A gripping and moving historical fiction novel based on true events during WWII. Rich in historical detail, the writing is powerful and reminiscent capturing the emotion of the characters. The novel honors the bravery and resilience of those who risked everything to save lives during one of history’s darkest times.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My heart goes out to the strong families that faced these tough decisions. So much heartache and this book captures it so well.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion. This book takes place in Vénissieux where 108 Jewish children go "missing" when they were set to be deported to Germany. This story is told in dual timelines, back in 1942 and 5 years after Klaus Barbie's trial. This book is a true story. I was on the edge of my seat during the entire book which I devoured in just days.

The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar is a deeply moving historical novel based on true events. It follows Valérie Portheret, a law student in 1992 France, as she stumbles upon a list of 108 Jewish children who were hidden under false names to escape the Nazi regime during WWII. Valérie's discovery propels her on a 25-year quest to uncover their real identities and reunite them with their lost heritage.

Escobar weaves together two timelines, capturing the heartbreaking choices Jewish parents faced in 1942 and Valérie's relentless pursuit to bring their stories to light. The novel dives into the acts of bravery and sacrifice made by ordinary people—clergy, civilians, and members of the French Resistance—who risked everything to save these children.

Blending real historical figures with fictional elements, the author's meticulous research shines through, creating a story that is both educational and emotionally charged. The horrors faced by the children and their families are hard to digest, but Escobar’s writing ensures their bravery isn’t forgotten. It’s an intense, yet uplifting tale of hope, courage, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Valérie’s journey is a reminder of the power one person has to honor the past, even in the face of denial and opposition. This book is a powerful tribute to those who refused to let history bury these children’s names.

Occasionally, the translation from the original Spanish doesn’t work, but I highly recommended this for readers who appreciate historical fiction with depth and heart. 4 stars.

** Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book for an honest review.

What a moving story about the difference one person can make! Forty-seven years after the end of WWII, Valerie Portheret discovers a list of 108 names of Jewish children who were separated from their parents during the Holocaust and spends 25 years trying to reunite children with their families. Join Valerie on her journey of ups and downs while trying to complete this nearly impossible task.

Author Mario Escobar writes unforgettable stories. The Forgotten Names is one of them. Based on a true story where a researcher writes her thesis on 108 children that were rescued from a Nazi detention center in Lyon, France, and were never found by the Nazi's and the authorities. A group of people of different faith backgrounds came together to form a plan to save the children.

It's fascinating to see it patched together from the research in the 90's to real time in 1942 and back!

I love the stories Author Mario Escobar tells. I read so many books every year, and his are truly unforgettable!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read a digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Another great book by Mario Escobar. While his story is about the holocaust, the theme is saving 108 children from certain death after imprisonment at a Venissieux camp in France. There are beautiful stories about the resistance fighters, public resistance to the Nazis from the churches, and entire towns willing to risk death to do the right thing. Based on true events, the book is well researched and provides history surrounding a less- known holocaust event. This is beautifully written and you will have a hard time putting it down.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

In this dual timeline historical fiction novel, law student Valerie Portheret is working on her doctoral research about 108 children who escaped German deportation and death during World War II. Flashing back fifty years to 1942, readers discover what really happened to the Venissieux children and the massive network of civilians, clergy, Resistance fighters, and other individuals who joined forces to protect the children. Following the sacrifices of their mothers and the hard work of the network which helped them escape the Nazis’ reign of terror, Escobar reimagines the true stories and sequence of events of real people and real heroes during the German occupation of France. Discovering the Venissieux story with Valerie allows readers to see the events through her eyes and thus create a powerful image of the sacrifices made by past generations, and the dual timeline allows both narratives to unfold simultaneously. The characters are complex, realistic, and human, and Escobar has ensured that their unique personalities and bravery shine through in all spots in the novel. Escobar has done an incredible job bringing this side of World War II to life, and the two narratives are so detailed and do not overwhelm the other timeline in the novel.

The topic of this story was interesting but I didn't like the way the story was written. The formatting of the book was the other thing that killed my enjoyment it was strange and made it difficult to read- not sure if that was due to it being an arc or what. I gave it 2 stars and would read another by the author in the future.

The author brought tears to my eyes. I was vividly able to connect to all the characters, there struggles and there heartache. There are many names that have likely been forgotten during the war. This is a book that reminds you they all had a name and they all mattered.

Mario Escobar writes beautiful, heart-rending stories that relate episodes in history that most of us have either forgotten or never knew. The Forgotten Names is such a story and tells of the remarkable rescue of 108 Jewish children from the Vénissieux internment camp on the outskirts of Lyons in 1942. The treatment of these children and their families during their internment is described in shocking detail and the sense of fear carries throughout the book. At the same time, the bravery of a group of Lyonnaise social workers and priests and their devotion to saving as many children as possible from certain death is inspiring. The story is written in two timelines, the first during 1942 as the rescue takes place and the second in the 1990’s during which Valérie works to find and reunite the surviving children and highlight their incredible story as part of her major academic work. I found the first timeline truly gripping but for me the second didn’t flow quite as well, even though it created a sense of completion to the children’s stories. This book is interesting, shocking and devastating and certainly an eye opener. For me it was compelling reading.

Mario has written an incredible novel about little known history. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time thinking about motives and values behind all individuals involved in the rescue. Thanks for the ARC! I loved this novel

As hard as these stories are to read, I think they are so important! Not only so we never forget the atrocious period of time but also the “helpers” that risked their lives for what they believed in. This book was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. I went through an entire range of emotion while reading this. It was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book as it was a first hand book of the stories of real humans. While there was much leeway, the story was real. Having a family background of members who either perished in Auschwitz or escaped, this story touched my heart.
There were many righteous people who helped during this time, but the religious aspect was most interesting.
And the researcher aspect, to me was the most interesting.i enjoyed the follow-ups with the actual persons from the story.
Well written and kept my interest throughout the entire book.

WWII Historical Fiction is one of my favorite book genres to read, and no matter how many books I read in this category, there are so many stories to hear and learn.  The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar explores a little known yet extremely powerful story of good rising from the midst of darkness.

Told in dual timelines, The Forgotten Names is placed in France during WWII as well as the 1990’s.  In the earlier part of the story, French parents face the impossible choice during the Holocaust: allow their children to be transported to Germany to die in concentration camps or sign over their rights to save them.  With the courage and assistance of the French resistance including clergy and civilians, over 100 children were able to escape the fate of death at a German concentration camp.

Fast forward to 1992 when Valérie Portheret, a doctoral student, stumbled upon the story of these children in Lyon, France and made it her mission to give them back their identities.  Over two decades she worked, unwavering, solid and determined, to help these children turned adults remember their past. 

This is a good story.  In the horror of war and destruction, the reader catches a glimpse of the good, the brave, the strong.  While this good rises from the ashes, the story is still extremely difficult and heartbreaking.  But it is also important to read, remember and honor these children, their families and the heroes that helped saved them.  Escobar really did his research and brought this story to life.  I am thankful for the opportunity to learn this incredible story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Historical fiction, especially Holocaust fiction, is my go-to read so there was no hesitation in requesting The Forgotten Names. On paper it seemed like another interesting read, the oral narrative of the children who were evacuated from Lyon to escape The Butcher of Lyon.

For me though there was something about the novel that just didn’t grab me. In fact at times, I felt like I was reading an academic text rather than a fictionalised account of a true story.

The research is extensive, but I just could not take to the story. At times I felt like it was reading lists, and it was difficult to follow with lots of people in it from both sides of the story: the nazi sympathisers and the resistance.

For me therefore it’s a two star read and just goes to show that not every novel has the same effect on all its readers.

I received a complimentary copy of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I gave the book a 4 for bringing this story to light. It is difficult enough to read a book where Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon, is in his “element,” hunting and killing every Jew he can, but here we have a story of children. I was unfamiliar with this particular effort (highly successful) by the French Resistance. Children whose parents consented to give them up so that they might survive the Holocaust. Resistance Workers who put their own lives on the line to save the children. Valérie arrives in Lyon in 1992 five years after Klaus has been found guilty of war crimes to write her thesis on him only to be given a box with 108 names. Who were they? What had happened to them? Remember, the Americans seized Barbie and used him for counterintelligence and then sent him and his family to Bolivia to live freely. He was found and sent back to France where he refused to admit guilt. But I digress.

Valérie changes her thesis topic and begins the laborious process of finding the 108 names and the events that brought the children to safety. She befriends locals who know of the resistance movements with regards to these children. The story Escobar tells is lacking something. Maybe it is the writing process. Valérie is not a fictional character so it’s not that. Maybe I expected to see the names of the children who were saved. I wanted more of a connection with the book so maybe I’m the problem.

I wasn’t sure about this book, but I am glad I read it. This book pulled at my emotions throughout the story. The characters are well written to the point you can visualize what they are going through although there were at times too many characters to keep up with. The chapters were short which made them easy to follow. The book alternates between 1942 and 1992 and I will say I was more interested in the 1942 parts than the 1992 parts.

The subject matter of this book, about a real-life group of resistance fighters in France who risked their lives to save over one hundred children from certain death at the hands of the Nazis, is moving and inspirational.
The actual story, however, didn’t come across as compelling as one (or at least I) might have expected. It took a little while to get into it, and I found it a bit difficult to keep up with all the different characters.
Thanks to #netgalley and #harpermuse for this #arc of #theforgottennames in exchange for an honest review.

Another great historical fiction for my shelf! I'm not a big fan of the novels that go back in time to tell a story. I prefer the first person narrative in the 1940's timeline but it was still enjoyable to read. It told an important story about the children that endured so much during this time. I would recommend!