THE FORGOTTEN NAMES has been one of the most difficult books to read that I’ve ever encountered. The author interweaves two true stories from different time periods. One is the effort to save 108 French Jewish children from deportation to a concentration camp during World War II, where they faced certain annihilation (an event known to history as The Night of Venissieux. The second story focuses on a doctoral candidate who chooses the children's story for her dissertation, and winds up more emotionally enthralled than she expected.

It’s 1942 in the French city of Lyon. Nazi Germany’s determination to eliminate all European Jews is ramping up. Quotas have been set and the collaborative French government at Vichy (headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain 1856-1951) is responsible for making sure police round up enough Jews, of all ages, to meet those quotas. For French anti-semites, deportation can’t happen soon enough. But, amid growing rumors of Nazi death camps, there are also those (mostly non-Jews) who believe the moment has come where they must fight back against the Germans.

A small group of French citizens and a few religious leaders from the Catholic Church (including famous Jewish-born priest, Father Alexandre Glasberg 1902-81) come up with a plan to save as many Jewish children as possible from deportation. They will provide the children with new identities and hide them within non-Jewish families. Though forced to separate children from their parents, the organizers hope that these children will have a chance to survive the war and live the lives all children are entitled to live.

The chief villain of the story is the local Nazi commander Klaus Barbie (1913-1991) whose post-war nickname became the “Butcher of Lyon.” His fanatical commitment to finding the missing children, meeting the deportation quotas, and using any means to force information from human beings take the novel to very dark places.

You can see why this story is so powerful, illustrating both the best and worst of what we human beings can do to and for one another. The writing of the book, however, was not as strong. The weaving together of the two storylines seemed clunky to me. And what I found worse was some of Mario Escobar’s dialog which often felt stilted and NOT believable. He succumbed too often to the author’s temptation to insert his own opinions in heavy-handed. Also totally unnecessary since the story makes every point all on its own.

The intricacies of this very dangerous rescue mission, the horrific sacrifices made by the children's doomed parents, the generosity of those who welcomed young strangers into their homes, and the price some of the rescuers paid for their involvement — all makes for very difficult, dramatic, and emotional reading. I found I could only stay with the book for short periods before having to take a break.

Overall, this is a remarkable story I knew nothing about before reading THE FORGOTTEN NAMES. But it requires a strong stomach. So, just be warned.

The premise of The Forgotten Names really intrigued me, as I am an avid reader of WWII fiction. I was even more interested in the story, as it is based on true events. However, the information in the book was a little overwhelming. I liked the writing style, so I will be reading some of the author's other books.

This book was both educational and heartbreaking. I've read numerous books on this time period and knew about the German families who took in jewish children to save them from certain death. What I did not know what the story of the French who did this as well. It's heartbreaking to imagine the pain the mothers and fathers felt as they gave up their children to be adopted, knowing they would never see them again, but also knowing and hoping that their children would live on while they themselves were facing certain death. This story has all the elements that make a book memorable. Courage, bravery and raw, pure love are displayed in this wonderful book. I often ask myself, what would I have done in that situation? Both as a jew or as a fellow countryman seeing what was happening. Could I have given my child to a stranger, never to see them again but hoping that choice saves their life, or would I be willing to risk the lives of my family to take in a child that could very well bring danger to my home? It's hard to imagine, but this is in fact what hundreds of thousands families faced.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. It will give you a glimpse into the lives of both heroes and those persecuted for simply being born.

This is the second book that I have read by Mario Escobar. Both books cover difficult subject matter and he does it well. Both books are historical fiction of difficult periods in history. His writing kept me interested throughout the book.

Such a haunting story of parents forced to make the heartbreaking decision to relinquish their rights to their children in order to save their lives. It is almost beyond comprehension how the Nazi regime could be so vile and shockingly cruel to commit such atrocities on women, the old and infirm, innocent children and those trying to help them. However, in spite of all the horrors, the book points out the power of love and sacrifice on both the parents and those working tirelessly to save the lives of those children. Hope is a powerful thing and should never be extinguished from the human heart making it crucial this story, and others like it, be told and not forgotten. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harper Muse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was quite interested in reading this book as the inspiration for it sounds fascinating. I’ve read a lot of WW2 fiction and am always looking for more. Unfortunately, this book was disappointing. There were so many names and storylines to keep track of, I kept getting confused. It also read more like non-fiction narrative than a fiction story, which takes a lot of the emotion and connection from it. It’s still an interesting topic, and I’m glad I read it, but it’s not a great book for me.

The Forgotten Names
by Mario Escobar
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the aRC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In August 1942, French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. Fifty years later, it becomes one woman’s mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to.
I have read a lot of books in this genre. I was hoping for something more and I ended up being disappointed but maybe the experience will be different for you.
Told in dual timelines this account of true events is both sad and captivating. It is very well-said to keep our interest at its peak and us pushing on. It is chilling story that places us in the zone where Klaus Barbie was the German commander who ruled Lyon, France with an iron fist and did not hesitated to torture anyone. We do have graphic scenes to make the point. Of course this story is not fun to read, seeing the Jewish population hunted and shipped to concentration and children taken from their parents in order to save them is heartbreaking.

I have probably read more fiction set in WWII than in any other area, so I am always on the lookout for stories that have not yet been told. When I read the synopsis of this book and learned that it would tell the story of a group of children who were saved from deportation from France to the German concentration camps thanks to the work of a group of committed citizens, I was intrigued, especially when I found out that the story is based on real events and real people.

Unfortunately, my expectations far exceeded the reality. I think that this story would have much more effectively told in the form of narrative nonfiction. As a work of fiction, even using the real events and real names of some of the people involved, it doesn't seem very real. For starters, there are just too many people and too many names to keep track of everyone, and often names of people are given who appear in just one scene in the book. I understand that the point of telling this story is to make the names known, but giving a name just for the sake of giving it, without telling us the story of the person behind the name, really doesn't do much for me as a reader. I also found that even the characters who appear again and again are very one-dimensional. Ironically, the only character who really gets fleshed out a bit is Klaus Barbie, probably the worst of the villains, but even he gets relatively short shrift. All in all, everything felt rushed and superficial, like I was reading a draft of a story and not the final work. Moreover, nothing felt quite real to me; the dialogue felt too modern and even the descriptions of what people were eating felt ridiculous given that there was a war on.

I am glad that I learned about this act of bravery on the part of the priests, social workers, and everyday French men and women who helped to save these children, though I don't think their efforts have been done justice by this book. I'm thankful that some references are given for further reading at the end so that I can learn more and get a better sense of what happened in Lyon, France, in the last days of August 1942.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book will be published July 11, 2024.

I need to begin this review with some disclaimers. First, I, too, like Valerie in The Forgotten Names have suffered through detailed, mind numbing research in pursuit of a Ph.D. Success is not getting lost in the numbers or data, but truly caring about your topic. This was key to Valerie as well as the central characters in Lyon who put together a plan in the face of incredible odds to save children from Vénissieux. From the publisher, "Theirs was a heroic act without precedent in Nazi-occupied Europe." The real life dedication of these saviors is painted vividly, so much so that the reader can see their actions and tears. The mother in me can barely comprehend the gut wrenching decisions to be made by the families. My other disclaimer is that while I am not Jewish, I grew up near a very large Jewish community. I've seen Holocaust survivors and the numbers stenciled on their arms. Their fortitude is beyond understanding and a testament to the beauty of honor, morals, and truth. Mr. Escobar, we are indebted to you for your crafting of a historically accurate portrayal of one of the darkest times in our history.

Historical fiction at is best.
Escobar takes a true story and brings it to life in incredibly moving yet heartbreaking. style.
When a graduate student is deciding on her thesis, she becomes mesmerized with the story of
the French children who were sent away to find safety during the summer of 1942 through the French Resistance movement.
Mothers who were in a prison camp with their children were asked to sign away parental rights so the
children could be moved, through the Resistance group, to families who would take them in with the hope of
reuniting them when the war was over. The camp was being cleared the next day and everyone was being moved to
what they believed would be their death.
The Resistance with the help of a local convent, worked out a plan to label the children as unaccompanied minors,
thereby exempting them from the move.
The story is intense and completely riveting. You are introduced to some of the people who made up the Resistance
as well as the back stories of the children.
The Third Reich's inhumanity and revolting total disregard for anything or anyone not German runs rampant through the
pages and though we all know the story well, it pays to revisit it and remind of ourselves of why we can not ever stand by
and watch such atrocities occur ever again.
And those this is called fiction, we all know these horrors did happen.
Kudos to all those people who stood up and took a stand and tried to make a difference in a barbaric society.
Wonderful one sitting read.

I really enjoyed the story told in the past during the 1940's - there was a lot of detail and characters but I feel like it added to the overall telling of the story. The section told in the present on the research for the student's PHD seemed unnecessary and I didn't understand how it aided in the overall re-telling of the story. Overall I enjoyed reading and learning about this period in history and it was well written.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very emotional, powerful read. The Jewish children that were captured and ultimately rescued from the clutches of the German Nazis is a heartbreaking retelling. Very good read. highly recommend. I was given an advanced reader copy of this well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

This book started out slowly and it took me a bit to get into it. Bu when it picked up I enjoyed it. I knew a bit about the French government’s cooperation with the Nazis during WWII but was until now unaware of the extent of that cooperation. Due to the herculean efforts of a group of French Resistors, clergy, and ordinary citizens, 108 Jewish children were secretly ushered out of a Lyon camp on the very night they were to be sent back to Germany to face death. The story of the escape and its aftermath was riveting. It was interesting to learn in the author’s note that most of the characters in the book were based on real people. Unfortunately there were so many of them that it was hard to keep their stories straight. A solid 3 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Muse for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite genre of books is WWII. I have read many and have never read one about the Jewish children of Vénissieux and how the French of Lyon helped to save them and hide them from the Nazis. I would love to read more about this subject. However, I had a hard time getting through this book. There were so many characters and at times it read more like a textbook than a based on true events novel. I liked the shorter chapters but felt that there wasn’t a good flow between chapters. I finished it but will do my own research on the subject matter and see if I can find other books that cover it, Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy for my honest review.

This story was heartbreaking and powerful. It was an important novelization about a horrific topic. This was a compelling historical fiction read

I received an ARC of this book from Harper Muse via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am always intrigued by WWII historical fiction. I had never heard of the Vénissieux children, and after reading this book, I will certainly make an effort to learn more about the topic. It is also unusual for historical fiction that so many characters are actually real!

Unfortunately, I am only giving 3 stars as the story was very disjointed and hard to follow. There were SO many characters that by the time I got to a character's next chapter, I didn't remember who that person was. In addition, and hopefully this is just because I had an ARC and not a final copy, the text on my Kindle was very messed up, which made reading even more difficult.

I would be interested to read this in the original language and see which issues remain. Perhaps it is easier to follow in the author's original words.

The Forgotten Names is one of the most engrossing books I've ever read (and I read at least 150 books a year.) I was born two weeks before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the event that forced the United States to enter World War II. One of my first memories is that of my father and uncles returning from the war, so the chaos of life during WWII has always held great fascination for me. The recovery from that war provided the context of my childhood.

This story brings to light one amazing example of the heroism of good people who band together to save the most vulnerable from the unchecked power of evil. There are so many stories of good conquering evil, but this is one of the most memorable. It is a story of redemption, selflessness, and eternal good. It is a story that shows how ordinary people often show extraordinary courage and creativity when they are faced with seemingly unconquerable odds. Simultaneous to the horrifying and edifying story unfolding in 1942, the author tells of a modern-day heroine who determines to give back to those rescued children their heritage and their names that were lost in 1942 to save their lives.

This story is so remarkable it would likely touch readers even if told badly; but, thankfully, a very skilled writer spent the time and energy needed to research and write, revise, edit, and polish a profoundly evocative account of this amazing side-story of World War II.

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I have read several of Mario Escobar's books and have found them to be well-researched and well-written as well as hard to put down. I read this in one afternoon, mostly because it was an emotional read for me as a mother to read about the transports to work camps and the likely deaths of the Jewish children. The parents sign away their rights to the children in an attempt to get exemptions for their children to be left behind in France and not be sent out of the country. It's really a heartbreaking read that the Nazis were willing to murder children on top of the other atrocities they committed. The bright light and hope in this book are the adults who risked their own lives to save these 108 children.

When I see Mario Escobar has a new book available I simply have to get it, he never missed a beat and has always giving us historical facts mixed into a good story. Again he didn’t fail...

The story in a few words:

August 1942

French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. To save them, Jewish mothers of Vénissieux were asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of abandoning them forever. The result of a coordinated effort by clergy, civilians, the French Resistance and members of other humanitarian organizations 108 children somehow managed to escape deportation and certain death in the German concentration camps.

Early 1990’s

Student Valérie Portheret in the midst of doing her doctoral research into the 108 children who disappeared from Vénissieux fifty years earlier made it her mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to. It took her a twenty-five year journey to allow the children to reclaim their heritage and remember their forgotten names.

My thoughts:

Told in dual timelines this account of true events is both sad and captivating. It is very well-said to keep our interest at its peak and us pushing on. It is chilling story that places us in the zone where Klaus Barbie was the German commander who ruled Lyon, France with an iron fist and did not hesitated to torture anyone. We do have graphic scenes to make the point. Of course this story is not fun to read, seeing the Jewish population hunted and shipped to concentration and children taken from their parents in order to save them is heartbreaking.

Although the conversation is fictionalized and the timeline may be out of sync, the characters are real and the events well documented. The timeline for those who hate this, the back and forth is on occasion and I felt it did not interfered with the flow. The chapters are short and the narration active. “The Forgotten Names” is well-said and well-done.

This is the rare historical novel that emphasizes the history but also works on the narrative through lines. There are two: the time around 1942 and the rise of Nazi control of the area around Lyon France, and the efforts of some very otherwise ordinary people to protect about 100 children from being exported to the death camps. These 100 form the basis of the novel's title and the second time period of the current era when a French law student takes it upon herself to document who was involved and to try to reconnect with them and recognize what they went through. The book documents how everyday people performed heroic acts but were lost to the sands of time and shifting circumstances. Most of us are familiar with the actions of Schindler in Poland to save hundreds of Jews but the efforts of the Venissieux neighbors who managed to convince parents to relinquish their rights as they were being rounded up by the Nazi deserves to be told. The parents knew that many of them would never see their kids every again, although a few did survive the death camps and were eventually reunited. The book's power is in its verisimilitude and the very real people -- although of course the dialogue and some of the events have been created to fit the narrative. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or WWII-era stories, this book is a must read.