A book review of The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. A captivating, historical fiction novel based on a true story. Fans of WWII fiction will love this.
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The One where They Save the Children!
This post is my personal, honest review of The Book of Lost Names!
The Book of Lost Names
A Novel by Kristin Harmel
Starting this year off with The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. This is Historical Fiction at its best. Inspired by an incredible true story, this beautifully written page turner is a must read. The Book of Lost Names tells the story of a young woman, whose talent for forgeries helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis.
Decades later she is reminded of those days when a book with strange code resurfaces. This empowering read shows the bravery, selflessness and creativity a small-town librarian is capable of. It is a story of how one person can make a significant difference in this world.
We are all about embracing and living LIFE to the fullest. The Book of Lost Names is the perfect read to lift up your spirit.
So without furter ado, here is our JANUARY 2023 Book Club Pick.
Happy Reading!!!
The Book of Lost Names Summary
- from the publisher
Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this unforgettable historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the “epic and heart-wrenching World War II tale” (Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times bestselling author) The Winemaker’s Wife.
Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books one morning when her eyes lock on a photograph in a magazine lying open nearby. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in sixty-five years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.
The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer—but will she have the strength to revisit old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?
Book Details:
Title: The Book of Lost Names
Author: Kristin Harmel
Publisher: Gallery Books
Print Length: 400 pages
Publication Date: July, 2020
Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Women Fiction
Where to Buy: Amazon; Bookshop; Barnes & Noble; Setting: Paris
The Book of Lost Names Review
-Spoiler Free
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is one of those books that I know will stay in my mind for years to come. An emotional read, the story gave me all the feels. It has a great flow and is hard to put down. I especially love the plot twists, some of which I was hoping for, others I never saw coming. Either way they were both shocking and delightful.
"You can’t judge a person by their language or their place of origin—though it seems that each new generation insists upon learning that lesson for itself. "
Kristin Harmel, The Book of Lost Names
I fell in love with Kristin Harmel's writing style, character development and world building. This was the first book I read written by her, but I know it will not be the last. I can't wait to get lost in the pages of her other works. The ending left me speachless and the chapters leading up to it were a rollercoaster of emotions. The Book of Lost Names is a must read historical fiction story that speaks of the power of love, family, community and sacrifice for the greater good.
About the Author and What to Read Next
Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world.
Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in numerous other magazines, including American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. She sold her first novel in 2004, and it debuted in February 2006.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
Book Recomendations for Fans of
The Book of Lost Names
If you loved The Book of Lost Names you should check out these other titles by Jennie Marts. Highly rated and full of sweet romance her work will leave you wanting more.
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Final Thoughts
The Book of Lost Names is not a light read, but it is one that I highly recommend and personally love. It pulls at the heart strings and leaves the reader wanting more. There are some characters that arguably are a bit too much and frankly annoying, but that's what makes it even better for me. Who in real life has not met and had to deal with such characters. So if you love stories about love, survival, family and history, take out the tissues and take this journey with Eva, learning about the imortant, life altering work WWII forgers did and the price they had to pay. Hand on tight. It is quite the ride.
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