What Is The Publication Order Of Kristin Harmel’S World War II Novels?
As a historical fiction fanatic, I've fallen down a rabbit hole with Harmel's WWII book series. Hoping to read them in correct chronological release sequence to avoid spoilers.
Checking my Kindle library... yep, I bought them as they came out. 'The Room on Rue Amélie' (2018) was my first. Then 'The Book of Lost Names' (2020), which I pre-ordered because I loved the first one so much. 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars' (2021) was an automatic buy. 'The Paris Daughter' (2023) I got on release day.
So that's the order. I didn't read her pre-2018 books until later, and while they're good, they didn't grab me the same way. The WWII-era novels have a certain urgency and depth that her earlier dual-timelines lacked, in my opinion. Publication order shows her growing mastery of historical suspense.
2026-07-30 09:28:32
3
ColeScott
Ending Guesser
Veterinarian
I've read them all as they released, so I can walk you through it. 'The Sweetness of Forgetting' (2012) was her first to touch on WWII, but it's a present-day story with flashbacks. 'The Life Intended' (2015) similarly uses the war as part of a historical subplot. The big shift happened in 2018 with 'The Room on Rue Amélie'—that's her first novel completely rooted in the WWII period.
Then the streak continued: 'The Book of Lost Names' in 2020, 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars' in 2021, and 'The Paris Daughter' in 2023. It's impressive how consistent she's been. Each one explores a different facet of the war—French Resistance, forgery, survival in the wilderness, and the art world. The publication order basically maps to her deepening focus on the era.
2026-07-30 14:58:35
1
NightBee
Sharp Observer
Mechanic
Wait, I thought 'The Sweetness of Forgetting' was her first WWII book? But reading the comments, it seems like it's not considered a full WWII novel like the others. So the real order starts with 'The Room on Rue Amélie' in 2018. Then 'The Book of Lost Names' (2020), 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars' (2021), and 'The Paris Daughter' (2023).
That makes sense. 'The Sweetness of Forgetting' is more about a modern-day character discovering the past. The later books drop you right into the action. I'll adjust my reading list accordingly. Thanks, everyone!
2026-07-31 02:54:49
4
TheBook
Clear Answerer
Police Officer
To get super specific, the ISBNs and publication dates are out there, but for a reader, just know the order: 'The Room on Rue Amélie' (2018), 'The Book of Lost Names' (2020), 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars' (2021), 'The Paris Daughter' (2023). I work at a bookstore, and we shelve these together in historical fiction. Her earlier titles are often in a different section.
We sell way more of 'The Book of Lost Names' than the others, but 'The Paris Daughter' is catching up. Customers often ask if they're a series, but they're not—just the same genre and time period. Reading in publication order isn't necessary, but it's satisfying to see her scope widen with each book.
2026-07-31 17:08:01
5
ReadPorch
Insight Sharer
Editor
Let me think... I believe the order is 'The Room on Rue Amélie', then 'The Book of Lost Names', then 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars', and finally 'The Paris Daughter'. The years are 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023 respectively. Her books before that, like 'The Sweetness of Forgetting', are also about WWII but in a different way—they're present-day stories uncovering past secrets.
The four historicals are what I'd recommend if you want to be fully transported to the 1940s. They're all standalones, so you can read in any order, but publication order is as good a way as any. I found 'The Forest of Vanishing Stars' to be the most unique, with its wilderness survival plot.
2026-08-01 04:25:12
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All he left me was a single note, scrawled in his familiar handwriting.
I loved you. We had thirty good years. But I owe Lydia. This is the least I can do.
I dropped dead of a heart attack right there in his study, clutching that pathetic piece of paper.
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Levi did not want the relationship either, but the families had to form an alliance so they could both remain in business. It had to be done. Driven with the passion to stay in business, Lila and Levi help their family out, but with the promise to their parents that it would only last a year and they would be done.
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But, the horrors of the war was one thing she took back- a present she could never return.
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I'm more interested in the thematic timeline than the publication one.
You can trace a line from exploring personal memory ('The Sweetness of Forgetting') to cultural memory ('The Book of Lost Names') to collective survival memory ('The Forest of Vanishing Stars').
Her later books grapple with the legacy of trauma and what we pass down, literally and figuratively.
The objects—a recipe, a forged document, a vineyard—become carriers of history across the timeline of her bibliography.
It's a really cohesive body of work when you look at it that way.
I disagree with the idea that they're 'connected' in any meaningful narrative sense. They're separate books by the same author in the same genre. That's it. Calling them connected might give new readers the wrong idea that they need to read them in order, which they absolutely don't. It's important to be clear about that to avoid frustration. Enjoy each as its own entity. If you spot a tiny easter egg, great, but it's not a feature of the reading experience. The feature is the individual story's power.
I wonder if part of the 'essential' label comes from its sheer popularity and accessibility. It's a bridge book. It gets people who might never pick up a 'war novel' to engage with WWII history through an intensely character-driven lens. My mom, who only reads romances, read it and then asked me for more books about the Resistance.
In that sense, it's essential for the genre's ecosystem—it brings in new readers. For longtime fans, that might not matter, but it's interesting to think of a book as essential not just for its content but for its role as a gateway. It expands the entire community of people you can discuss this history with.
The movie rights have been optioned for some of them, right? Maybe order them by which one you think will be adapted first? Read that one so you can be the person who says 'the book was better' when the film comes out. Totally arbitrary, but it's a pop-culture-focused way to choose. Check which one has a production company attached and start there. Join the excitement for the adaptation.
Wait, did she write more than three? I only have 'The Book of Lost Names' and 'The Winemaker's Wife' on my shelf. Maybe my local store doesn't carry the full catalogue. This thread is useful for my next shopping trip.
As a history nerd, my order recommendation is based on the war timeline itself. 'The Alice Network' starts in WWI and jumps to post-WWII. 'The Rose Code' is WWII itself (1939-1945). 'The Huntress' is immediately post-WWII. So if you want a purely chronological historical journey, you could go: 'Alice' (WWI bits), then 'Rose' (WWII), then the post-WWII sections of 'Alice' and 'Huntress.' It's convoluted and I don't recommend it for a first read, but for a re-read? It could be a fascinating experiment to view the century through her characters' eyes.