The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is a story
of the French Resistance, the underground network which worked to fight against
the Germans during the French occupation. The story opens in May 2005 when a
German librarian is featured in newspapers as he announces that he wishes to
return the books the Nazis looted from their rightful owners. An elderly woman
sees the article and recognizes the book the librarian is holding is hers! She
sets out to Berlin to retrieve the book and remembers the events which centers
around it. The story then rewinds to France, 1942 when Eva Traube is a student
living with her parents. She gets a warning from a friend that the police are
rounded up the Jews and shipping them off. Not heeding the warning, Eva’s
father is taken in the night and Eva and her mother must now run for their
lives. They reach the small village in the Free Zone where Eva becomes a member
of the underground network and their dangerous work against the Germans. Will
Eva be safe? Will she survive? Will she be reunited with her father?
The Book of Lost Names is a gripping, heartbreaking
and inspirational story of a people’s resilience and fortitude to fight back.
From the opening chapter to the final pages, Ms. Harmel takes the reader on a
journey of heartbreak and danger. Every character was great. Even the villains
with their nasty attitudes are those you love to hate. I loved Eva with her
courage and resolve although she was a bit naïve at times. Based on the real
French Resistance, it captivated me as I realized that people did fight back
and at the cost of their lives to save many more. It is hard to imagine the
strength and courage these people had to risk life and limb for their cause. As
one character notes, “With courage and a bit of faith,” the individuals of the
Resistance did what they could to fight back, never truly knowing if it would
work or if they would survive. Many of the events and attitudes in the book are
eerily similar to events happening today and it saddens me that we still
haven’t learned our lesson. I highly recommend The Book of Lost Names.
The Book of Lost
Names
is available in
hardcover, eBook, and audiobook
No comments:
Post a Comment