Wow. Kristin Harmel does it again. Everyone seems to want to talk about Kristin Hannah's novels, well maybe y'all need to get on board with Kristin HARMEL! She is a master at writing the most beautiful, heart-warming yet heart-wrenching books! This one was heavy *whew* but told a story that while fiction, was rooted in the horrors of one of the most awful times in history; the hunting down and extermination of the Jews. This book is a beautiful reminder that in spite of the terrifying and awful things we face in this life, kindness, love and the lifting up of others over self are things we must continue to do. Yona, our young protagonist, was terrified to step out of her comfort zone and everything she knew to help people she didn't even yknow because had the knowledge and ability to do so. She saw the responsibility she had to these people because she was the ONLY ONE who could do it. I think we could learn a lesson from Yona. This book isn't for the faint of heart but it's so beautiful and moving, it's worth it. Add this one to your summer TBR!

**A HUGE THANK YOU to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to the ARC e-book for #Forestof VanishingStars

Excellent & brilliant way of looking at WWII. Beautifully written with well developed characters. The title of the nook is just perfect! Highly recommended!

I really liked this book, “The Forest of Vanishing Stars.” It is a great WWII historical fiction based on fact. A facet of WWII I had never read about before. It is a story of a young girl from Berlin with German parents who is kidnapped prior to WWII and raised in the forest. As a grown woman, she helps Jewish people survive while learning about the cruelty of the world outside of the forest.

The vivid descriptions of life in the forest and the forest itself were enlightening. The author did a great job with her research. It is a story of survival and relationships amongst the brutality of the Nazis. Honestly, it was a book I enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone who enjoys WWII historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just when I think I’ve read every possible sub genre of World War 2 historical fiction, a book comes along and surprises me.
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Yona is two years old when she is stolen from her Berlin home by Jerusza, an old woman who “sees” things and believes she is saving Yona from a terrible future. Jerusza raises her in the Forest, teaching her to live off the land, to survive in the wilderness, how to use herbs as medication. She also teaches Yona several languages and about different religions. Yona is taught to never leave the Forest and to stay away from people, and she abides by these wishes until she’s a young woman and Jerusza dies. Once she’s alone, she wanders the Forest until she meets a group of Polish Jews escaping the ghetto and learning to trust one another, teaches them what she knows about survival.
Have you ever seen Defiance? It’s a film made several years ago with Daniel Craig. I was reading this book and it reminded me of that movie which is one I loved. The descriptions of the Forest were so vividly written that I felt completely enveloped in the story. I loved Yona’s character, she was smart and strong and I just loved experiencing her coming of age story. This was my first novel from this author and I loved her writing.
Have you added this to your summer reading list?
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I keep thinking that I will quit reading books with a WWII setting, and then along comes a talented writer with a different locale and perspective, widening my understanding of how different groups survived this horrific time. This time, the talented writer is Kristen Harmel, and the locale is the forests of Poland. For her novel, Harmel interviewed Aron Bielski, the youngest of the Bielski brothers who helped more than a thousand Jews survive in the Naliboki forest and swamps, hiding from the German invaders who wiped out whole villages. Taking her knowledge that groups, both small and large, did hid out in the woods and survive, Harmel did even more research and learned much about the fauna and flora of the area, especially what was edible and what could serve as medicine. Then her imagination took over and she created a story revolving around a young girl stolen from her German parents' home when she was only two by a strange, solitary woman who hid the girl in the Polish woods. Over the years, Jerusza raised Yona to be an expert survivalist. After old woman dies, Yona lives a lonely, isolated life until she stumbles upon a group of Jewish exiles. With that her life changes, and all the knowledge she's gained in her 22 years makes her the savior of many. Harmel writes with almost a mystical tone, while at the same time the book is filled with accurate details, making a refreshing, compelling combination. I received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are mine. If you do choose to read this novel, I encourage you to search the internet for an interview with Kristin Harmel; she is charming and her enthusiasm for this story is captivating.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is one of the most unique World War II novels I have EVER read, and I read a lot of historical fiction! This book portrayed a truly unique perspective on surviving during WWII. We read a lot about concentration camps, or occupation of France, or D-day, and so on, but we don't see a lot of stories about the Jews and victims who fled to the wilderness to hide and somehow desperately survive a different kind of threat. This book is beautifully written and flows flawlessly. Character development is handled with care and the depth of relationships and human connections is intricately fleshed out and believable. This story is long and a bit slow but absolutely worth reading every word.

Kristin Harmel’s latest historical fiction novel, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, was captivating!

Youna, a woman who was taken from her family and raised by an old woman in the woods finds people in her wilderness who are sick, starving and completely unprepared to survive a harsh winter. As she learns about their reasons for fleeing civilization - the Nazis and the horrific tragedies happening, she teaches them how to survive. The story-telling is masterful and the rich description and research behind the plants and animals and the history of the forest reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing.

The audiobook included an author’s note read by Harmel herself and that prompted me to look at maps and look into other resources she talked about.

If you’re in a book club, add this to your list for Fall! Everyone will have something to say about it.

Any novel involving Poland interests me as my husband is first generation Polish American. The Forest of Vanishing Stars shares the amazing story of Polish Jews who escaped Nazi-created ghettos and fled to vast forests. This was a unique and powerful WWII story of survival against incredible odds.

With its strong connections to nature and living off the land, this novel reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing. I respect the author’s extensive research on this and the historical aspects of the novel. The faith elements were also meaningful to me.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the review copy; all thoughts are my own.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel, 384 pages

During World War II, thousands of Jews in Eastern Europe escaped the horrors of the ghettos and concentration camps by hiding in the dense forests of their homelands. The Forest of Vanishing Stars sheds a light on that harrowing experience by focusing on a girl named Yona, who was raised in the forest by the old woman that kidnapped her as a toddler. After the old woman's death, Yona breaks away from the solitary life when she discovers small groups of escaped Jews struggling to survive. Over the course of the war, she helps them stay healthy and avoid Nazi patrols, foraging for food and stealing necessities from neighboring villages.

Told in a way that skirts the line between folktale and historical fiction, this is a compelling and beautifully told story of World War II, and one that is rarely highlighted. Well worth a read.

This is a story of survival and faith during a dark time in history. Yuna is taken as an infant and is brought up in the forest by an old woman that teaches her how to survive. She also teaches her to read, speak several languages and to kill. Not knowing what fate has in store for her Yuna discovers her true path and the importance of faith and doing what is right no matter the cost.

This is a great story that has a spiritual and mystical vibe. There were so many people that escaped Nazi terrorism by living in the woods, despite the brutal cold and harsh living conditions. Many lost their entire family and home and were devastated by the cruelty that was inflicted by the German soldiers. This story depicts their struggle and pain. Yuna's conviction and passion was so awe-inspiring that it left me thinking about the story days after I finished it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC.

I first read Kristin Harmel's The Book of Lost Names and enjoyed it, so I was especially excited to read The Forest of Vanishing Stars. This book is similar, but different. Both are historical fiction from WWII and both provide fresh perspectives on the war, but with The Forest of Vanishing Stars, the reader needs to suspend reality a bit. The good news is that the writing makes you believe in the unbelievable, so if you start the book and have a hard time with this, keep reading. You will be spun along into Yona's world, where she was raised and has survived in a forest and uses her talents to help others escape capture. Even while suspending reality, as you read, you will be intrigued by the notion that maybe one can survive in the forest for a lifetime! Definitely worth reading.

I think many people will enjoy this book, but I found parts of it difficult to believe, but that may be because i have read too many WWII books

This book was different, set during WW2, Yona was kidnapped by a women when she was 2 years old and taught how to live in the forest and live off the land. To one day help those in need and to protect her from what could be very dangerous life.

This book talked a lot of religion and a lot of unsettling ways the Germans hurt the Jews. I was not a big fan of this book but the writing was fantastic.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristen Harmel

In 1941, Inge, also called Yona, is kidnapped from her bed at the tender age of two. Jerusza, a loner woods woman, takes her and raises her in the woods to be totally self-sufficient.

With little contact with the outside world and no people skills, Yona does a miraculous job of saving groups of Jews hiding from the Nazis. Her knowledge of survival for each season, down to minute details, saves those who trust her.

Complications arise, some of which actually seem predictable, and we finally get the reason she was taken from her bed those many years ago.

The book describes Yona’s courage, love of her solitary life in the woods, and we see how her past and present collide. It just missed a five star review from this reviewer, but gets a solid four stars.

Thanks to #GalleyBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is one of the best WWII books I've read and devoured it in 2 days. It's a unique story, inspired from true life events of survival against horrible odds.

Yona (not the name her parents gave her) is two years old when an old woman kidnaps her from her wealthy German parents and takes her to live in the forests of eastern Europe during the years in which Hitler starts to gain his power. The old woman teaches Yona everything she needs to know about survival in the woods, as well as self defense and how to kill someone bigger than her. Yona is not allowed to have any contact with the outside world and knows almost nothing about what is going on. When the old woman dies Yona continues living in isolation in the woods until she comes across of group of Jews fleeing the Nazis.

The group is barely surviving and despite warnings from the old woman to stay isolated, Yona befriends them and teaches them how to survive in the wilderness. In turn, they teach her about living in a community and opening herself up to other people. When Yona is forced to enter a village, past lives collide and Yona's new-found peace and identity is shattered.

I read this book in a day and half. I just couldn't put it down. The book flows effortlessly and the author does a fantastic job of painting a picture of Yona's struggles and determination. Some atrocities of the war are described, but there is nothing too graphic depicted. A few of the side characters are well-developed as they relate to Yona and further her story along, but the other minor characters are fairly stereotypical. However, this is not too distracting because the main storyline is so compelling.

I know that there have been a plethora of WWII books released in the last several years and we're all a bit tired of reading them, but you should make an exception and pick up this amazing book. You'll thank me for it later.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions are my own.

I savored reading this novel. So many beautiful sentences that helped to compile the most compelling story. It evoked so many emotions - anguish, hope, love, heartbreak…

“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.”

I applaud the author for doing such incredible research while writing this book. I’m fascinated (and horrified) by WW2 and have read a decent amount of historical fiction that takes place during this time. This story was different. One of the things that helps it to stand out, is the story revolves a group of Jewish people who seek refuge in the forests outside of Poland to escape the Germans during WW2. Before reading this book, I had not heard that such groups existed. Harmel writes about their experience in the forest; surviving, creating families and adapting, with great clarity. I was invested in every character and every thing that happened. Whether it was a part of the main plot line or a sub story, my heart was in it. The characters were so well written and I understood them so well, that it was easy to devour them.

I absolutely recommend this book for any fan of Historical Fiction, Women’s Lit and Literary Fiction. Honestly, I think anyone reading this would be hard pressed to not fall in love with the story.

Many thanks to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books Publishing, and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. I read and reviewed this voluntarily and opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own. This book is available for purchase on July 6th, 2021!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It begins with a toddler being taken from her bed in Germany to then be raised in the forest with the old Jewish woman who took her. As a young adult, she finds herself alone when World War II begins and the Jews start hiding in her forest. But they don’t know how to shelter and eat year-round while living a hidden life so she must teach them if they are to survive. Obviously, the German soldiers are going to make appearances throughout the story but the main focus is the “family” and their struggles to survive so not really a war story. Religion also plays a role in the storyline but more in a thought provoking way, not pinning one against the other.

This story is completely fictional but inspired by true events of those that survived the Holocaust by hiding in the wilderness. The Bielski family is mentioned within the book which took me back to another 5 star non-fiction book that I read awhile back – “The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and saved 1,200 Jews”. The author even interviewed one of the Bielski men while researching for this book. I highly recommend both books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this wonderful book.

Hands down one of my favorite books of the year! Solid 5 stars. I was engaged in the story from start to finish. It is rare I stay up late to finish a book, but I devoured this book, forsaking sleep and neglecting my household duties to read this. By far Harmel's best book. I have recommended this to EVERYONE. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is an astonishing story, well told and deeply felt. Harmel is a writer of great skill and her vivid prose brings to life this story of Jews feeling the Nazis and taking refuge in the nearby forest for years as if she spent years in the forest herself. Bookstores are filled with titles about World War II ( this is Harmel's third.), but put The Forest of Vanishing Stars at the top of your TBR pile for its originality and character development. We look forward to speaking with her on Satellite Sisters in August.

This is the remarkable story of a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis during WW2. This girl was kidnapped from her German home at a very young age and grew up with a woman in the forest. After her kidnapper dies, she is left alone until she meets up with refugees on the run from the Nazis. She teaches them how to survive in the forest, and elude the Nazis.