The Book of Lost Names

Heartwarming book of resistance fighters in France during WWII. Specifically, a group of people committed to forging identity documents so that mostly Jews (especially children) and others could flee the country. The focus is on a young woman, Eva, and how she came to flee Paris with her mother after her father was arrested. The story begins with Eva in the current day when she reads about “The Book of Lost Names” that is among thousands of books in Germany that the country is trying to reunite with their owners. It is a very old religious tome in which Eva wrote everyone's true name and new name into it in code. She always dreamed that someday the children could be reunited with their true family or at least know their true identity if there was no family to return to. Of course Eva falls in love with a fellow fighter, not without its pitfalls, and their relationship is a wonderful aspect of the story. Highly recommend.

Really enjoyed this story! I was hooked from the start. The characters were all really likeable (except for one!). I'm going to look at other books she's written now.

There was some time between putting this on hold on Libby and listening to it. I forgot about the Holocaust connection and wasn't prepared for it. While there are intense scenes, it is not graphically violent. This is a masterfully written book, in my opinion. 

There are so many life scenarios in this book that are magnified by the war, but are coming to many of us in peaceful times, as well. I thought Harmel does a fantastic job of illustrating them. The characters are richly written and I wanted to know how their stories would unfold. Not just the main character, but many of the supporting cast, as well. 

This story made me think and brought up strong feelings for me. This doesn't fall into my typical reading selection, but I'm glad I branched out and stick with this one, even though I wasn't sure I would want to when feeling the reality of the Holocaust in Paris.