During WWII, forgers played important role in the Resistance. It was a network of “brave people who used their artistic ability and scientific ingenuity to produce convincing documents that allowed innocent people to survive.”

Florida, 2005. Eva Traube, librarian, comes across an article talking about a book, which she thought had vanished forever.

Paris, 1942. Eva is pursuing her doctorate in English literature. Her father, Polish-born Jew, is arrested. But before that he arranged with his employer for fake documents for Eva in order for her to escape to the free zone in Switzerland. Since she has to escape with her mother now, she is given blank documents and supplies to forge their own documents. From Paris, they travel east, toward the Alps and make a stop in Aurignon. Where, even though their papers are very legible looking, there is something else that gives them away. Now, a Catholic priest asks Eva for help in forging papers for Jewish children. He convinces her to do this “artistic endeavors” in order “to move toward a life of freedom.” Her mother wants to continue toward the free zone. Eva is torn. With her work materializing on a page in front of her, “hope floats up within her.” She feels it within her that she is doing a good work and the right one. Her father’s words “Who will remember us?” bring up a concern. Who will remember the real names of the Jewish children for whom she is forging the documents and who are too young to remember later their real names. Her partner in forgery, Remy, comes up with a brilliant idea. His love for math and the Fibonacci sequence give him an idea how to code real names without putting any one in danger.

Written with so much humanity. There is so much love and caring breathed into the characters, making it one of the most endearing and beautiful stories. You can also feel the pain of those who lost the love ones. You can sense Eva’s hesitation. She wants to do the right thing by her mother and the right thing dictated by her heart. But her mother’s different thinking doesn’t make it easy for her. Helping the children makes Eva feel like she “can bring some light to the world, even in the midst of all the darkness.”

The description of the town brings so much of visible charm. I was also enchanted by the invisible charm of the closeness of people working together, being part of a network which helps hundreds of innocent children, who some lost their parents, to escape the injustice inflicted upon them.

I enjoyed the magical description of the town so much that I wanted to locate it on a map. As it turns out, it’s a fictional town. I understand it gives any writer more freedom, who doesn’t have to worry about town’s accuracy. But setting it in a real town makes it a more credible story. That’s the only thing I wished was different about this book.

This spellbinding page-turner doesn’t bring atrocity of WWII and despite the horror and injustice of the war, the author manages to create such heart-warming story of network of people who risk their own lives to save others. The story brings such characters one cares deeply for and who take a reader on an extraordinary journey of courage, faith and bravery.

Not many books have me staying up until 3 am to finish, but The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel sure did. At a time when books about heroic women in WWII have saturated the market, this one stood head-and-shoulders above the others, and was worth every bit of tired I'm feeling this morning.

The dual-time book tells the story of Eva Traube Abrams as a young graduate student in WWII France, and as a octogenarian librarian in Florida. The two women could hardly be more different from the outside.

On the run herself, Young Eva has become a forger of documents for the French Resistance. She is passionate and courageous, fearlessly creating travel and identification documents for Jewish children whose parents have been taken by the Nazis, while forestalling her own escape to the safety of nearby Switzerland.

The elder Eva, on the other hand, is a widow and mother living quietly on her own with the memories of a former life and the many people she loved, knew and saved - none of whom she has mentioned out loud for decades. All that changes, however, when a newspaper article appears about an old religious book which was stolen by the Nazis and recently recovered.

This is the Book of Lost Names, and in it's pages, Eva had hidden the real names and new names of the hundreds of children for whom she'd created new identities all those years before.

The Book of Lost Names is a brilliantly paced and written book filled with compelling characters, plotting and details. The author does a great job of drawing the reader into the tension and drama of forging operations of the French Resistance movement without getting bogged down in technical and logistical quicksand. There are heroes and villains, romance and heartbreak, moments of family bonding and family brokenness, light and dark, and both big and small twists and turns. The use of a dual time - one written in the third person and the other in first person - is an effective vehicle for this story which is loosely based on real events, and provides the reader with a smooth transition between past and present, lived and remembered.

I loved everything about this book, and the characters will surely stay with me. Again, with so many WWII books on the market right now, it would be easy to take a pass on one more, but the writing and characterization in The Book of Lost Names set it apart as something new and fresh and worth the effort. Even at three in the morning.

This review is based on an advance copy read.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the opportunity to read this ARC. Set in France during WWII, the French resistance is finally starting to make headway against the Nazis. Eva Traub becomes an initially unwilling participant after her father is arrested and taken from the family's Paris apartment during the night. She is able to get forged papers to get her mother and herself to Switzerland through Aurignon France. There the story of The Book Of Lost Names really begins. Eva, a young woman who had loved her life in Paris and the rich cultural and religious history that formed it, agrees to help the Resistance save children with forged papers. We see her change from a woman desperate to flee the Nazis to a strong member of the Resistance.

The book is strong on accurate history. Ms. Harmel cites several non-fiction sources for her research and I will read them. The fictional story does have an excellent conclusion. However, there are too many problems with the relationships and Eva's own actions. It is surprising that her own mother doesn't give the entire effort away. Eva's own actions could have endangered so many people numerous times. And then there is the matter of the internet which was hardly new in 2005. Eva loves books and information. Why did she not use the information she had at hand prior to heading to Germany?

I can’t begin to tell you the number of WW2 books I’ve read...so when one comes along that I start and don’t put down until I finish 3 hours later...we’ll that says a lot.

A captivating, truly refreshing book based on a true story. Eva’s talent for forgery helps her escape the Nazis in Paris and lands her in the middle of a group of French partisans who work to free thousands of adults and children through false identities and underground rescues.

Well written and moving, what I love most about this story is that it doesn’t dwell on (but doesn’t dismiss) all the typical literary tropes of WW2 novels. A must read for sure.

At first, I wasn't sure where this book was going, with an incredibly naive and gullible Jewish girl, and it didn't "feel" realistic. BUT....1/2 way through until the end, this book was un-put-down-able. The story line picked up dramatically, and I ended up loving this one!

Kristen Harmel has written an unforgettable book about World War II that will live forever in my heart. There are two timelines, Eva as a young woman in the 1940’s and Eva in 2005. It’s a story of immense courage and love during one of the most horrific times in the history of the world. The story of the Resistance in France is prominent when detailing the measures taken to forge false documents so many children could escape to neutral Switzerland. While identities were changed, the original names were encrypted in a book with a secret code. This is another great historical fiction written by a very talented author!

Eva is a Jewish girl living in Paris and working in the library during WWII. She has her whole life to look forward to until the Germans invade France. Then Eva and her parents start to worry.Eva and her mother are caring for two children in the next apartment when the Germans invade and take Tatuś away. Knowing that they will be back, Eva falsifies documents for her mother and herself and they flee to Aurignon. It is in Aurignon that Eva finds her purpose.
This story is wonderful. It embraces love and hope in the face of darkness. It shows sacrifice for the sake of the greater good. It explores relationships and loyalty. Above all it shows how one person can make a difference.
I loved this book. Kirstin Harmel is a wonderful writer and her books excite you and enlighten you on parts of history you may not of been aware.
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the advanced readers copy. The options are my own.

I have read several of Kristin Harmel's books and this is absolutely one of her best. She has such a gift for storytelling and pulls you right into her created world. This story follows Eva, a Jewish girl in Paris during WWII. Her father is taken during the Paris raids and she and her mother managed to escape to a small French town where she becomes a master forger of documents for others on the run. This book is gorgeous, heartbreaking, romantic, devastating, and thought-provoking. Harmel is not afraid to take on the hard stories or topics, and she treats them with such care and respect. I loved her author's note at the end about the origins of this story and it made me more excited to read The Winemaker's Wife, one of hers I have not gotten to quite yet. Do yourself a favor and read this beautiful story - you will not regret it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book - all opinions are my own.

Again, I have cried at the end of a Harmel book. The ending of this one was SO perfect I couldn't help shedding a few tears. I loved this book from the very beginning and didn't want to put it down. The way Harmel described how beautiful and powerful books were had me swooning. The story of forgery in WWII I had heard mentioned in other historical fiction books but I had never read a book just about it and it was very interesting. I appreciated the author's note about Harmel's research about it. I liked the present and past timelines and how it all came together. I never wanted the book to end.

While many books on WW2 exist, this book was unique in bringing to light the role of forgery during the war. Foragers played a critical role in helping Jews escape. The documents they created had to be foolproof. Furthermore, this novel brings to light the Jewish children who were rescued from the Nazis, their identities being changed to keep them alive.

This book furthered my knowledge of the intricacies involved with the underground system which saved thousands of Jewish lives. It was evident how much research the author combed through to write this wonderful novel.

Despite the predictability of the ending, I really enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it.

The Book of Lost Names solidifies Kristin Harmel's place as one of the top writers of historic fiction about strong women during WWII. I would give 10 stars to this book if I could. Her book is based on real people and she ties that in with comprehensive research and we have a chance to read a fantastic book that won't soon be forgotten.

Eva, a semi-retired librarian in her 80s is shelving books and sees a newspaper picture of a book that she immediately recognizes. It's a book that she hasn't seen in over 60 years and she refers to it as 'the book of lost names'. Much to her son's disapproval, she immediately books travel to Munich to see the real book. The German librarian who wrote the article discussed that many books had been taken back to Germany by the Nazis and he was trying to find the original owners. He also mentioned that there was some sort of code in the book and he had no idea what it was. But Eva knew what the code was - she had written those codes in that book during the war when she lived in France.

This is a book about love and war, friendship and family and endangering your own life to help other people. The characters are well written and the story line is intriguing. Plus I learned some history that I'd never known. I knew that children were sent to safe places without their parents but not about them changing their names or about the importance of forgeries during the war. This was a wonderful book and is now on my list of favorite books about strong women in WWII. Eva is a character that I won't soon forget.

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

This was a great read. I will admit that I love WWII historical novels. I learn so much about the horrors and also the heros of war. This book was no different. I cheered Eva on, hoping always for the best. The bravery shown by so many during such a horrific time is astounding. Add this one to your TBR list! I am going to check out the author's other books!

This is a historical fiction masterpiece. For someone who doesn't run to every historical fiction book, I did indeed love this one! I love that it was flipping back and forth between the present and the 1940s. It kept me as a read so entertained and hanging on every word.

What a BEAUTIFUL story! After reading two of Harmel's books, I'm a definite fan. Eva is such a well-written character and an extremely brave person. Knowing how much research the author did and that this story was loosely based on true events makes the story that much more powerful. I loved the dual time lines and experiencing Eva's memory as she's in her late 80s and reflecting back on her time as a young girl in German-occupied France. Honestly, what I disliked the most was her mother, who was a pill to deal with the entire story. Eva's relationship with Remy was captivating, while her friendships with Genevieve and mon Clement were truly special. The ending was perfect.

I liked this book right up until the end. I thought the ending was a bit gimmacky. The story itself was a beautifully told story of the resistance against Hitler's regime. The coding of names and identities was interesting and their work in forgery was a story itself without mentioning the relationships that occurred.

Still, the ending was frustrating. Did they lose their sight? Why couldn't they find each other at their meeting place? It defied their characters' tenacity and determination. I loved the book until the ending.

I got 'The Winemaker's Wife' shortly after it came out, put it on my kindle and forgot about it since I had so many other titles to read. So Kristin Harmel was on my to-read list but I'd not read any of her work until. now.

The story of a student whose life is upended during the Nazi's occupation of France, it switches from the past to present tense seamlessly. After I started it, the author's talent as a storyteller kept me reading well into the wee hours. I found this book to be an extremely good read; my only issue was the very abrupt ending.

I will definitely read more of this author, starting with my own unread copy of 'The Winemaker's Wife'.

My thanks to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the eARC. in exchange for my review.

Eva was a young Jewish woman with a talent for forgery. Using her talent she helps hundreds of children escape german occupied France. Now, Eva is a semi-retired woman living in Florida with her past securely tucked away. But her past comes rushing to the present when she picks up a newspaper with a long lost book on the front page.

This book! Where do I even start? I absolutely loved this book and I could not put it down. The Book of Lost Names had every thing I love in a historical fiction novel, strong women, bravery, romance, adventure and family. I was crying sad and happy tears. If you like WWII fiction this book is a must read!

A special thank you to NetGalley & Gallery Books for my ARC! The Book of Lost Names will be available for sale July 21, 2020!

Did you ever read a book that when you finish you just have to close your eyes and adjust back to your own reality. This book had me so mesmerized and involved the story.
From the start of this book we meet Eva, a librarian in Florida who, while working one day sees a photo in a magazine of a book she hasn't seen in over 60 years. The article tells her it is being housed in a Berlin library while they try to track down the owner. Eva knows the book well, it is the Book of Lost Names. This book takes Eva back to her 20s and tells us her story of a graduate student, forced to flee Paris with her mother and fake identity papers she made in order to save their lives.
They make it to a small town in the free zone and the people there are more than they seem. Most of them are involved in a network of operations working in forgeries and accompanying Jewish people into Switzerland to save them. They recruit Eva to help them and that's when she meets Remy. Together they use the old religious text to track children's real names in code, in hopes that when the war is over they can use the information to connect them to their real families.
This book, inspired by a true story, had me emotionally attached to these characters and it shed light on the strength and hope that people had during WWII.
Thank you Netgalley Gallery Books and Kristin HARMEL for the chance to read this amazing book.

I always love historical fiction, and this was no exception. The Book of Lost Names tells the story of Eva, an evacuee of Paris during WWII. She finds herself in the middle of a resistance ring, and she becomes a forger of documents to help others escape to freedom. I fell in love with the characters in this book, the entire story was so well done, I highly recommend!

The Book of Lost Names is not just a book about the Nazi invasion of Europe. It is about what heroes of that time did to help others escape to freedom. Eva teams up with a group that is getting children to Switzerland where they can have a chance to live. I hope there is a sequel to this book.