The Forgotten Names

A Tale of Heroism and Reclaiming Identity in Nazi-Occupied France

By: Mario Escobar

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

For fans of The Book of Lost Names and The Way We Hide!

In August 1942, French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. Fifty years later, it becomes one woman's mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to.

Five years after the highly publicized trial of Klaus Barbie, the "Butcher of Lyon," law student Valérie Portheret began her doctoral research into the 108 children who disappeared from Vénissieux fifty years earlier, children who somehow managed to escape deportation and certain death in the German concentration camps. She soon discovers that their rescue was no unexplainable miracle. It was the result of a coordinated effort by clergy, civilians, the French Resistance, and members of other humanitarian organizations who risked their lives as part of a committee dedicated to saving those most vulnerable innocents.

Theirs was a heroic act without precedent in Nazi-occupied Europe, made possible due to a loophole in the Nazi agenda to deport all Jewish immigrants from the country: a legally recognized exemption for unaccompanied minors. Therefore, to save their children, the Jewish mothers of Vénissieux were asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of abandoning them forever.

Told in dual timelines, The Forgotten Names is a reimagined account of the true stories of the French men and women who have since been named Righteous Among the Nations, the children they rescued, the stifled cries of shattered mothers, and a law student, whose twenty-five-year journey allowed those children to reclaim their heritage and remember their forgotten names. With its gripping narrative and thought-provoking themes, The Forgotten Names is a must-read for history enthusiasts and book clubs alike. Dive deeper into the novel with included discussion questions, a historical timeline, and insightful author notes.

Also by author: Auschwitz Lullaby, Children of the Stars, Remember Me, The Librarian of Saint-Malo, The Teacher of Warsaw, and The Swiss Nurse

Audio read by Saskia Maarleveld, narrator of The Rose Code, Wild Dark Shore, God of the Woods, and more.

The willingness of good people to give their lives for the rights and lives of others.

Horror and evil were written about with detailing violence. Hope was conveyed in the midst of despair
.

It was based on true events

like would have liked a different ending but it was interesting . maybe I just wanted more

listened in a day, great lidten.

Thank you for writing this book. I will now go research this story. All of your books a heartfelt.

Amazing book I want to share with others

Based on true events. Restored my faith in humanity. The horrors of WWII and the hearts of humans of many faiths and backgrounds working toward a common goal to save other humans even if risking their own lives.

A good listen

The story was great and as I would have like to hear more the restoration of the names but I really enjoyed the book