The Book of Lost Names

Eva Abrams, nèe Traube, is first introduced as a “small, white-haired, grandmotherly” (3) woman in 2005. A widow with a grown son Ben, Eva is 86 years old with the heart and mind of a woman far younger. The flashbacks revive Eva as an optimistic 23-year-old student at the Sorbonne in Paris, young and desirous of all the world has to offer. She is a typical young woman, driven by future plans and interested in boys, though the yellow star on her clothes is a constant reminder that the world has shifted in meaning. Her relationship with her father Tatuś is one of guidance and love, and it is he who instills in her a love of humanity and the arts. This innocence and naïveté define her until Tatuś is arrested and sent to a concentration camp, an act which devastates her and forces her to become the head of the family, as her mother Mamusia sinks into delusions and angry judgment.

At first, Eva’s concern is merely delivering Mamusia safely to Switzerland. She initially rejects Père Clément’s request to become a member of the French resistance, choosing instead to uphold the promise she made to Tatuś about ensuring her and Mamusia’s safety.