Absolutely riveting story. I love Harmels books. They always draw me in and don’t let go until the very end.

From the publisher: 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. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

Kristin Harmel books are auto-buys for me. This title is particularly touching as it follows a kidnaped woman navigate her new world after the death of her kidnapper in the early years of WWII. Harmel's vivid storytelling is on full display as we explore the depths of the forest together and learn how to be a part of a community after so much time spent in solitude. I read this book in an afternoon, eager to learn more about how these refugees survived the war.

I absolutely forgot to leave my review when I read this book! Sorry for the delay! I loved the book, Her historical fiction always manages to come full circle. It will keep you involved in the story and evoke emotions you want to suppress as you read of the hardships during this time period. The endurance of these people is nothing short of miraculous-- that people such as these existed in real life, not just in the authors imagination. We are so fortunate that we have never had to experience this kind of life in our country and lifetime. I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Such a fascinating book!! It’s about an old woman who kidnapped a 2 year old girl, Yona, from her German parents. The old woman raised the girl in the woods. She taught her how to survive in the woods, taught her several languages, how to kill a man, and how to treat sick or wounded people. Once the woman died the girl struggled because she wasn’t taught how to be around other people. She struggled with social interactions. The young woman eventually meets Jewish people that have fled the ghettos and endured horrible hardships and losses. She decides to teach the people what she knows about surviving in the forest and makes herself responsible for their survival. This is a wonderful retelling of the trials and tribulations of the Polish Jews during WWII. It was well researched.
Thank you to Netgalley and Galley books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
Kristin Harmel has done it again!! She is such an amazing writer and I love all her books, so why would this one be any different. But it is different, I have never read about the people who survived in the forest during World War II. You can tell she spent lots of time researching the history of how people survived in this way. It is a very well written book that moves along at a good pace. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.

**Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I read and also listened to it on audiobook and I was sucked in from the first chapter. This is an intense story of survival. Yona was a young girl taken at age two by an older woman and raised in the woods. This changes the course of life for several Jews two decades later. She uses her skills to help many Jews live in the woods to escape death.

I love the story line of love and survival, and without giving anything away the ending was fantastic. I loved Yona learning how to interact with people and finding out who she really is, it’s kind of a coming to age story also.

5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

Historical fiction, especially during WWII, is one of my favorite genres and I’ve read quite a few that fit that. While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite and I’ve read others that I enjoyed much more. I do think I’ll come back to it and reread it as it could have been timing and reading many similar books so close together.

Riveting book about WWII. Could you imagine being held captive, escaping, then founding out that so many people around you are being held captive too? Such an interesting mind to be able to write this beautiful masterpiece. Thank you the the publisher for the ARC.

For me, the gold standard for World War II novels in the historical fiction genre are Krisin Hannah's The Nightingale and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. By gold standard, I'm talking about books that leave a mark on your soul. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is my first introduction to author Kristin Harmel. It's a worthwhile read but one that doesn't quite match the profundity of the other two books I mentioned.

The story begins with a very young Yona being kidnapped from her German parents by a very old woman. She is raised in the forest and left completely alone when the woman dies. But that changes when she comes across a group of Jews in the forest who are trying to escape the Nazi regime. Yona teaches the group what she knows about living in the forest until her past comes back to haunt her in a big way.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is well-researched (as the author note describes) and inspired by true events. There are times when it is very moving and suspenseful. The love stories interspersed between the stories of survival take away from the novel a bit for me, but it is still worh reading. I will definitely read more by this author.

MY RATING - 3.5

"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. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything."

Historical fiction is my favorite. A few years ago, I read WWII fiction non stop. Then I was saturated with sadness and had to stop. This is the first I've read since then and I am so glad I did. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Devastating.

I know this is fiction, but it really captures the bravery and sacrifice of the time.

A vanishing star, a worthy life. Yona is on the right side of history when she voluntarily risks her life to help those who are thought less of survive. Instead of being on the wrong side of humanity, Yona steps out of the shadows of the forest to save who eventually will become her family. Stolen from a family of wealthy decent and raised in the deep wilderness in Europe, yona learns the land and survives without understanding of society. When the rest of the world goes into disarray a solitary voice recognizes that she might just be made for this moment.

A book of survival, this author goes beyond what others have done to illustrate the heroism that occurred during WW2 to save those that deserved saving. Writing a story based on true events that help us understand another side of the horrific story, Kristin Harmel is up for the task. I love how she showed us another survival story different from the typical hiding and moving of hunted people. This was a side of the war I did not know. She also did a great job of illustrating the horrors and feelings that this population of people lived through that was 100% real. Heartbreaking and inspiring all at once, this author really makes you feel the deep emotions of the characters. The author does extensive research on the topic and it shows in her writing. Overall a very moving and heartfelt novel, though it didn't make me cry (hense the less than 5 star review). A beautiful remembrance of the lives lost and forever changed during that time.

I voluntarily read and reviews an advanced reader copy of this book thanks to Kristin Harmel and Gallery Books publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and this one had my heart. It such a resounding story and kept me awake so I could be sure to finish it.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is a beautifully written story of love, loss, heartbreak, strength and perseverance during World war II. Another wonderfully written book by Kristin Harmel!

I've read many books set during WWII and I love the different perspectives of all of the books that I have read. The different takes always keep one's eyes open. While I enjoy fantastical elements they did not really serve this story or help the plot move forward, The writing was good but the characters didn't draw me in as much as I had hoped.

Germany, 1922, a young child is kidnapped from a wealthy German home. Over the next 20 years, Yona learns everything about the forest, learns a number of languages, and learns to rely on her surroundings to survive and be self-sufficient. And then Jurecz dies and Yona is left on her own.

She comes across a group of Jewish people who are fleeing after their families were killed. Without her knowledge, this group would have no chance of survival. She continues to help other groups and believes this to be her mission in life. Still curious about her birth family, she bravely leaves the forest and searches out her father. Discovering him to be a Nazi leader, she flees back to her forest. As she helps more and more groups, she comes to realize this is her mission. Love of her fellow man seems to drive all that she does. The forest dwellers of WWII have been well-documented. It was great to learn more about one fictionalized characters who helped these groups survive and thrive under adverse conditions.

I love Kristin Harmel's books but this one definitely wasn't my favorite. I usually describe her books as being "pearl clutching" but rarely experienced those moments in TFOVS. There’s a moment just over half way in that I thought oh yes now we’re getting somewhere and then it just fizzled out again 😩 Harmel is still one of my favorite authors and I very much look forward to her next novel.

Cozy historical WW II romance set in the forests of Europe, which at least differentiates it from the barrage of other WWII historical fiction. The magical realism wasn't believable and made the characters weird instead of engaging. Book lost me as a reader when it glossed over all of the hardships that hundreds of urban people now living rough. Perfect for escapist readers looking for a light historical romance.

what a great read! some interesting plot twists and very well developed characters altho this was YONA's story. Reading this was more important than errands, housework or repotting plants ;-).

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I always like when I'm able to find unique WWII novel that explores aspects of the war I didn't know much about before. This novel digs deep into what it was like for those who took refuge in the woods in Europe during the war. While the story is fictional, it is based on stories of real survivors. Gripping and heart wrenching.

A truly unique take on a WWII novel, but ultimately it wasn't my favorite.

It has magical realism elements with a girl being taken from her German family and raised in the woods learning to live off what the forest provides.

When the war comes, she is in a position to be able to help Jews and other refugees survive in the woods from the Nazi's.

I think part of my hangup was the first romantic relationship of the book. It just wasn't needed to help the story move forward. Also, the reconnection of her with her father later on felt very unlikely and borderline implausible.