The Book of Lost Names

In 1942, Eva Traube Abrams is a young Jewish woman forced to flee Paris after her father is arrested. Seeking refuge in a small French mountain town, she takes on a new identity and learns the art of forgery to help Jewish children escape to neutral Switzerland. Eva's delicate and dangerous work in creating false documents is essential for providing these children with new identities, but she soon realises that erasing their real names comes with a heavy price. Alongside a mysterious and handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides to record the original names of the children in a coded book they call The Book of Lost Names.

As their efforts intensify, the resistance cell they work for is betrayed, and Rémy disappears. The preservation of the children's identities becomes more crucial than ever, and the book symbolises hope and resistance against the oppressors. Decades later, the present-day discovery of The Book of Lost Names in a library catalogues Eva as the missing link to unlocking its secrets. Researchers are eager to decipher the codes contained within it, and only Eva holds the key to reuniting those whose lives were detailed in its pages. Will she have the strength to confront her past and reveal the truth?

This instant New York Times bestseller is an unforgettable story of bravery, survival, and the determination to preserve history, even in the face of unspeakable horrors.

If you loved The Book of Lost Names, don't miss Kristin Harmel's The Winemaker's Wife, available now.

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People Magazine, in its "20 Best Books to Read This Summer", calls it a heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism centred on a female forger who risks everything to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France.

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review, praises it as brilliantly imagined... This thoughtful work will touch readers with its testament to the endurance of hope.

Booklist commends Harmel for illuminating heartbreakingly real but forgotten stories from WW2, blended with a dash of suspense and romance.

According to Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author, it's a fascinating, heartrending page-turner.

Bookbub notes that this moving novel will resonate with readers who love World War II stories about courage, survival, and resilience.

getliterary.com describes it as smart, evocative, and utterly engrossing.

Goodreads readers find it to be an engaging and evocative novel, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.

theuncorkedlibrarian.com ranks it as one of my favourite July 2020 book releases and appreciates its discussion of identity, themes of religion, family, selflessness, and nationhood.

This fabulous read will captivate you, leaving a lasting impression long after you close the final chapter.

With its richly drawn characters, authentic historical detail, and heartrending narrative, The Book of Lost Names is a remarkable tribute to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.