Spectacular! A beautiful novel written about true Holocaust events. Yona is stolen from her parents on the eve of of second birthday and is raised in the forest by the woman who stole her. As the war gets closer to them and after Jeruza has passed on Yona must decide what is really right for her and how to stand for her beliefs.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Kristin Harmel and Simon & Schuster for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
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I always read Kristin Harmel whenever I get a copy of any of her books and review them when they come out on the other platforms. I sometimes forget to review them on here. This was a wonderful book by her as always.

I’ve always loved Kristen Harmels books and while I’ve read more of her lighter titles this one is a bit more heavy of a subject matter. It is about a women stolen from her wealthy parents and raised in the wildness until she finds herself alone after her kidnapper dies. It is about her journey for survival and the people she meets and helps along the way. It definitely is hard to put down once you get into the story and something that will stick with you long after you finish.

4.5 / 5.0 Stars

The year is 1922. Inge Jüttner, at the age of 2, is kidnapped from her Berlin bedroom right out from under her German parents' noses. The deed was perpetrated by an old woman, named Jerusza, responding to what she believed was God's call to rescue the girl from "bad people". She named the young girl, "Yona" which in Hebrew means, "dove". Together, alone in the forest, Jerusza teaches Yona how to survive and thrive in the forest, becoming one with the breeze passing through the limbs of the forests' trees. Jerusza taught her all which she needed to know of the world - reading, math, languages, geography of distant lands and world religion. She cautioned Yona to avoid people, especially men, as they could bring harm to her and compromise her anticipated long life. They were each other's sole companion until Jerusza passes away at the tender age of 102 and Yona finds her self alone with and within the forest. That is until the day she encounters a family fleeing into the forest and she chooses to help them in their hour of need. Is this what Yona is called to do, given that its against all which Jerusza taught her? Through several encounters, we learn more and more of Yona, the skills for survival, the flora and fauna of the then Polish forests and of the endurance of the refugees within the protection of the trees.

This was such a compelling and beautifully rendered tale of World War II about those who inhabited and fled into the forests during the war. It is historical fiction at its finest. There is a mystical element threaded throughout the story. As the protagonist hears whispers on the wind, are they from departed souls, the voice of God or merely one's wishful thinking? Whatever it is, Yona pays close attention and allows it to be her guide. Her courage, compassion and fortitude are inspirational. This is a story of hope, endurance and love. I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

I am grateful to author Kristin Harmel and publisher Simon and Schuster for having provided a complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Such and interesting story and Kristin Harmel does it again! It’s hard to find a new story to tell for this time period and keep it engaging, but Harmel does it so well! Great characters and an amazing story!

I found this World War II tale to be quite interesting, standing out from others I have read. The main character's adventures in the woods kept me guessing at what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the writing style and would recommend this book to those who like historical fiction.

Oh wow, this is a book I will read again!
I love historical fiction, especially stories like this that tell me something about history that I'd never heard about before. I had no idea of the brave, tenacious Jews who lived in the forest during WWII, surviving extreme hardships.
The author did a fantastic job of researching how they managed to survive, and I found the author notes at the end of the book as fascinating as the story itself.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book that I consider a must-read!

very well written and researched, this book kept me up. Great strong characters and engaging story. Loved it

Harmel, Kristin. The Forest of Vanishing Stars. Gallery Books, 2021.

In 1922, Jerusza, an elderly mystic, kidnaps two-year-old Inge Juttner from her wealthy parents in Berlin because she feels the child’s parents are “bad people”. Jerusza changes Inge’s name to Yona, which means dove, because she has a dove-shaped birthmark on her wrist. She raises Yona in the forests of Eastern Europe as her own child. She only has two rules Yona must follow—she must always obey Jerusza, and she must stay hidden in the forest, away from men who might hurt her. Not only does Jerusza teach Yona how to survive in the forest, but she also teaches her practical things—more than five different languages and about the world’s religions.

In 1942, Jerusza passes away, and Yona is left on her own. One day, she comes upon two men, one of whom is unsuccessfully trying to catch fish with his bare hands. She discovers the men are part of a larger group of Jews who fled into the forest when Jews in their Polish town were being killed by the Nazis. Yona joins their group and teaches them how to live in the forest and survive during the harsh winters. After a romantic interest betrays her, Yona decides to leave.

Yona enters a German-occupied town and becomes friendly with a group of nuns, who have been quietly helping Jews escape from the country. However, after she reconnects with a relative from her past, which leads to another betrayal, she goes back into the forest. She realizes that everything that Jerusza had been teaching her was so she could help the Jews survive until World War II was over.

Kristin Harmel, who also wrote The Book of Lost Names, has written another mesmerizing World War II tale of courage and survival. She has based her novel on true stories—that of the nuns, the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogrodek, and of the thousands of Jews who actually lived in forests during World War II. She has peppered her novel with information about survival techniques, medicinal herbs, and shelter construction, all of which she researched extensively. She even interviewed Aron Bielski, a 93-year-old World War II survivor, who survived the war by living in the forests.

The characters are well fleshed-out and developed. Both Yona and Jerusza are strong, capable women, although rather untrusting of others. Yona, having not grown up with her parents, feels she has missed out on family and deeply yearns to have one of her own. Even though Jerusza lived to be very old, she was one tough cookie! Both she and Yona have the ability to sense things, especially danger.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is an extraordinary story, a tale of survival and hope. It can be enjoyed by both adults and teens. Give it to readers who read historical fiction and those who like reading about World War II. I highly recommend it for high school and public libraries and give it five out of five fleur de lis!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Another great read from Kristin Harmel. I home teen readers embrace this book because there are so many that don't know the truth about WWII and the Holocaust. Older readers will cry as she re-creates history so clearly. The story starts with 2 year old Yona being kidnapped from her rich German family in the 1930's. She is kept isolated and finds herself alone in the forests of Germany. When she learns about the plight of Jews at the hands of the Nazi's she is determined to help them escape or fight back. Loved the story and the way Ms. Harmel can convey the despair and hope of the Jewish community during the war. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS was a book of contradictions for me. I enjoyed learning about the forest survival tactics of Polish and Belarusian Jews during World War II, but I didn't warm to any of the characters. It was easy to keep reading, but I didn't become vested in the outcome. So I guess that earns it a middle-of-the-road rating.

I have honestly been over all the WWII fiction but this one sucked me right in with a new and refreshing perspective on it. My heart was absolutely touched. I found the folklore in the beginning to translate in a bit of a clumsy manner to the rest of the book. I guess it was just a hard transition when the Germans arrived and then was dropped and didn’t carry through the same. Overall I liked this book and was grateful that it was able to respark much of what I love about historical fiction.

I’m always deeply moved by Holocaust stories, but that depth was deflected at first in this novel, by some magical realism, a fairytale like quality and too much focus on romance . The last part of the novel, the author’s note and her diligent research, though, made it meaningful in the end. The imperative message of resilience and remembering is clearly reflected.

“I don’t want to disappear. I want to survive so we can tell the world what has happened.”


I read this with my book buds Diane and Esil .

I received a copy of this book from Gallery through NetGalley.

My first Kristin Harmel read and it was incredible. Her writing pulls you into the story. The people and surroundings come to life. I could picture everything in the Forrest as if I was there as well. Amazing unforgettable history is told with such detail. I highly recommend this book and author!

Yes, yes, I did cry—nonstop. Have a box of tissues (or ten) nearby; you're going to need them.

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS By Kristin Harmel is a heart-wrenching, suspenseful, Historical Fiction novel with a love story at its core—at the moment; it has me at a loss for words; other than—WOW!

Here’s A Snippet Of The Synopsis:

‘After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation.’

I love the depiction of Yona, the young heroine in the book, specifically: her strength, perseverance, bravery, and selflessness.

Opening her heart isn’t something Yona has done before, so when a moment presents itself—My Heart!

Here’s A Snippet Or Two:

‘“Perhaps I just don’t know how to love.” “Or maybe there is something broken in me.” Somehow, speaking the words aloud felt like releasing a flock of birds to the sky.’

‘“You will know. . . When it is the right person, you will know.” [He] took a deep breath. “And you’re not broken, Yona. . . It’s the cracks in us that make us who we are, and you . . . you are stronger than anyone I have ever met, I think.”’

And . . .

‘The only thing that remained was the only thing that mattered: love—the kind that could be found in the darkness when all pretenses had disappeared, the kind borne of pain and despair and hope, the kind that was a shelter in the storm.’

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS—Highly Recommend!

PLEASE, make sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the book, highlighting the research and interviews that went into creating the book.

Thank You, NetGalley and Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster, Inc.), for loaning me an eGalley of THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS in the request of an honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is Kristin Harmel’s latest amazing historical fiction novel about WWII. As we’ve come to expect from Harmel, it is beautifully written, inspiring, meticulously researched, heart-wrenching, suspenseful, and unforgettable. It is a story filled with adventure, heartbreak, tragedy, but also with hope and love. I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction lately, and I was expecting this novel to be similar to other novels that deal with the same subject matter. This novel however, explored a different and unique aspect of WWII survival that I have never read about in previous WWII novels. The story deals with the lives, survival tactics, bravery, and hope that Jewish families faced in the Nalibocka (now named Naliboki) forest of Eastern Europe, after escaping from the ghettos where they were being held under Nazi occupation.

This is a coming-of-age story of a young girl named Yona, kidnapped by Jerusza, a woman of the forest, who recognized something special in her; someone who could stand up against hate in the future. The very beginning of the story had a fairy tale element of spirituality, magic and mysticism, as Jerusza raises Yona in the wilderness of Eastern Europe, away from civilization, while educating her in numerous subjects related to survival skills and how to live off the land and remain undetected. For 20 years, until Jerusza’s death, Yona was raised to distrust and avoid people. Her upbringing was devoid of love and human contact. When Yona encounters Jewish refugees, she uses her knowledge of the wilderness to teach them how to survive in the forest and escape the Nazis. At the same time, she learns to open her heart, become part of a family, and love other people.

There were many characters to keep track of, and they all came to life in an unforgettable way. Harmel frequently includes strong and resilient women in her books, and this was no exception. Yona was a unique, courageous, and heroic character. The story consisted of a single timeline which leant itself to the storyline. The majority of the story was set in the forests of Poland. I was totally immersed in the setting, and transported to the forest through the author’s breathtaking and realistic descriptions. Even though some of the action in the forest could be repetitive at times, the story was consistently emotional, suspenseful, and engrossing.

I learned so much about a part of WWII that I was not familiar with. The author includes a lengthy “must read” section at the end of the book, where she shares the background information and extensive research she did. The book was based on a real life partisan group and was inspired by the 2008 film Defiance starring Daniel Craig and Leiv Schreiber, which I will definitely check out. This book is one of Kristin Harmel’s best. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers of historical fiction.

I read this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was very engrossed from the start and stayed so throughout the book. I learned many things and the author's detailing how she researched the story explains why it all sounded authentic. I will be recommending this book to my book club.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book. It is beautifully written and a wonderful story. I thought the characters were well developed. I found it hard to put down.

"The Forest of Vanishing Stars" by

Kristin Harmel

A great historical fiction novel with an interesting twist. Loved it!

This is a Historical Fiction that takes place during WWII. I have to say the start of this book was kind of creepy, specially child kidnapping and I have to say I really did not like the beginning of this book. but after the middle the story does gets better and it does break your heart by the end. I loved the risks that Yona takes to save people, and at the same time trying to find her own identity and heritage. Emotions do run high in this book. I greatly enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what Harmel comes out with next.