The Book of Lost Names

By: Kristin Harmel

Narrated by: Madeleine Maby

“A fascinating, heartrending page-turner that, like the real-life forgers who inspired the novel, should never be forgotten.” (Kristina McMorris, New York Times best-selling author of Sold on a Monday)

Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this “sweeping and magnificent” (Fiona Davis, best-selling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue) historical novel from the number one international best-selling author of The Winemaker’s Wife.

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books when her eyes lock on a photograph in the New York Times. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in more than 60 years - a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II - an experience Eva remembers well - and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an 18th-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from - or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer, but does she have the strength to revisit old memories?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris and find refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, where she began forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

An engaging and evocative novel reminiscent of The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.

©2020 Kristin Harmel Lietz (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

10 stars

Caught me in the first few minutes. I couldn’t stop listening. Story about people and relationships with in WWII. None of the violence or gore of a lot on the Holocaust book.

A Heartwarming/Heartbreaking Story

What went on during the Holocaust is heartbreaking to anyone that has a soul. However the way everyday people came together to try and stop the atrocities can be heartwarming. This book tells the story of the sacrifices so of those people made. The book tells an amazing story and I am so glad I chose to listen.

A Very Important Part of World War II History

Too often wars are only remembered for their battles,and their heroes are glorified. Hitler and the Nazis taught us lessons that should never be forgotten. The Nazis attempted to wipe out the entire Jewish race. In the end 7 million were killed by them. Men, women,children, and babies in their mothers' arms. I am so glad that this author has written this book about the work of the resistance to move Jewish children to Switzerland, and to safety. Their dedication and faith often made them victims of the Nazis too.

Excellent story line. Excellent writing.

I am constantly amazed by the stories of the everyday people of the French Resistance!

I made an exception and read a WWII book.

And for once, I didn't regret it! Obviously, there are sad parts to this story. But, also there is enough hope mixed in to even the balance. The story moved quickly. Not overwhelmed by too many characters. Just a story of people trying to do good in the face of evil. A broken rule (no WWII stories) for the win!

Heroes of The Holocaust

I am not good at writing reviews but this is an amazing book. There aren’t any parts that are boring or dull. It’s captivating from the first page to the last. To know that there were actually people that gave their lives to help others escape to freedom just makes you wish you could meet them in person and thank them for their sacrifice.
I am so thankful for all the people who sacrificed their lives so I can live in freedom. We should always remember, freedom isn’t free.
JG

Fabulous

One of the best books I have ever read. Thanks for telling the such a timeless story

A must read!

If you only read one book this summer this is it.
Oppression
Loss
Struggle
Hope
Faith
War
Loyalty
Religion
Family
Love

A super romantic novel.

Yes, you can often pretty much guess the impossible events that will unfold to turn expected tragedy into happy endings, but it still was able to bring tears of happiness to my eyes at the final romantic finish.

True war story⁰

Powerful true story about bravery of people in France in Second world war, who helped a large numbers of Jewish children to escape to Swiss, story of a young girl, her life during and after the war.