The Book of Lost Names

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Think about other books you may have read that feature female Allied resistance in World War II and where libraries play an important role. For instance, The Librarian Spy, The Keeper of Hidden Books, or The Paris Library. How does this book compare with others in this genre?
• Why do you think a love story is told alongside a war story? How does the love story alter the war story, and vice versa?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The book begins with 86-year-old Eva recognizing a book from her twenties in the newspaper. As an adult, have you ever had a surprise encounter with something that was meaningful to you in childhood or young adulthood? What was the object and its meaning? How does it relate to Eva’s emotional experience with the Book of Lost Names?
• In one of Eva’s moments of doubt, meeting with the Jewish children she is forging documents for helps renew her resolve. What gets you through your moments of doubt?
• At the end of the book, Eva and Rémy reunite after decades apart, showing that you are never too old to begin a new journey. Is there anything you are interested in that you previously thought you couldn’t start due to your age or other external circumstances? Does Eva and Rémy’s story encourage you to start these interests anyways?
• Numerous characters in the novel sacrifice themselves for what they consider the greater good. What do you think goes into someone’s decision to sacrifice themselves in this way? What do you think about the concept of “the greater good”? How do you think you would act if you were a character in the story?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Consider bringing in historical stories of real women who fought with the Allied resistance in World War II, either inside or outside libraries. How does Eva’s experience compare with theirs?
• Why is Eva’s Jewish identity important to the story? How would it change if she did not have Polish Jewish heritage?
• As a Jewish woman in the 1940s, Eva is oppressed and marginalized in multiple ways. What positive examples and messages can marginalized people today take from her story?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• What do you think is the purpose of dividing the book into two temporal settings, World War II-era France and contemporary America? How does this structure create tension in the plot?
• How does Eva’s role as eldest daughter inform her character? Would her character be different if she did not have these responsibilities?
• The novel doesn’t take place in a large, occupied city like Paris but the small town of Aurignon. Why is this setting important to the novel’s tone and plot?
• How does Eva’s story follow the format of the hero’s journey? In what ways does it deviate from the hero’s journey, and are those deviations important?
• The most important symbol in the book is the eponymous Book of Lost Names, and it symbolizes many things. What are some things you think it symbolizes?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• While the reader knows what happens in Eva’s life between the end of the war and her reuniting with Rémy decades later, we do not know what happens to Rémy. Based on what you know of his character and history, what do you imagine his life was like during these years?
• The book ends with Eva and Rémy reuniting. Though they are in their eighties, the novel implies it is only the beginning of their story. What do you think would come next for the couple if the story continued?

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