artistical abilities. Her responsibility will be to forge false identities for Jewish children who would be sent to Switzerland. It will definitely not be an easy task and she will have to be very careful in order to meet the goal of saving as many lives as she can. It is definitely an incredible book when reading it I remembered the time I lived in France and I imagined all the scenes that the characters were experiencing, I felt a strong connection to them. It is a book that made me go through many feelings, I was nervous, sometimes furious, but despite this, I kept reading it because the story was very interesting to me and I already wanted to know what was going to happen. I highly recommend this book because I think it is worth reading and learning about what happened in this little corner of the world during a time of terror but one of great hope thanks to extraordinary people who dedicated themselves to saving lives..
I thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another great historical fiction novel by Kristin Harmel! This is a fascinating read about those brave enough to help others by forging documents during WWII. One of the reasons I enjoy this genre so much is because it's an opportunity to learn things that history books don't often teach. Bringing awareness of so many courageous people behind the scenes who made such impact on people's lives. And I'm not only a fan of her subjects that she chooses, but Kristin Harmel has a wonderful gift of telling beautiful but heart wrenching stories in such an elegant manner. She's quickly becoming a favorite author and I look forward to many more of her books.

4.5 Stars

Thanks #netgalley #gallerybooks @gallerybooks for a free e ARC of #thebookoflostnames upon my request. All opinions in this review are completely my own.

Inspired by true stories from WW11, a young Jewish woman who flees Paris with her mother after the arrest of her father finds herself committing to a forgery ring whose primary goal is to create documents that will help hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis. The story is told in dual timelines from the present-day perspective of Eva who is a semi-retired librarian living in Florida and the young Eva as she flees Paris and joins an underground forgery operation in a small mountain town near the Switzerland border. The Book of Lost Names becomes an important link between the two timelines.

One aspect I appreciate about Kristin Harmel’s storytelling is that she engages me from the first page, and I never experience a lull as I am compelled to turn the pages. In this story, Eva is a likable character as well as independent, feisty, clever, smart, and brave.

Other reasons I love The Book of Lost Names include the historical details about the forgery operation during the war, the inspiring people in the community and the Catholic priest who all risk their lives to help the Jewish people, the dedication and commitment to help innocent children, and…the love story.

I’m fascinated when books “talk to each other” and as I read I thought of stories with similar themes like The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah that tells of an underground group dedicated to helping people (especially pilots) escape France, The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton that shares the story of a real-life hero rescuing children from the grip of the Nazis, and The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke that recounts one mother’s sacrifice to secure the safety of her young child from the Nazis.

I need to note that even though The Book of Lost Names is a rewarding, compelling, and satisfying read, the emotional and dramatic ending requires a little suspension of disbelief.

I enthusiastically recommend The Book of Lost Names for fans of page-turning and engaging historical fiction, for readers who appreciate WW11 stories, for those who love stories featuring inspirational and brave women, and certainly for book clubs. It’s one of my favorite WW11 histfic reads of the year and when I finished reading it, I thought “that was a satisfying read!” I love it when a story feels well worth the investment of time.

This was an incredible book! I was so caught up in the story that I finished it in 2 days. It was my first by Kristin Harmel, so I had no idea what to expect. I was totally wowed. I have just recently become a huge fan of historical fiction and I will certainly be adding Ms. Harmel to my list of authors to follow.
I loved the characters and I loved the strength and resiliency they showed under such awful circumstances. I knew little about the people who forged papers in order to help people escape the Nazi regime. I can't even imagine living through WWII, much less living through that time, being Jewish and also working in secrecy at something so dangerous. The dual timeline made it even more spectacular, because it gave you insight into how the experience had formed the rest of Eva's life.
I have not been so caught up in a book in a long time. The Book of Lost Names was totally engrossing.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

My first thoughts upon finishing Kristin Harmel's The Book of Lost Names was STUNNING.

We first meet Eva when she’s in her 80’s. A semi-retired librarian, she sees a newspaper picture of a book she knows well yet hasn’t seen for over 60 years. It’s HER book and despite her son believing she’s too fragile (and hints at her not thinking clearly), she books a flight to Munich to reclaim her book. The Nazi’s had seized many art and other assets belonging to Jews and Churches during the war and Germany is trying to make repatriations to return belongings to the families.

What follows is a glimpse back into Eva’s life during WWII and Germany’s occupation of France. After witnessing her father’s arrest in Paris through a neighbor’s peep hole, Eva and her mother flee and hide in a small town near the Swiss border. There, she meets a local Catholic priest who invites her to help him secure safe passage for Jewish children to escape to Switzerland. In order for this to happen, everyone needs papers.

Thus begins Eva’s mission: to become a forger and assist in saving lives. Yet, because each child is given a new name, she wants their names to be recorded somewhere. So she creates a code and notates them in an old prayer book. She calls it her Book of Lost Names.

The characters were well developed and the plot was intriguing. Harmel, brilliantly wrote about the roles of Forgers as part of the Resistance during World War II. An intriguing story of love, friendship, and sacrifice. The Book of Lost Names is one of the best books I’ve read in the last year. Well researched, it’s a testament to the strength of character and determination of people during hard times.

I’ve been recommending this book to every read of historical fiction I know.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Kristen Harmel is second to NONE. I have to preface this review by saying that her book "The Room on Rue Amelie" literally shattered my heart, and this novel "The Book of Lost Names" did the exact same thing. Eva's story is one that had me sobbing from the very beginning, and it has been a while since a book has brought out such a visceral response from me. The heartache and fear, the simple joys and wins that are experienced in a book of this caliber are often rare, and I have no doubt that this book will be an INSTANT best seller and beloved text for readers across the globe.