A Holocaust story to remember. Kristin Harmel at her finest. I did not want this book to end. As Harmel says in this book..Books are magical things and this book is that and more. I was transported back to an era that was evil. Thank goodness for characters like Eve, Rémy And Pere Clement who did all they could to help those, especially the children, to escape the Nazis. I would have loved to find out if the children whose identities were changed, were able to find their Lost Names. Thank you Net Gallery and Simon and Schuster for granting me the privilege of reading this ARC.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel was a satisfying and unique spin on WWII historical novels. Eva is a young Jewish woman with a natural artistic ability. When her father is rounded up with 13,000 other Jewish people living in Paris Eva must use her artistic talent to forge papers to try and save her mother and herself. They find themselves in a small town in the "safe" zone of France where Eva must decide whether flee to Switzerland or to stay and help save others fleeing from the Nazis by forging documents that will help get them into Switzerland and safety.

I would like to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book.

Eva helps to forge papers for hundreds of children to escape occupied France during WW2. She devises a way to remember their real names so they won’t be forgotten.
I really enjoyed this book, it was full of strong characters.
It kept me turning the pages and really liked the surprise ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a historical fiction book told in dual timelines. One of the timelines focuses on the life of a young Jewish woman who is forced to flee with her mother after Nazis take her father. She assumes a new identity and thinks she's going to live a simple life until she's brought into the movement. Her mother is apprehensive, or perhaps just downright against, her participation and perceived assimilation into the new country and movement. WWII is a popular point in history for many historical fiction books to be set in. And for good reason, there's so much to explore and I did enjoy exploring Eva's story.

Overall, it was a solid read. The writing was good as well. I haven't read anything else by this author but I would read another one of her works. The reason perhaps I don't rate this book 4 stars is because I wasn't necessarily "hooked" or "invested" in it. When I put it down after a reading session, I didn't feel anxious to pick it back up. it took me a while to get through, mainly because while I liked the main character, she wasn't particularly interesting to me.

The Book of Lost Names had me up late most nights because I just couldn't put it down! It's a must read if you enjoy historical literature and it will surely become one of your favorites!
Eva's expertise as a forger helped her save hundreds of children during WWII with her being a member of the Resistance.
The story was easy to follow as Eva, being Jewish, now living in Florida (2015), flashes back to the early 1940's telling her story of her love for Remy, a Christian who not only aided Eva in her forging of much needed documents, but also assisted in bringing many Jewish children to safety into Switzerland.
Do NOT pass this one by!

Thanks to NetGalley for the honor of reviewing this story of Eva's love for Remy and for mankind!

In 2005 eghty-three year old Eva Traub Abrams is an unappreciated librarian in Florida with a son too busy to really know her. Eva reads about a book from WWII that a German librarian wants to reunite with its owner. There seems to be a mysterious unbreakable code in the book. Eva feels compelled to go to Germany to claim the book she used during the war. Flashback to Eva's life story. Her parents were Polish Jews in Paris. By a quirk of timing her father is taken while she and her mother manage to escape. In the process Eva learns to create false documents and ends up working as a forger in Vichy, France.

This well researched novel will take you deep into forgery. The characters are believable and deep with realistic conflicts. Be prepared to cry.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to recommend this book.

What a heartwarming WWII historical fiction. The story rotates between two time periods, the 1940’s and 2005 and revolve around one main character, Eva.
I strongly recommend you read this beautifully written book if you are interested in stories about WWII.
This is a book that will surely touch your heart ♥️
I did not want the book to end.....
Quote from the book: “those who realize that books are magic....will have the brightest of lives.”
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

I knew I enjoyed reading historical fiction but books like The Book of Lost Names are the reason historical fiction is my favorite genre. This book has a little romance, a little intrigue, a little family drama, and a lot of adventure. It was based on actual events in history and kept me reading past bedtime! 4.5 stars!

Kristin Harmel's book, "The Book of Lost Names" had me hooked from the beginning. It is a well researched novel about a young woman who forges thousands of documents enabling children to flee the terror of Nazi occupied France and enabled resistance workers and others to travel among the Nazi's during the occupation of France. Harmel effectively weaves her story with the heroine's love interest adding intrigue and romance to a story, that while could be fiction, was based on factual information of how forgery assisted the resistance during World War II. The book includes well developed characters that include the family of the forger, a Catholic priest, friends from Paris and characters from a small community in the Alps that sheltered children and others during the difficult years of occupation. A surprise ending adds to this well written story.
I love books like Hamel's. She weaves an unforgettable story with factual information providing not just entertaining reading but educates the reader about the historical background of the French resistance and the life of the Jewish people during the Natzi reign of terror. This book will not only hold your interest it will provide you with historical facts. I loved this book.

Eva Traube Abrams is a semi-retired librarian in Florida. She is working one morning and sees a photograph in a magazine, the picture of a book that she hasn’t seen since the war. What follows is the story of her involvement in saving many Jewish children and others who would never have made it throught the war.

In “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel, we read the story of Eva. Eva and her mother barely miss being taken by the Gestapo in Paris. Her father is taken while she and her mother are not home. However, the Gestapo are looking for them. Eva is a “doodler”, she has always drawn things. In fleeing Paris, she becomes involved in a resistance group in a small village in Vichy France. This group is trying to get as many Jews, undesirables, and more to safety in Switzerland. They need forged documents to enable people to take on new identities to safely flee the Nazis.

Eva and a young man, Remy, take on the task of forging these documents with new names to go with the old faces. Eva is horrified that some of these Jewish children who are fleeing without their parents are assuming new names and will never be able to find their families again after the war. She and Remy come up with a code that they will use for every child. It is hidden in the text of an old Catholic tome. They work very well at this for a couple of years until the Nazis overrun Vichy France. No one is safe and Eva and Remy have to flee. The book is left behind. When the Nazis come they take everything they think is valuable back to Berlin, and the book is lost.

Eva’s family does not know of her past life, nor do they know her part in the resistance. She decides that she must travel to Berlin to find this book. Even though it may be too late to join families together again, she knows that she must follow the clue.

The story of Eva and Remy is one of love, happiness, sadness, fear, joy, and loss. All these emotions are found in this novel and the reader feels along with the people involved. The reader will not be prepared for the ending.

I have read other books by Ms. Harmel and have enjoyed every one. I will be looking for new books authored by her to read and enjoy.

I really liked this book! It wasn’t too long and had great personal historical information in it. The writing made me feel close to the main character Eva. It was a love story as well as detailed the personal tragedies of the Nazi time period.

Thanks to #netgalley and #gallerybooks for the chance to read and review this interesting book. #thebookoflostnames by @kristinharmel
Pub date July 21, 2020
What a wonderful book. Eva Abrams is a semi retired librarian (in her 80s) who reads an article about a man in Germany trying to return books that were stolen by the Nazis during the war. She realizes the book he talks about is the one she used to code the names of the children she helped escape from France by forging their papers. Her story of her life during the war is beautifully told. This book is based on true events which makes it all the more poignant. Definitely read this story, it will stir your heart

We meet a librarian late in her life, as she encounters a New York Times article about The Book of Lost Names, a book used to catalog the names of Jewish Children in France during WWII, who were given false identities. Here begins Eva's journey to reunite with her past. The story flips between old Eva reuniting with the book, and Young Eva's experience

Eva Traube's life is torn apart in France during WWII and she must do what she can to survive. She is a gifted English student studying in Paris before the war, as events unfold she manages to escape Paris with her mother to the small town of Aurignon. She quickly meets a network of French resistance workers who take her in and offer her a job as the forger alongside Remy.

This is based on real events that took place during the war, which for me really adds to the appeal.

I really love historical fiction that feels well researched, and is also captivating. Harmel goes into such great detail about the techniques they used for forgery at the time, it made a subject that I knew little about into something I was excited to do further research on. I love that the authors note in the back goes over the resources she used to create this work.

At times the love story felt a bit cliched but not so much that it took me out of the story, and I feel like the ending really rewarded the reader.

I laughed, I cried, I learned, I loved it

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This title is set for release in July of 2020.

I was so engrossed in this fabulous read, it was wrenching to have to leave it until I was done reading. Harmel takes readers back to WWII France. Eva embarks on a clandestine career as a forger, helping many Jewish children escape, as well as assisting others who were trying to survive one of the most horrible periods in European history. There were so many good twists in the plot, it kept me riveted to my seat. I loved everything about this book, but the ending was so perfect. I can't wait to read the next book by this author.

This book was so beautifully and magically written.

Kristin Harmel is a fantastic story teller.

Inspired by true events from WWll.
She tells the story of Eva who escapes Paris with her mother after her father is arrested for being a Jew. And in the process of fleeing to Switzerland she decides to put her artistic abilities to use and help forge documents to save 100’s of children’s lives.

The moment I opened this book I just knew it would be a special story that will stay with you for a long time.

You will get attached to the characters. You will fall in love with Eva, you will cheer her on, you will cry with her and feel her pain.

This book will have a special place in my heart. And has easily moved to the top of my favorites list.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC.

This book comes out July 21, 2020 and don’t wait pre order it now. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I received a complimentary copy of The Book of Lost Names from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What a beautiful book! I couldn't get enough of this one and still wish there was more! I cried through the last several chapters, while loving every minute of it. The intertwining of the past and present timelines created a solid foundation for revelations and a second climax/resolution blend which I absolutely loved. Fantastically written. I will read from this author again!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

When I open a Kristin Harmel book, I can always expect a great story and she has hit another home run. I really enjoyed this WWII true story of Eva Traube Abrams. I am an avid WWII reader and of all I’ve read, this one did a wonderful job of describing the trials of living during the Nazi occupation. What Eva accomplished with saving all those children was a wonderful accomplishment.
I came to care for Eva and Remy and admired their bravery. The story is told in two-time frames, the present and then switches to 1942 while Eva is living in hiding and forging documents. The writing is excellent, the character development is perfect. A great book!! And yes, it does rate up there with The Nightingale, The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network. Well done!!
I was very excited to be allowed an ARC from Gallery Books and NetGalley for my honest unbiased review. This one earns a high 5 stars.

Excellent historical about World War II in France. Reminiscent of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, but focusing on French Jewish citizens trying to escape to Switzerland. The entire forgery system was amazing. The characters were appealing and likeable. I would recommend this to those interested in World War II history as well as readers of women's fiction. .

In a sea of WWII fiction, I found this book to be really enjoyable. I might be a bit biased because I’m a librarian and it’s more book-centric than other stories I’ve read. I found the characters compelling and the story contained a good mix of hope and despair for a war story. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending! All around enjoyable read.

Books are magic! The lead character in Kristin Harmel’s The Book Of Lost Names says that to a young refugee. And this book is magic!

We’re introduced to Eva Traube Abrams, who at 86 is still working as a part time librarian in Florida. On the job one day, she stumbles across an article in the paper about a librarian in Germany who is working tirelessly to reunite books that the Nazis looted in WWII to their rightful owners. The article pictured one book in particular that would send Eva down memory lane.

Eva is a French born Jewish girl but born to Polish immigrants. Living in Paris at the time of the German invasion, life becomes more and more uncertain. With rumors of a round up, her father is determined to help her survive and tells her to seek out his employer should something happen to him, she will be helped with false papers and given an escape route to Switzerland. When the French police come to arrest their family, Eva and her mother are at a neighbors apartment and narrowly escape arrest. In an effort to save them both, Eva does as she’s told and seeks out her fathers employer. He hands her everything she needs to create false identity papers for her and her mother and out of necessity, Eva becomes a master forger.

Their journey to Switzerland leads them to a small town in the south of France where the underground is working hard to escort as many Jewish children across the border to safety as possible. They enlist Eva and her forgery skills to create new identities for hundreds of children. Her partner, Remy, helps her come up with a code system so that Eva will never forget who she helped and maybe one day, help them reunite with their families. Hence...the book of lost names.

Every day is dangerous, especially as the German occupancy in the small town grows. But the pair work all hours of the day and are able to save hundreds of lives. At some point, they are betrayed and Eva becomes a wanted person as she has become known as the master forger. And this is where I end my summary of the book because I don’t want to spoil it for you.

This book is magic. I said it before, I’ll say it again. Kristin Harmel has created such beautiful characters and opened my eyes to a side of WWII that I knew little about...forgery in the resistance and the vital role that these individuals play in saving so many innocent lives. While the characters in this book are fictional, real forgers did exist. They risked their lives to save others. Another aspect of the story that is true is the reunification of looted books to their rightful owners. Please read the authors notes for all the details on her research and how the writing of one novel inspired the story of another!

This book will get a hold of you from page one! I couldn’t put it down! Wow...just...wow!