1n 1922, an elderly woman kidnaps a two year German old child from her bed and takes her into the forest. Now, in 1941, Yona knows the forests of Poland better than she knows herself. When she, now alone, encounters Jews fleeing from nearby ghettos, she uses her knowledge of the forest to help them all survive.

This book is lyrical and at times feels a bit magical, and is beautifully written. Harmel's authors note illustrates just how carefully this book was researched. At the center of The Forest of Vanishing Stars is relationships: Yona's relationship with the forest, with the woman who raised her, the people she meets there, and with the famly she lost. I had difficulty putting this one down, and read it quickly, finding there was enough suspense to keep me invested.

There is frequent discussion of God and faith in this book (understandably), which is usually a deterrent for me, but I found the way the discussion was framed to be more spiritual than religious.

I don't often read historical fiction set in WWII anymore, but found the narrative here to be unique, engaging, and hopeful. Atmospherically, this one reminds me a little bit of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, which is one of my favorites.

Thanks to Galley Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars rounded to 5.

"...home is not a place, but the people you choose to love."

"I'm broken, too. But sometimes it's the jagged edges that allow us to fit together. Sometimes it's the breaks that make us strong."

A little girl stolen from her bed in the night. A mysterious old woman who sees the future, and knows that the child she takes is vital to the future survival of a people. The advent of war and the utmost cruelties against millions of innocent people. Filled with beautiful, sometimes dreamy scenes, slightly leaning toward the mystical at times, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is based on real stories of Polish Jews and others who fled to the forest when the Nazis came, and somehow survived, living off the land and supporting each other through terrible hardship, hunger, and tragedy. This was quite an emotional read, and I loved it.

We all have read many account of the event of WWII. This story is markedly different. Based on a true story about Polish/Jewish resisters, it is more of a character development tale. The people in the story become
true heros as they exist in the forests of Poland while evading their German enemies. Filled with interesting
facts about surviving in the wild, this book also has a strong philosophical/religion tone. Very different and
engaging book.

Despite having read over 50 novels about the atrocities against the Jewish people during the programs ,Harmel had a unique perspective on this history as she gathered specific information about how the land provided food and shelter for individuals. For those who are not acquainted with the horrors, this book will be an eye opening experience. Yona, the main character, is a tender savior of a group of Jews living in the forest fleeing for their lives from the Nazis .She had been kidnapped from her German family at age two. by a woman who was convinced that Yona's life was in danger. This caustic woman, Jerusza, raised her in the forest teaching her survivor skills, from creating temporary shelters, trapping small animals and other creatures for food along with pinpointing foods and berries to live off the land. Before she met the escapees she had never been exposed to another human. Abundant adventures arise as she tries to help them endure their suffering and survival. The power and questioning of faith arise at this point of the novel along with love affairs. I must admit I found the latter to be unnecessary to the main themes of the novel and turned part of the strength of the novel into a soapy love story. Some ways that she helped them escape seemed improbable to me as there was no way in her repertoire that she could have conjured those inventive skills. Despite these misgivings, I think this novel will sell well and would be a good topic for book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read such an important book! From the author of The Book of Lost Names comes another; The Forest of Vanishing Stars, a well researched and beautifully told novel, from a completely new perspective. Sooooo many WWII era books out there, I've read and enjoyed dozens, but, never from this perspective.
A brief synopsis: At the wee age of two, Yona is kidnapped from her wealthy German parents home by an eccentric Jerusza and taken to live in the forests of Poland. She is kept hidden in the forest, learning survival skills and constantly moving to avoid any contact with other people. While she does not recall being stolen from her home, she knows this life in the wilderness is not where she started and she longs to understand who she really is.
After Jerusza's death, Yona finds a Jewish family fleeing the Nazis and learns of the terrible tragedies that are taking place in the villages. Using her wilderness survival skills, she begins to help more families who are fleeing, teaching them how to forage, how to stay hidden, and how to survive the long winters. But in return, she learns what family means and how to open her heart to others. In her efforts to help those in danger, Yona also learns the truth about her past, forcing her to make difficult decisions.

A young girl is kidnapped and raised in the forest. She is told she has a purpose to fulfill, but never told what it is. In her late teens WWII breaks out. Suddenly her quiet forest becomes home to partisans fighting the Germans, as well as Jews trying to escape slaughter. Yona doesn't realize that these people are her purpose, she just knows she must protect life.
#theForestOfVanishingStars is a well written and well researched book, based on real events. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest and voluntary opinion, I truly enjoyed it.

I highly recommend this unique and beautifully written book! Historical fiction is my favorite genre, particularly relating to WW2. I appreciated that this story was distinctive with a focus on Jews hiding in the forests of Eastern Europe. I was engrossed from the beginning and devoured this book. I highly recommend and look forward to reading more from Kristin Hamel.

Thank you, Gallery Books and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

This book had me totally engrossed - I actually had to blink when I finished to realize where I was. Harmel presented a totally different perspective from anything I've read before and made the characters believable and sympathetic. The setting of the forest was realistic as was the story itself (based on true events). I was reminded of two books that affected me the way this one did - "The Book Thief" and "All the Light We Cannot See".

There were a few coincidences that were somewhat hard to believe (the father?!) but they added to the drama of the story. It IS fiction after all.

Overall, this is just an excellent book!

Harmel’s latest book, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, is a WWII book like none other. I’ve done a fair amount of WWII historical fiction reading and many are carbon copies of each other—the plots are the same, the characters are the same, the locations are the same (you get the picture); however, in this novel, Harmel sets her book in the forest. Yes, the forest. The main character Yona, was raised by a wise woman who lived off the grid in the wilds of the forest. Yona knows little about the outside world, but when she discovers the atrocities that are taking place at the hands of the Nazis, she is compelled to help those seeking refuge from the terror. Jews are fleeing into the forest to escape certain death and Yona makes a choice to help those in need. Harmel’s book, inspired by true events, is both heart breaking and inspiring. Yona is an amazing protagonist—one that you never feel like you know completely because she is so isolated for much of her life, but watching her develop into a hero was a reminder that we have the same choice set before us: to stand up for what is right in the face of discrimination and evil.

If WWII stories are your thing, I highly recommend this one. It looks at the war in such a different perspective and sheds light on a forgotten facet of the war. Harmel is very tactful in how she presents the brutal behavior of the Nazis; nevertheless she doesn’t shirk from writing out the atrocities they committed.

My only two complaints: I wish there were a map in the book that showed Yona’s travels. The ending of the book felt rushed. I wanted more!! I understand that Harmel has to stop somewhere, but I wanted a little more explanation at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read such an important book! I am inspired to do my own research on those who escaped the Nazis by surviving in the woods.

I appreciated the new take on the WWII novel, set mostly all in the forest. I really enjoyed reading the book. However, there were too many plot specifics that bothered me enough I won't be recommending it widely on my blog. Mostly my issues revolved around the supernatural/foresight themes and also the father character. It was still a good read, I just can't 100% recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is so incredibly touching and thought provoking. It is a story of survival and human nature, told from the perspective of Yona, a young German woman living off the land, who encounters a group of Jews fleeing from Nazi-occupied ghettos in the forest she calls home. It’s quite different from the typical WWII books.

While this book is fiction, it was inspired by true stories of survival.

This is a haunting, heartbreaking and hopeful story about such an unknown piece of history. Powerfully written by the amazing Kristin Harmel whose words kept me turning pages as my heart simultaneously broke.

As with so many volumes of historical fiction written about WWII and the people who fought so hard to survive the Holocaust, this one is gut-wrenching in its well-researched realism. The twist to this one is that the main character, Yona, is raised by an old woman, Jerusza, who stole her from her parents when she was not quite two years old. Moved by an unexplained and inexplicable impulse, Jerusza takes Inge - whom she renames Yona - from her crib, and leaves Berlin, the city of Yona's birth, to raise the child in the forest. Isolated her entire life until Jerusza's death at the age of 102, leaving Yona alone in the forest early in 1942. The hint of magic that Jerusza may have possessed, alluded to early in the book and which told her to steal the girl, is not realized anywhere else in the novel; instead, while Yona relies heavily on the instincts which Jerusza trained and honed, as well as the survival skills she taught the girl. Completely alone after a very solitary childhood, Yona encounters a family of Jews fleeing the Nazis, and helps them to the best of her abilities; further encounters lead to her using her skills to help another group to live in the forest and avoid detection and capture for the duration of the war.

Focused on the relationships that Yona, after her lonely childhood, slowly learns to build with the people she encounters, this novel recounts the travails of a fictional but historically accurate group and their struggles and triumphs. Recommended for anyone who enjoys well-written and realistic historical fiction about attempts by Jews and other persecuted groups during WWII.

This book wasn't at all what I anticipated. It starts off with some magical realism (I thought I was reading a fairy tale--complete with a witch & her gnarled hands) and I almost put it down. I ploughed through tho, and when the author got to the gist of the story (Jews hiding from Nazis in the forests of Poland), it was more compelling. The author's notes at the end document the extensive research that went into the book--it just wasn't my cup of tea...

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

I loved this book and can’t say enough wonderful things about it. It’s one of those books that you think about long after you’ve finished reading it. The characters and their struggles to survive were memorable for their bravery and strength. Kristin Harmel is a writer who understands this genre, and her writing kept me engaged from start to finish. If I could give more stars, I would. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Good historical fiction with a dose of magical realism. I've always loved WWII fiction and Jewish survival stories, and this is a part of their story I haven't read much about. The book was slightly slower paced for me than I would have liked ideally, but the writing was beautiful and descriptive so I felt like I was really living inside the forests with Yona. If the pacing had been just a bit faster and if there had been a little more epilogue if would have been 5 stars

This is a beautiful book! I do not usually read much historical fiction but this was a wonderful book. The story had me from the very beginning and I could not put it down. There were a few times that you could feel the peril that the characters were in and it was just as gripping for the reader. Beautifully written, great characters and a haunting story. This truly is one of the best books I have read in a long time. This is a must read!

EVOCATIVE!

This is an evocative story written by international bestselling author, Kristin Harmel, and is based on true stories of survival against all odds. THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS is the story of a toddler who who was stolen from the bedroom of her wealthy German parents’ home. Yona was raised in the wilderness by an old woman and taught survival skills that few people ever learn. Though she was taught to trust no one, she is soon drawn to a group of Jewish Refugees that are hiding from the Nazis. They have escaped from captivity but have no clue how to stay hidden and alive in the forest. Yona has spent all her life almost completely in the isolation of only being in the presence of the woman who raised her. Being accepted into this ragtag group forces her to grow and develop a new set of skills (relationship skills). She finds herself responsible for a group of people and must decide how to allow others to take leadership roles instead of relying totally on herself. It is very interesting to observe her as she interacts with the first group of people she is ever around as a community. Later on, another group is discovered and Yona sees an entirely different type of group due to the type of leadership. She learns the difference between a man who will honor and cherish her as opposed to one who just wants to use her to meet his own needs.

Harmel brings many unexpected twists and turns into this story. It is a deep and rich coming of age story. It is also a story of basic survival in the midst of the horrors of war. It is the story of hate, fear and love.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Gallery Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Such a memorable read. I have read a lot of WWII books-mostly historical fiction, but also non-fiction. This book stands out as a unique perspective and story. As someone who loves spending time in nature, the theme of the forest providing for the refugees also spoke to me. This book was well-written and well-researched and I look forward to reading more Kristin Harmel books. Thank you to #NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Lost Names was one of my favorite historical fiction books last year so I was so excited to be receive the e-arc of The Forest of Vanishing Stars. Kristin Harmel really knows how to write a beautiful, well-researched book and applaud her again for another wonderful WW2 story inspired by true events.

Brief synopsis: At the age of two, Yona is kidnapped from her German home and raised in the wilderness by a woman named Jerusza. She is kept hidden in the forest, learning survival skills and constantly moving to avoid any contact with other people. Yona does not recall being stolen from her home but she knows this life in the wilderness is not where she started and she longs to understand who she really is. After Jerusza's death, Yona finds a Jewish family fleeing the Nazis and learns of the terrible tragedies that are taking place in the villages. Using her wilderness survival skills, she begins to help more families who are fleeing, teaching them how to forage, how to stay hidden, and how to survive the long winters. But in return, she learns what family means and how to open her heart to others. In her efforts to help those in danger, Yona also learns the truth about her past, forcing her to make difficult decisions.

What I liked about this book: I really appreciated the writing style of this book and learning about Yona's survival skills. I appreciated her transition from a lonely life in the forest to learning how to interact and be a part of the community that was forming in the forest. In all honesty, though the absolute best part of this book was the last 25% of the book and specifically the author's note at the end, explaining the real events that inspired this story. Learning how much research the author did while writing this story was incredibly impressive and made the appreciate the book so much more.

What didn't work for me: This book moved slowly and I found myself too easily putting it down for another book. I honestly wish part of the author's note about the real events had been explained in the beginning as that may have helped my appreciation for the setting a bit more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.