The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel – Book Review

If you love historical fiction you will love ‘The Book of Lost Names’ by Kristin Harmel, one of the most anticipated new books for 2020. Inspired by a true story set in World War II, a woman who has an artistic talent for drawing turns to forgery to help hundreds of Jewish children flee from the Nazi’s to safety in Switzerland.

The story begins in present day and has the main character, Eva Traube Abrams, traveling back to Paris after all these years to retrieve ‘The Book of Lost Names’ which has recently been found among stolen war belongings. While traveling, Eva reminisces about growing up in France, attending college, her family and friends, especially those lost during the war. She remembers how she came to secretly work for the Resistance and the people she worked with eventually grew to be her family. The Book of Lost Names was created by Eva and Remy, a handsome, mysterious forger she worked with, to preserve the original names of children too young to remember who they really were or where they came from. The hope was that after the war families could be reunited.

Throughout the story we learn of Eva and Remy’s close relationship and their struggles during war times. What happens to Eva and Remy? How is the book stolen and by whom? A wonderfully written story that captures your attention from page one. You will not want to put it down. ‘The Book of Lost Names’ is my favorite read of 2020 so far.