Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free digital copy.

Just like in the The Winemaker’s Wife, Kristin Harmel has opened up a new facet of WWII history to readers with this story. Diving into the word of forgery is jarring for Eva, the character in this novel, but graceful for readers and Harmel guides you through the unexpected twists and turns of Nazi occupied France. Eva has to grapple with what is safe, what is wise, and what does being true to yourself look like. She has a skill for forging, but she doesn’t want to help erase the Jewish heritage of a generation of French Jewish children fleeing to Switzerland with false papers. Establishing The Book of Lost Names is her solution to preserving identities and making sure those who are too young to remember will have a chance of reconnecting with their past.

Harmel is especially good at portraying the interactions between characters. You feel the push or pull of relationships as you encounter them. Readers of historical fiction will fly through pages to find out the resolution to the story.