Book Title: The Book of Lost Names
Author: Kristin Harmel
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Historical Fiction
Eva, the smart young Jewish forger in Kristin Harmel’s book The Book of Lost Names, may be made up, but the work she did and the risks she took during World War II were real. Among the most famous forgers were Adolfo Kaminsky (1925–) and Alice Cohn (1914–2000), who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews.
There’s a certain value to being able to change when necessary. Otherwise, we’d never grow. – Eva
In between scenes set in France during WWII and 2005, the story goes back and forth between Eva’s memories and the problems she faced during the war. Though set in one of the worst times in history, the book is a moving look at love, loss, and suffering. People who worked in the Resistance and went to great steps to save others are shown in this book.
Remember that God’s plan for you might be different from the plan you have yourself. – Pere Clement
The book stresses how important names and identities are. If you change a child’s name to save them, you might also be wiping out their past. “The Book of Lost Names” is a way to keep those names alive.
We weren’t defined by the names we carry or the religion we practice, or the nation whose flag flies over our heads. – Eva
The book stresses the necessity to remember things, like personal experiences, names that have been lost, or the horrible things that happened in the Holocaust. People and communities can learn and heal by facing and keeping these memories.
There’s a danger in being principled in the midst of a war, but I believe that it’s more dangerous not to be. – Reme
Throughout the book, people have to make moral choices. When people are at war, they have to make tough decisions. This story doesn’t shy away from the muddy areas of those decisions, like working with the enemy or giving up something important to help others.
Parents make all sorts of errors because our ability to raise children is always colored by the lives we’ve lived before they come along. Tatus
I love how the book shows how reading can help people, especially kids, feel hopeful about the future and calm right now.
Once you have fallen in love with books, there presence can make you feel at home anywhere, even in places where you shouldn’t belong. – Eva.
You reading this deserve to know that this story will end with a smile.
About the Book
Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, comes across a photograph in a newspaper of a book she recognizes from her past. It is a book that she and her fellow forger, Rémy, had used during World War II to keep records of Jewish children they helped to escape from Nazi-occupied France. These children’s names were changed to protect their identities, and the titular “Book of Lost Names” contains coded records of their real names.
Eva was a graduate student in Paris studying literature before she had to flee with her mother to the free zone. Their journey leads them to Aurignon, where Eva becomes involved in the Resistance. Here, she uses her skills to forge documents for Jewish children who are being smuggled into Switzerland. Alongside her in this mission is Rémy, and the two share a complicated romantic relationship.
You should add this book to your reading list if you like historical fiction as much as I do. A huge gratitude to my book club, Book Chickas, for introducing me and making this stunning work our September Book of the Month.
Have you read the book? I love to hear what you think!
Read More of my Book Reviews Here
More of my book musings and flexing
https://www.instagram.com/geemizbooks/
Let Us Connect:
I’m on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkedIn