In a book club and starting to plan your reads for next year? Check out our 2025 picks.
Not Logged in.
Book Jacket

The Book of Lost Names


A heartrending novel of survival, inspired by an astonishing true story from ...
Summary and Reviews
Excerpt
Reading Guide
Author Biography

Were you surprised to find out that Joseph was the one who betrayed the network? Why do you think the author decided Joseph would be the traitor? What would you have done in Joseph's position?

Created: 05/21/21

Replies: 15

Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Were you surprised to find out that Joseph was the one who betrayed the network? Why do you think the author decided Joseph would be the traitor? What would you have done in Joseph's position?

Were you surprised to find out that Joseph was the one who betrayed the forgery network? Were there any red flags? Why do you think the author decided Joseph would be the traitor? What would you have done in Joseph's position?


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
marganna

Join Date: 10/14/11

Posts: 162

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I had Joseph pegged from the very first - maybe should give him credit was his early warning in story’s beginning but once he was in latter part it was clear he had to be the one. There had to be a person who betrayed the network-Joseph was the obvious one.Why him? Charming, perfect for Eva (mom thinks), kinda too good to be true. Knows all the right people ...I felt his heart was evil.
I cannot say what I would have done in his situation but I can hope I’d be more like Eva.


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kimk

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 1160

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I made the mistake of reading the discussion questions before finishing the book, so unfortunately I wasn't surprised. I do think that I wouldn't have been surprised that he betrayed the group, but I would have been surprised at just how vile he ended up being.


Posted May. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Gabi

Join Date: 02/22/21

Posts: 111

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I wasn't surprised to find out that Joseph was the traitor after he had been brought in for questioning. As for what I would do if I were in his shoes, I would like to believe that I would stay strong and not betray others but the circumstances were so extreme and the choices were truly life or death that I don't think one really knows how they would react at that moment.


Posted May. 23, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
robynn

Join Date: 05/21/21

Posts: 17

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I was not at all surprised that Joseph was the one who betrayed the network. I think that the author decided that Joseph would be the traitor because he tried to come across as such a good guy. I would not have sold my soul to save myself.


Posted May. 23, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
SusanC.

Join Date: 03/25/13

Posts: 50

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I was a bit surprised but he always seemed a bit suspect to me. When it was revealed that he was the traitor I nodded my head and thought that made perfect sense in the end.


Posted May. 23, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
annar

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 114

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

No, I wasn't surprised that Joseph was a traitor. There was something about him that was just too slick. I really hated it that Mamusia kept trying to match him up with Eva.
He was a weak and evil person.


Posted May. 25, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barbarar

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 21

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I disliked Joseph from the moment he was introduced. He was smarmy and full of himself. I noticed that Eva was upset that he was indiscreet with her own information. I was actually more surprised that he was important in the resistance than that he was the traitor.


Posted May. 25, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyb

Join Date: 02/17/18

Posts: 17

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

Once it was clear that there was a traitor in the network, Joseph seemed like a good suspect. Apart from his being almost too good, there was the fact that he was not local. It was easier for him to turn on people that he did not have strong ties with. Except Eva of course.


Posted May. 25, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jeannew

Join Date: 04/23/11

Posts: 118

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I didn't like Joseph from the beginning. I agree with annar that he was just too slick. Once he showed up in Aurignon (coincidence!) I knew he would betray everybody. I also didn't believe him being so high up in their network. He struck me as the type who's never around to do the work, but is always happy to take the credit.


Posted May. 26, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Theresa

Join Date: 06/22/20

Posts: 31

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I also was not surprised. I feel like tge author dud a great job at making him likable in some ways but also somehow had me not entirely liking him. When they started talking about someone betraying them, I immediately thought about him.


Posted May. 30, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
loisk

Join Date: 05/16/21

Posts: 18

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I was a little surprised about Joseph. In the beginning of the book, he warned Eva about the Nazi raids. And, as the story continued, he was regarded as trusted member of the Resistance. I don't think anyone REALLY knows what anyone else is capable of.


Posted Jun. 04, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cynthial

Join Date: 04/13/21

Posts: 11

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I expected Genevieve to be the traitor thinking it was too obvious for it to be Joseph. Joseph's arrogance was likely what became his downfall. His arrogance was a hindrance in that it ultimately made him weak and susceptible to pressure from the Germans because he depended only on himself and had little sense of team and even less regard for others.


Posted Jun. 04, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
marilynu

Join Date: 03/22/21

Posts: 9

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I, too, was not surprised it was Joseph. How can I possibly guess what I would have done in his position, but I can only hope I would have done differently. I often wonder, and certainly have the greatest respect for those who fought with the resistance, what kind of strength did they have to resist.


Posted Jun. 09, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Peggy H

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 272

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

No, I was not surprised. I figured it was someone with connections. There were only so many to select from.


Posted Jun. 13, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
gaylamath

Join Date: 02/11/20

Posts: 39

RE: Were you surprised to find out that ...

I guess I read differently than most people as I don't try to figure things out while I'm reading, I let things happen as I get to them. If I try to determine the bad guy, the one that did "it" or whatever the mystery is, I spend my time trying to see between the lines what the author isn't telling me and I find that distracting. All this being said, I wasn't surprised as he was the one that made the most sense for the betrayal. I never liked him but didn't see him for a bad guy until close to when it was revealed.


Reply

Please login to post a response.