Uncover the Past with "The Book of Lost Names" by Kristin Harmel

D. Dart: If you enjoy learning about history and desire to go beyond knowing knowing their life’s but also feel their lifés, then by all means read this book.

United States on Sep 27, 2023

JLI: World War Two drama about the bravery and ingenuity of a young Jewish Parisienne displaced woman who hides out in a small Provençal Catholic town. Her heart and her wits keep her alive, as she fights her enemy with her skills and moxie!

United States on Sep 20, 2023

1sue2dogs: This was chosen by one of my BookClub friends. It is involved, frightening at times, touching and I have just reread and cried again!! Books don’t usually have this effect on me. It is amazing.

United Kingdom on Sep 17, 2023

Virginia O. Record: This is the second of Kristin Harmel's books that I have read, preceded by The Paris Daughter. Ms. Harmel once again weaves a tale that culminates in a twist. What I admire most about Ms. Harmel's work is the length to which she goes to research in order to authenticate the story line. This is a masterful read, and I highly recommend it. Next up: The Winemaker's Wife.

United States on Sep 14, 2023

Candi: This book has been on my must read list for awhile. I'm glad I finally read it. Harmel's descriptions of the characters and settings in the novel took me back to a tragic piece of history and kept me spellbound. Wonderfully written. I can't wait to read another one of her novels.

United States on Sep 13, 2023

Natasha: This is a new to me author, and I am so glad I took a chance on this book. I have been enjoying WWII era books, and this did not disappoint. Such a difficult time in history to read about, and even though this was fictional, knowing that there were real people willing to make such sacrifices to help others is amazing. I shed many tears reading it, and enjoyed the ending, though I would have enjoyed another chapter. Definitely recommend.

United States on Sep 02, 2023

Rosemary Realph: I enjoyed reading this book and found tears come to my eyes at times. I would have liked to have awarded it the 5 stars but felt it really only worth the 4 stars. I felt in places it was quite far fetched. Although it was great to see Eva reunited with Remy at the end I wondered if this could be for real! Maybe I am a cynic? I also felt Eva made some rather impulsive decisions that really jeopardised her safety and also other
persons, which made her a sitting " duck" to be followed by the Nazis.

Australia on Aug 16, 2023

Cat: Really enjoyed this book. The love story woven between the sadness of what happened in France during WWII and how people banded together to help others was beautifully written. I loved all the facts thrown in too, such as how they forged the paperwork. Definitely recommend.

United Kingdom on Aug 11, 2023

L Straughan: I don't normally review books very often. However, this story really moved me. I could not put it down. I cannot recommend this writer enough.

Spain on Jul 18, 2023

Angie67: 4,5 stars!
What can I say! Another wonderful Historical Fiction. I loved that the story was told from right in the thick of the war, with the MC roaming the streets with false papers while Germans where lurking on every street corner ready to uncover her false identity. Many of the previous books I've read in this genre was told from the resistance point of view or from those deciphering secret codes at Bletchley Park, so this was an interesting change.

The story centers around Eva a young Polish Jew who’s father is arrested and deported by the French police. Collecting an old favour from one of her father's friends, she manages to forge her own documents and those of her mother’s and flee into the Free Zone. Her talent for forging documents doesn’t go unnoticed by the resistance and soon Eva finds herself helping a priest and a young Frenchman forge papers to help Jewish children escape to neutral Switzerland.

As in many historical novels, the story is told with a double timeline that jumps from 1942 to 2005, when Eva, now an 86-year-old librarian, finally discovers the whereabouts of a mysterious coded book from her past that only she can...

Italy on Nov 02, 2021