A gripping, harrowing account of an actual events in Lyon, France during WWII. ‘The Forgotten Names’ is an historical fiction inspired by the rescue of 108 Jewish children who disappeared from Vénissieux, France and the remarkable group of people who saved them from certain deportation to German concentration camps.
Valerie Portheret began researching for her PHD in the 1990s and came across this amazing story of the rescue of these children.
The reader is taken on a journey of heartache, terror and unbelievable courage as we learn of the coordinated effort of resistance members, religious leaders, social workers and civilians who all aided in rescuing and protecting these children.
Valerie, over a 25 year period, sought to reclaim the names and heritage of these children of Lyon.
It is so important that stories like this well researched book should never be forgotten.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Valerie Portheret is researching the notorious Nazi murder, Klaus Barbie. She ends up getting lost in a story of 108 Jewish children who were rescued from the concentration camp. The parents had to sign off their rights to be able to save them. The children were smuggled out of the concentration camp and given new names. Valerie wanted to give the 108 children back their given names. Broke my heart to think about what the parents had to give up to allow their children to have a future.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse and Mario Escobar for the ARC for my opinion.

Another true story is brought to life by the brilliant researcher and author, Mario Escobar. Forgotten Names is a breathtaking narrative of WWII set in France. The story flashes back to 1942 in Venissieux and forward to 1992. Law student, Valerie Portheret is researching the notorious Nazi murderer, Klaus Barbie. She stumbles onto a list of 108 Jewish children who were smuggled away to avoid certain arrests and murder.
Both horrific and heroic, this highly engaging story reveals a forgotten piece of history. Thanks to Valerie’s 25-year-long quest to find those 108 children, we learn of “a heroic act without precedent in Nazi-occupied Europe.” (Pg.20) “Too many people wanted to forget this most ignominious era of French history, but she was determined to make serious sacrifices to keep the memory of those children from dying out.”(Pg.31)
Escobar’s writing is beautifully both philosophical and poetic. “It was never entirely clear if death was the end of something or just the beginning of something else.” (Pg.129) “The soul’s bitterest hour is when it comes face to face with its deepest fears.”(Pg.137) “There are moments in life that can change a person’s existence forever.” (Pg.107) “In that embrace, time slowed down and ceased its lurching. From then on for Rachel, minutes flowed into hours with the harmonious rhythmic cadence life was meant to have: time in motion seasoned by love and peace.” (Pg. 312)
Escobar’s figurative language takes the reader into the story setting. “They walked along the bank of Saone River as the evening sun seemed to set the facades of the houses behind them on fire.”(Pg. 109) “Her words floated in the air, the same air breathed fifty-two years before by the families of the Venissieux camp.”(Pg.192) “The music stole the magic from the surrounding birdsong, and Rachel’s closed eyelids were an insufficient barrier for her tears.”(Pg.25) “Rachel’s playing lit up a piece of heaven within the hell that a few greedy men had turned the world into.”(Pg.172)
I highly recommend this piece of historical fiction to “keep alive the chain of memory. When that chain breaks, we are all left nameless.” (Pg.21)

The Forgotten Names was not an easy book to read. There was a lot packed into the pages. I found it hard at times to keep track of some of the names. There was no better way than my struggles to gain understanding. I began to grasp the challenges that all those that assisted in saving Jewish children faced. Thanks to the author, we can all learn about the unsung heroes and those that survived.

The Forgotten Names helped me gain understanding of what the parents faced when they chose to give up their children, to give them a chance to survive. The parents were so brave, their love so strong, that they gave their children a chance, a hope for a future.

Even writing this review and thinking about the story has brought more tears. No matter how many books I read, I just can't grasp what happened, why it happened. Those that helped the children escape Vénissieux knew the importance of life. They risked theirs to save others. I will never be able to remember all of their names but they will always have my respect. They were heroes that should never be forgotten. Just as the atrocities of World War Two should never be forgotten.

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

This story follows the amazing rescue of 108 children from Lyon, France overnight late August 1944. I could feel the terror, heartbreak and despair alk involved when through the time peroid. My only complaint would be sometimes the story was a bit 'history book' but push through for the bravery and heroism displayed by everyday citizens of all backgrounds!

Definitely some hard parts to read and I came away from this story quite grateful that my life trials have never been so brutal or final. A story that is deep and real.

Oh my goodness I loved this book, the way it broke my heart and put it back together again was unreal. I cried, sobbed in fact, and couldn’t breathe at certain points. It was incredible. A beautifully done historical fiction. I highly recommend

The Forgotten Names is a difficult read because of the subject matter, but Escobar brings the story to life and the novel is rich with details and historical context. Escobar is always worth a read and this is no exception.

“Sometimes we must hold on to whatever life offers us, no matter how small.”

“Taking children from their mothers was one of the hardest things. While you were saving one life you were destroying another.”

The will to live and what we will do to protect the ones we love is heartbreaking in Mario Escobar’s new novel, The Forgotten Names. This is a true story about Valerie Portheret, a doctoral student, who spent 25 years of her life dedicated to finding the 108 Jewish children who were taken from their parents, and rescued from Venissieux, an internment camp, on the outskirts of Lyon, France right before being sent to their deaths. At that time Lyon was the capital of the resistance. Valerie wanted to make sure the children’s names were never forgotten and that they knew who they were and who their birth parents were after the war. It also delves into the life of Klaus Barbie, the infamous Butcher of Lyon who was dedicated to sending all the children and Jews in Lyon to their death. I have read so many Holocaust books and still can’t fathom how so many human beings could inflict such horrific pain on so many people. And as we know these acts of barbarism are still going on today.

Most often the executioners are the celebrities and the victims are just numbers. I believe today we are trying to change this and we must continue to change this. We must document all the names of the people who are victims of horrific crimes so that their names are never forgotten.

The Forgotten Names was very well researched. It is a story that is extremely important to be told. The way the story was told was a little disjointed for me as well as I found it difficult to keep track of all the names, though this would not prevent me from recommending this book. Thank you Mario Escobar for continuing to write about this very important topic so that the world never forgets the Holocaust was real. Here is hoping you write a book about the Israel, Hamas conflict in Gaza. We thought the Holocaust could never happen again………

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who enjoys historical fiction, I was initially drawn to the premise of The Forgotten Names. Set in August 1942, the novel explores a heart-wrenching choice faced by French parents during World War II - watch their children die or leave them forever.

The accounts of the individuals who risked everything to rescue these children it intertwined with the story of Valérie Portheret, who fifty years later, makes it her mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to.

While the historical context and premise are compelling, there were an excessive number of characters. The lack of sufficient backstory for each character made it challenging to connect with them. As a result, I struggled to fully engage with the story.

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

I felt this book was well researched and a good depiction on the time period and the horrors of war .
I felt that the story was good overall and that this is a good addition to the genre
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Valerie Portheret was a French woman in graduate school in Lyon, France in the 1990s. She did her thesis on the rescue of 108 children from an internment camp in Lyon. She spent the next 25 years locating these people to make sure they knew who they actually were. The Forgotten Names, by Mario Escobar, is the factionalized story of this rescue and the people who made it happen. This is a tale of courage and compassion set against hatred and lust for power.

Because of all the French words, it is not the easiest book to read, but it will inspire the reader to reach out to help others in their time of need. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

The author has chosen a unique story from World War II and the persecution of the Jews. There are people in France working to save the Jewish children but can only do that if the parents give up the child and he/she has a new name. Thus the forgotten names as a title. A young woman in 1992 started this project as a thesis. She continues it til almost the present day, thus jumping in time from past to present. It was sometimes hard to follow with so many characters, especially the French names. I learned a lot of information but the book wasn't too compelling to read.

The Forgotten Names is a historical fiction during WW II in August of 1942. The story takes us through the horror of the Germans coming in, taking Jews away from their children and other family members and brings them to death chambers. Many years later a law student Valerie Potheret began her doctoral research with a concentration on discovering what happened to 108 children who were taken away from there families and managed to escape death. We learn who helped these children against impossible odds. In order for them to survive the mothers of these children had to abandon them. This is a true story, Valerie made it her mission in life to find the real names of the 108 children for the sole purpose of giving them their identity back. It was with the help of Catholic , Protestants, and Jews working together to save the Jewish people. I have received this free and my opinion is my own, I think the author for writing a detailed and authentic book that is important to be read by all. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity!

Valerie Portheret is a law student who is writing her thesis. While she originally wanted to write about Klaus Barbie, she is pulled towards the 108 children who lost their parents to survive.

The book jumps between past and present describing what the children and family went through. Imagine having to give up your child to prevent them from being sent to sure death. Many French Jew parents did this to protect who they loved the most. It also involves Klaus desperately trying to catch the children at the covenant where they were briefly housed at.

This book is about love, survival, and doing what is right. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books about WWII or historical fiction.

I recently finished reading The Forgotten Names. In 1969, I had the opportunity to visit Lyons and the internment camp museum. I did not know about the 108 children at that time, though I wish I had. However, I am glad that I had the chance to read this novel. It added to the somber recollection I have of my visit to Lynn’s, France.
Mr. Escobar described perfectly the horror of this event in history. His depiction of Klaus Barbie was realistic. I had read other accounts of his brutality and his push to become a powerful Nazi leader. Counter that with the story of the heroic people of the Amitié organization in their efforts to save as many children as possible and the author creates a riveting story full of action and examples of self-sacrifice and courage. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

This latest book by Mario Escobar deals with a very specific event during WWII - albeit probably one of several similar events throughout Europe during the war. Set in Lyon, France, the Vichy government continues to appease the Nazis even though they technically do not control this part of France. Lyon is home to many Jewish refugees from other parts of Europe as they flee the German invaders. In the summer of 1942, many of these refugees from other parts of Europe (primarily Jews) are held in the Vennissieux internment camp. In late August, Klaus Barbie, an SS officer who will become well known as one of the most barbaric Nazis, is assigned to Lyon, and although the Germans have no control over this part of France, no one wants to come up against the “occupiers.” When orders come from Berlin to gather up all of the Jews in Lyon for transport to Poland and Germany, a group of French Resistance, social workers, and clergy are drawn together to protect the innocent ones - the children - from being deported to the work/concentration/death camps.

Escobar has incorporated into the book a secondary story line that begins in 1992 with French historian and doctoral candidate Valerie Portheret embarking on a 25 year search to find the children and give them back their identities. According to the author this the genesis for this historical novel. As noted in the afterword, many of the characters are real - with the story built around the heroic efforts in a very short period of time (just a few days).

I requested the ARC of this novel because I have read a few other books by the author, and they have generally been pretty good (and obviously I have rated this book well). The tension that he created around this event was palpable - I had to put the book down and take a deep breath a couple of times! Although the story centered around a few characters, there were many others supporting characters that I sometimes had trouble keeping track of - an issue I have had with Escobar’s earlier books (and in his defense, maybe that comes with the territory). I thank Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Mario Escobar has done it again. I don't know what it is about his books, but I usually shed some tears throughout them. He has been the only author to manage that for me. His books are so well written that you feel as though you are there with the characters and are living through the same thing they are living through.

The Forgotten Names is no different! It was heartbreaking but also shows how even during the darkest time in history, the human spirit still glows just as bright as ever. You can totally see why this story brought tears to my eyes - it shows the best and the worst of what humans have the ability to do other humans - especially the innocent who can't protect or fight for themselves.

I think this should be a must read for everyone - especially those who want to know more about all of the untold stories around WWII

I love the story line - As always when I read a historical fiction novel, I google subjects that I am not familiar with to understand the story better. I learned more about Klaus Barbie whom I was not familiar with his part in the French occupation. However, the book jumped around a little too much. I found the parts with Valerie not as interesting as the story about the children.

Heartbreaking yet shows the resilience of the human spirit during the darkest of times in history. The heroes in this book are the people who risked everything in their compassion to offer help and sanctuary to those in need. I highly recommend this book.

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

In this incredibly well-researched novel, Mario Escobar sheds light on a not well-know story of one woman's efforts to restore the true names to Jewish children who were hidden in Vichy France. In 1992, Valerie Portheret was writing her thesis on Klaus Barbie when she discovered a list of 108 names. When she starts to investigate the list, she discovers that these are the names of children who were hidden so that they could not be deported and sent to concentration camps. Potheret, with the support of her thesis advisor, changes the topic of her thesis and sets out to discover how this event was able to occur since it is well know that the Vichy government collaborated with the Nazis. Portheret spends twenty-five years working to restore the true names to the hidden children and to highlight the hard work and dedication it took to stand up to both the government and the Nazis. Told in two timelines, Escobar spends time addressing the difficulties the individuals faced who coordinated the rescue effort and Portheret's work to restore the identities to the children.