The Jewish Federation Book Club reads The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Despite excellent reviews, our group felt The Book of Lost Names is really a book of missed opportunities. The title gave us expectations for at least one child whose true identity might be revealed later in life. Instead, we got a YA (Young Adult) novel with the Holocaust as a backdrop for romance. Plus, we got a predictable traitor. Another grievance was that Eva, the main character, and her mother, forced readers to endure a repetitive family dynamic of ignorance and miscommunication that never satisfactorily changed.

However, in the novel’s defense, we listed a few positive aspects: the endearing relationship between Eva and her father, the author’s well-researched descriptions of French countryside setting, detailed information on performing forgery (including erasures), and admirable members of the French Resistance such as Rémy, Père Clément, and Genevieve.

If you’re looking for a tame introduction to Nazi atrocities—The Book of Lost Names may do, and this story might have the power to make you cry. However, much of our discussion revolved around other WWII/Resistance literature more worthy of our time. These are examples we highly recommend and have covered here in earlier years: All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, and The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure.

Beth Buechler
Community Contributor

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Upcoming Schedule and Books—All Subject to Change:

• September 7: Spare, non-fiction by Prince Harry

• October 5: Someone Else’s Shoes, a novel by Jojo Moyes

• November 2: Caleb’s Crossing, a novel by Geraldine Brooks

• December 7: Demon Copperhead, a novel by Barbara Kingsolver

• January 4: Death at Greenway, a novel by Lori Rader-Day

• February 1: Sailing at the Edge of Disaster, memoir by Elizabeth Garber

The Federation Book Club meets via Zoom at 4:00 PM on the first Thursdays of every month.