Publishers Weekly
★ 05/11/2020
Harmel (The Winemaker’s Wife) brilliantly imagines the life of a young Polish-French Jewish woman during the depths of WWII. In 2005, Eva Traube, 86, lives in Winter Park, Fla., and works at the library, where she reads a newspaper story about a man in Germany returning rare books looted by the Nazis to WWII survivors. The story includes a photo of a book that once belonged to her, prompting her to leave immediately for Berlin. Harmel then transitions back to 1940s France, when 23-year-old Eva and her mother escape the roundups in Paris and end up in the tiny town of Aurignon. Eva meets document forger Rémy Duchamp, who draws her into the Resistance; Remy trains Eva, and the two inevitably grow closer as they work to provide papers for those fleeing the Nazi regime. Eva and Rémy devise a method of recording the names of unaccompanied escaping children, coding each name in an old library book, which Eva saw in the newspaper story. Now in Berlin, Eva hopes to recover and decode the names, and learn the fate of Rémy. Harmel movingly illustrates Eva’s courage to risk her own life for others, and all of the characters are portrayed with realistic compassion. This thoughtful work will touch readers with its testament to the endurance of hope. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (July)
Booklist
Harmel’s previous historical novels, including The Winemaker's Wife (2019), illuminate heartbreakingly real but forgotten stories from World War II, blended with a dash of suspense and romance, and this does the same. Recommend to fans of romantic historical fiction, including All the Ways We Said Goodbye (2020)."
Armando Lucas Correa
With exceptional skill, Kristin Harmel constructs The Winemaker's Wife between the past and the present, giving equal weight and importance to both, all the while weaving a tale full of secrets and betrayals that puts to the test mankind's strength, fragility and vileness. Once you start reading this moving novel, you will not be able to put it down until you reach the last page.
Anita Hughes
"Written in heart-wrenching prose, THE WINEMAKER'S WIFE is a complex story of love, betrayal and impossible courage set in the champagne growing region of France during World War II. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and savored every moment at the same time."
bestselling author Barbara Taylor Sissel
"A story of courage and love in unimaginable circumstances."
New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin on THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING
Kristin Harmel writes with such insight and heart that her characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished her books.”
NYTimes bestselling author Mariah Stewart
"Reminiscent of The Nightingale and The Map of the Heart, Kristin Harmel's THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE is an emotional, heart-breaking, inspiring tribute to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love."
Juliette Fay
"Richly detailed and yet fast-paced, Harmel’s story flows at remarkable depth, as ordinary citizens rise to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances in occupied France. A fascinating exploration of the escape routes set up for downed Allied pilots, readers will be swept up in this heart-wrenching drama."
Tampa Bay Times on The Winemaker’s Wife
“Engrossing... a suspenseful tale of betrayals personal and political, and of courage and sacrifice.”
People (20 Best Books to Read this Summer)
"A heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism centered on a female forger who risks everything to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France."
Kristina McMorris
With meticulous research and an assured hand, Kristin Harmel once again spotlights French Resistance figures of the Second World War, unique heroes whose bravery and immeasurable sacrifices are too often lost to history. THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES is a fascinating, heartrending page-turner that, like the real-life forgers who inspired the novel, should never be forgotten. A riveting historical tale that I devoured in a single sitting.
Maureen Leurck
The Winemaker’s Wife is a beautifully told, atmospheric story about redemption, heartbreak, resilience, and courage. With evocative prose and a lush setting in a champagne winery, it reminds us of the power of secrets, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
Amy E. Reichert
"The strong and courageous inhabitants of THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE occupied all my time until the tender and powerful final pages. Beautifully written, Kristin Harmel’s latest is an unforgettable exploration of love and hope during the darkest of moments."
Jewish Book Council
"This book of historical fiction is also a surprising story of love, courage, and the resiliency of the human spirit....[Harmel] manages to draw her audience in, even to the point of unexpected tears at the story’s end.."
Booklist on THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE
Harmel writes a poignant novel based loosely on the true story of an American woman who helped on the Comet Line, which rescued hundreds of airmen and soldiers. This compelling story celebrates hope and bravery in the face of evil.
Booklist on THE LIFE INTENDED
"The latest from Harmel...is an affecting tale about finding happiness amid grief and guilt. Some twists are telegraphed early in the novel, but that doesn’t diminish the satisfying conclusion."
Fiona Davis
"Not since “The Nightingale” have I finished a book and been so choked with emotion. Harmel was inspired by the true story of French citizens who fought against evil during WWII with courage and conviction. She shines a brilliant light on those who had their identities erased and lives destroyed, on a country and its people torn apart, and young women like Eva, who risked their lives with everyday acts of epic heroism. Sweeping and magnificent."
New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe
Set against all the danger and drama of WWII Paris, this heartfelt novel will keep you turning the pages until the very last word.
Alyson Noël
What could be better than a story of champagne, secrets, lies, and history from a writer as compulsively readable as Kristin Harmel? Pick up this epic and heart-wrenching WWII tale immediately!
People on THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE
"Harmel's engrossing latest reminds us that love, like resistance, begins with courage."
Jewish Book Council on THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE
"This book of historical fiction is also a surprising story of love, courage, and the resiliency of the human spirit....[Harmel] manages to draw her audience in, even to the point of unexpected tears at the story’s end.."
The Toronto Star
A celebration of the power of books to give hope and healing, this lovely tale offers hope in troubled times.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"If you love historical fiction about World War II, you will enjoy this story of Eva, a young woman who during the war helps Jewish kids escape France by forging documents."
Parade Magazine
You’ll want to add [The Book of Lost Names] to your #TBR list.
Tampa Bay Times on The Winemakers Wife
“Engrossing... a suspenseful tale of betrayals personal and political, and of courage and sacrifice.”
-Maureen Leurck
The Winemaker’s Wife is a beautifully told, atmospheric story about redemption, heartbreak, resilience, and courage. With evocative prose and a lush setting in a champagne winery, it reminds us of the power of secrets, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
Alyson Noël
What could be better than a story of champagne, secrets, lies, and history from a writer as compulsively readable as Kristin Harmel? Pick up this epic and heart-wrenching WWII tale immediately!
Tampa Bay Times on The Winemaker’s Wife
“Engrossing... a suspenseful tale of betrayals personal and political, and of courage and sacrifice.”
Pam Jenoff
Love and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption combine in a heady tale of the ever present past…fantastic!"
bestselling author Michelle Gable on WHEN WE MEET AGAIN
"Centering on a lesser-known facet of American history, WHEN WE MEET AGAIN is a gripping novel of history, art, and the power of love. Kristin Harmel’s work is always riveting but her storytelling reaches new heights with a tale that is layered, complex, and satisfying to the last page."
bestselling author Melissa Senate on THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING
Kristin Harmel...[is] one of my favorite authors!”
Kelly Harms Wimmer
"Kristin Harmel is the best there is at sweeping historical drama intertwined with modern-day stories of real, relatable women you can't stop cheering for. In THE WINEMAKER'S WIFE, you'll fall in love with Ines and Liv, and wish you had a grande dame in your life like Edith, whose depiction is as perfect as her omni-present Kelly bag.
As you stay up late reading this novel of the French Champagne region in the midst of the second world war and the generations forever altered by those dark hours, keep a good supply of tissues close, not just for the reading of this gorgeous work, but for that moment when the story ends and your heart soars with the beauty of the telling."
New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe on THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE
Set against all the danger and drama of WWII Paris, this heartfelt novel will keep you turning the pages until the very last word.
Booklist
Harmel writes a poignant novel based loosely on the true story of an American woman who helped on the Comet Line, which rescued hundreds of airmen and soldiers. This compelling story celebrates hope and bravery in the face of evil.