The Book of Lost Names

The Lost Book of Names
A Novel
by Kristen Harmel
Published in 2020 by Gallery Books

I purchased this book at the beginning of 2020 because the title really grabbed me. I read it during November/December 2020, and finished it on December 24, 2020.
These are my reflections right after finishing.

This might be the last book I finish this year. Hard to believe we are at the end of 2020… and this is only my 9th book to read fully and actually finish this year. I think this fact speaks to my state of mind and all that has transpired this year. On page 379 of this book, the author explains how this book came into being… how it rose from research on something else and a thought/idea that wouldn’t leave her. I appreciated this tid-bit.

Truly, this is a love story… a bit of a fairytale fraught with the reality of historical violence and the will to survive… seeing past what culture carves out for us… and choosing to move forward in spite of our pain… all the while, becoming new beings. A beautiful read.