As I wrote in my last blog post, I am a member of a
couple of literary Facebook groups. This title, The Book of Lost Names
by Kristin Harmel, is another book that came highly recommended by these
forums. Here is where we meet Eva Abrams, an 86-year-young librarian and a
lifelong bibliophile living in Florida.
The story begins when Eva sees a picture in a newspaper
of a special book, a book that meant everything to her. She claims to be the
rightful owner of the book and wants it back.
From there, we are transported back over 60 years to German-occupied
Paris where Eva lives with her parents. Since they are Jewish, they live with
the relentless threat of the Nazis. After her father is taken by the Nazis, Eva
and her mother sneak out of Paris with fake identification documents that Eva
masterfully created. They embark on an adventurous journey to freedom, but Eva
is determined to return to Paris to help her father escape.
Along the way, Eva meets a Catholic priest or should I
say he finds Eva and tells her they can help each other. Apparently, his church
is part of an escape network that assists those fleeing from the Nazis.
He sought Eva out to work in their operation using her paper falsifying skills.
In exchange, he would help free her father. This proposition presents a moral
dilemma for Eva – Should she stay long-term to work with the priest OR should
she leave to rescue her father.
Upon her return to Paris, Eva witnesses the horrific
conditions in a Nazi internment camp. Deeply disturbed by the sight, she knows
she has to do something about the atrocities. So, Eva starts working at the
church as a forger.
In the meantime, she meets a handsome stranger named Remy
who also produces false documents for the network. He will eventually become
her love interest. Together, they will form a hidden “forgery bureau” in the
church’s secret library. However, Joseph, a young man from Eva’s life in Paris,
unexpectantly shows up as part of the network and rivals Remy for Eva’s
affections.
Doing this work, it became important to Eva that
individuals’ true identities weren’t lost forever, especially those belonging
to children. She didn’t want a whole race of people to be expunged from
history. In response to this wish, Remy invented a complex coding system to
keep track of children's real names and their fake identities, which would be
hidden in an ancient book about Catholic Masses – The Book of Lost Names. This
is the same book Eva sees in the newspaper 60 years later.
At this point, Eva decides to stay on indefinitely
working at the church despite her mother’s disapproval. The narrative suggests
that she will come to regret this decision. So, I'm curious to continue reading
to see what her fate will be.
As I draw closer to the end of the story, I sense sadness
coming. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.
One part of the story that really struck me is when Eva
befriends one of the little refugee girls named Ann. Like Eva, Ann loves books.
The two of them have some heartfelt discussions about the books they have both
read. Eva learns much about the importance of hope from these conversations
with Ann.
If you like historical fiction, The Book of Lost Names
is a wonderful choice. With a page-turning ending full of suspense, intrigue
and danger, it’s a novel that’s extremely well written. Its description of the
impact of books is movingly beautiful in a relatable way. Books changed the
world is what Eva believed. If you’re reading this blog, then I'm sure you
would agree.
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