TUESDAY AFTERNOON BOOK CLUB 

The Tuesday Afternoon Book club met last week to discuss the monthly selection, “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel.  

Eva Traube Abrams, a Florida librarian, sees a photograph in a newspaper and instantly recognizes it as the book she has not seen in many years – “The Book of Lost Names”.  The book was stolen by the Nazis during World War II and contains a mysterious code that researchers can’t decipher. Eva knows the code but wonders if she has the strength to revisit old memories.  

In 1942 Eva escapes Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew.  Finding refuge in a small community in the Free zone, she learns to recreate false identity documents for Jewish children escaping to neutral Switzerland.  With the help of another forger, Remy, Eva finds a way to preserve the real names of the children too young to remember their true identities.  The encoded record she keeps, The Book of Lost Names, becomes even more important as the German efforts increase.  As the Germans overrun the library where Eva works she flees for her life not knowing if she will ever see the book or her co-workers again. 

This is a historical novel inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II.  Author Kristin Harmel did extensive research about the War.  This is her fifth book about this time period.  She shares historical facts and develops engaging characters while weaving an interesting story at the same time. Book Club members enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction.  
Stop by the LeRoy Public Library to check out this book or one of the others by author, Kristin Harmel.    

NOTE:  Library hours have changed.  The LeRoy Public Library is open Monday from 10 AM to 7 PM.  Tuesday – Thursday 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday mornings from 9 until 12.