This is my second book by this author and it's a confirmation that I've struck gold with Kristin Harmel. She aims at your heart with sniper precision and hits you right in the feels. THE FORST OF VANISHING STARS is Historical Fiction at its finest, full of adventure, heartache, heartbreak, tragedy but also hope and love.
"In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things. What I am trying to say, Yona, is that in moments like this, it doesn’t matter what you were born to be. It matters what you choose to become.”

Inge was taken from her German parents when she was only two years old. Jerusza, the woman who abducted her had always known things other people didn't and thus she knew that the little girl she named Yona would change the world a little bit. She teaches Yona everything she knows, especially how to survive in the forest and staying under the radar and out of sight of other people. Years later World War II is raging and Jews are being hunted like animals. Yona's unique skills make her an asset to a group of Jews who have no idea how to not raise attention so she passes on her knowledge.

My heart broke for Yona. The old hag who stole her from her mother and father wasn't a loving parent. I deeply disliked Jerusza who was oftentimes cruel, uncaring and just awful with Yona. She took away the girl's childhood and I think I would have been more forgiving if she had been a real parent for Yona. Maybe it makes me a bad person but I was glad when this fictional character finally passed on.

After Jerusza's death Yona was alone. Humans are social animals and initially I was glad when Yona finally found a group of people she could take care of. She wanted to belong but even after months of travelling with this group she was an outsider. I hated that so much for her, how she gave her everything but was questioned and doubted at every turn. I thought that many of the people she helped were undeserving but Yona is the kinder one out of the two of us so even after her trust was broken and betrayed she looked out for them.

The heartbreak is balanced by the love and respect Yona eventually finds within the group of Jews she repeatedly saves from catastrophe. But there was one person who cherished her and loved her for who she was and dispel her doubts about her origins and gave her a feeling of belonging.
“We all come into this world with our fate unwritten, Yona. Your identity isn’t determined by your birth. All that matters is what we make ourselves into, what we choose to do with our lives."

There were some really hard situations to read about but whenever I read a book about the holocaust I think that I only have to read about it, the Jews of this world had to endure it, were hunted and killed. Even after almost 8 decades it's inconceivable to me that people would want to destroy a whole population because they are Jewish. And it still happens to this day.

But let me get off my soapbox and tell you how much I loved this story. Kristin Harmel's writing is beautiful, touching, emotionally charged and heartfelt. You can feel that telling these stories is important to her. So much research went into this book. THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS is based on true events - the forest is real, so were groups of Jews trying to survive until the war was over. It's the story about a remarkable, courageous heroic young woman, who was denied love from the early years of her life yet was kindness and love personified. You can't help but root for her. If Historical Fiction is your thing I can't recommend this enough.

I have one little niggle that didn't really influence my rating but I wanted to mention it. When Jerusza steals (then-) Inge from her parents, Inge speaks Yiddish. That was never addressed or explained and didn't make much sense to me, the only explanation I have is a bit of a spoiler but it would still be far fetched. But like I said, no biggie.

There is so much more to say about this exceptional story but instead let me encourage you to grab THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS.
“You are you, Yona, and you are extraordinary."

This was an absolutely beautiful story during the WWII time period that was more unique than others I’ve read. I enjoyed the plot being mostly in the forest and the characters it entailed. Thank you for the gifted copy in advance. Every part had a way of weaving together beautifully.

Kristin Harmel is my absolute favorite historical fiction author, y’all. After The Book of Lost Names in 2020 (one of my favorite books of all time!), I was pumped to dive in to this one.

As always, I love a unique angle with WWII historical fiction as it’s easy for storylines to get repetitive, but this was as unique as it gets, so bonus points there. Yona is just a badass and reading about badass females is my favorite. It’s so evident how much research Kristin does & I appreciate that so much in any book, but especially in historical fiction. Definitely read the author’s note at the end if you pick this one up!

4.5 stars instead of 5 just because a good bit of the book was character driven, where I prefer a little more plot driven, and obviously most of the store takes place in one location, the forest, so it was slow in a few spots, but I always acknowledge that that’s more of a “me” thing than anything. However, Harmel’s writing was so spectacular as always & truly transportive & I was invested in the characters and their outcomes. The touch of magical realism was a nice bonus too!

This was my first Kristin Harmel book and I absolutely loved it. What a beautiful different way to learn about an aspect of WW2 that I have always heard about but never took the time to learn more.

Yona's story takes place in the forests of Poland where she is taken by Jerusza from her parents when she was 2 years old. Yona's parents are German and her father in particular starts to follow the ideas of Hitler but Jerusza has a 6th sense and knows that Yona's is meant to have purpose in the woods of Poland.

Jerusza raises Yona, teaching her all the ways the forest can provide for her, how to protect herself, how to heal others, various languages, religions, etc.

Yona grows and only has contact with Jerusza, but that changes after Jerusza dies. Yona meets a few groups, saves lives, teaches people to survive and stays with one group for a few months.

This is a book worth reading so I do not want to give more away but oh I just loved the writing, the story and the characters. They make you feel, think and love.

Highly recommend this one! Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!

This was an amazing book about history. It told a side that not many know of courage, survival, and how Yona who was kidnapped as a baby and raised in the dense forest by her kidnapper, learning so much that would help her in her future.
Her kidnapper was a Jewish mystic and believed she was supposed to kidnap Yona and prepare her for a higher purpose. She helped a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror, and they taught her how to live after years of isolation. This is a gripping story that will capture your attention, and it told a part of history I hadn't known before.
I received an ARC from Gallery Books through NetGalley.

In 1922, a two-year-old baby was stolen from her German parents by an eighty-two-year-old woman, Jerusza. Jerusza renames the child Yona, and raises her isolated away from civilization in the forest for the next twenty years. Following the death of Jerusza, Yona learns of what is happening outside her solitary life, and begins to help a group of Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis to survive in the forest in Poland.

The beginning of the novel has almost a magical element, and the relationship between Yona and Jerusza gave me Rapunzel and Mother Gothel vibes, so I was immediately hooked! However, the bulk of the novel takes place after Jerusza passes away and is focused on the effects of the war, and Yona is a caring, self-less, and strong-willed heroine. I appreciated the way the author incorporated this strong female character into historic events, seamlessly embedding her as a leader for people inspired by real-life groups of Jewish refugees who escaped to hide in the Nalibocka {now Naliboki} forest during WWII. Be sure to read the incredibly interesting author’s note at the end, where Harmel recounts interviews and the extensive research that went into writing this epic story about a heart-breaking time in history as accurately as possible. This was my first Kristin Harmel book, but her writing is absolutely beautiful, and her storytelling ability is exquisite, so I will be picking up her previous novels ASAP!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

One of the reasons I love reading historical fiction books set during WWII is that no matter how many I read, I will always learn more than I knew before. I think because that war was so all encompassing and affected, literally, everyone in the world, we can hear endless stories about that time and still not fully grasp how devastating it was.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars, by Kristin Harmel, tells the story of how some Jewish people hid from the Nazi's in the forests of Poland. This was no easy feat. Most of these people had no clue as to how to survive in the wilderness, particularly during harsh winters. But survive they did. The novel mixes in some elements of Magical Realism, but that does nothing to take away from the very realistic situations, and resilient characters. This book was highly engaging, and I couldn't stop reading it.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Yona, the main character, was abducted as a child and has lived most of her life in the wilderness. Her kidnapper, Jerusza, teaches her all about how to survive in the outdoors, including how to kill a man with her bare hands. Since Yona was taken at such a young age, she never questions Jerusza, who is more terrifying at all times than maternal. The one thing that Yona feels that Jerusza can't control is her loneliness. For all her wilderness training, Yona is quite vulnerable when she meets other people after Jerusza dies.

I loved Yona for her bravery, and willingness to help others. When she sees people in the forest who clearly won't make it through the winter, she doesn't hesitate to help. What makes this brave is that all of her life, Jerusza has warned Yona to never have contact with people. But with crushing loneliness, Yona simplu must connect with others.

Jerusza is a strange character, but also a fascinating one. Although her earlier life is unclear, Jerusza has strong premonitions that seem to come true. She takes Yona away from a German couple who she knows will be involved in the coming evil (although she can't yet know about the upcoming war), and raises her to know how to hide and survive in the wilderness. She never tries to be motherly towards Yona, but still has a deep obligation to prepare Yona for when she will be on her own.

I think Jerusza has been severely treated by others in the world for her unusual gifts. This makes it impossible for Jerusza to empathize with Yona's natural need to seek out others. In her own harsh way, she is preparing Yona for staying hidden from the Nazis. Jerusza teaches Yona much about Jewish traditions, and beliefs, but also about all religions, including Christianity and Islam. It's no wonder that Yona feels such kinship with the Jewish people she finds fleeing in the forest.

Magical Realism:

I've never read a WWII book with a Magical Realism element, but it fit in just fine. It was not a vital part of the story, but did help to explain Jerusza's motivation in taking Yona away from her parents. One could argue that she could see that terrible things were going to happen in Europe, and acted accordingly. Jews were already being persecuted by Christians. One could probably guess that when times became challenging, Jews would be the scapegoats.

Romance:

Yona, having zero interaction with men, is unguarded when she finds a connection with Aa young man she meets in the forest. Jerusza has taught her about sex, and birth control, but what she couldn't teach Yona about was how relationships work. I felt so badly for Yona as she learns the hard way about male egos, and betrayal.

Story:

After Jerusza dies, Yona is on her own. While she is surviving just fine, she is terribly lonely. When she finds people struggling to survive in the forest, she can't help but want to reach out and teach them how to survive. The story follows Yona as she shows the group how to finds food, and how to avoid leaving a trace so others can't find them.

Yona also learns about the atrocities that have befallen the Jewish people. Just as I cannot fathom how incredibly evil the Nazis were, so does Yona. She has never seen such cruelty, but is encouraged by the Jewish escapees need to survive, if just to make certain their children will live to continue on. This was very inspiring to read, and made this a hopeful novel about an incredibly dark chapter in world history.

Beautiful and captivating!

WWII can be overdone with women spies and the French side of the war. But in Mrs. Harmel‘s book, World War II is experienced through a whole different lens. Jerusza, an elderly lady, takes Yona from her Jewish home at a young age. She begins to raise Yona as her own outside of civilization doing all she can to prepare her for the prophecy placed on her from her birth. With the heroine of the story Yona struggling to find her place in the world, you can’t help but become emotionally involved in the storyline. WWII and the rise of Hitler effects her and Jerusza’s life as refugees hide in the Forrest that they call home upturning everything Yona has come to know as true.
Kristin Harmel writes with a sense of magic, superstition, and realism that is all woven together doing justice to the historical aspects of the time. It doesn’t go unnoticed the historical research that was needed in order to write a story full of tradition and history.
This beautiful coming of age story, shows the fierceness in the choices we make when fighting for others and our own survival.

When I look back on when my obsession with WW2 historical fiction, it comes back to this author. While she has written books in other times, that of course I devoured, the historical ones are becoming my favorites.
This story actually starts a bit different than the previous books, but I must say I was drawn in all the same. There are never enough words for me to go into how Ms Harmel’s books make me feel while reading them. I definitely look forward to seeing what she will be doing next.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley. But will also be purchasing a copy.

I rarely give 5⭐️ - but I really loved this book. First off the cover is beautiful! The story description intrigued me, as historical fiction is my favorite, especially anything around WWII. The fact that the story was based off of true events and refugees hiding in the forest and surviving off the land is unimaginable to me. You can tell a lot of research went into this book.

The character development was on point. It was so easy to imagine these characters and get invested in their stories. This is one of those books that I could easily picture being made into a movie. There were bittersweet parts along with heartbreaking parts.

Any book that makes me want to research further has done it’s job in telling a fascinating story & sweeping me away within the book. Kristin is an amazing story teller and I cannot wait to read her other books.

Thanks to Kristin Harmel and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things."

This book was hauntingly, beautiful. It was so different from other book about this era. I never highlight passages as I read but I did with this one. Kristin Harmel wrote the most beautiful passages in this book. It might be my favorite WWII fiction book to date. I was just totally blown away. Yona is a character that will not easily be forgotten.

This book is gripping and I had a hard time putting it down. Unfortunately, I had to from time to time to enjoy our vacation. If I were home reading this, it would have been completed in a day.

This is a compelling story of survival based on true events during the Holocaust. Yona was kidnapped from her family in Berlin at the age of two and was raised my an older woman in the forest away from villages and other people. She learned all aspects of survival skills from gathering food to being able disarm and/or kill a person swiftly. Yona was also taught not to trust others especially men. As an adult living alone, she runs across a Jewish family trying to escape the Nazi atrocities. This begins her path of helping others survive.

This book has everything I love about historical fiction: based on true events and people and a compelling story. The author wrote a book with an original approach to this part of history. The Forest of Vanishing Stars would be a good book club book. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advance copy.

What a wonderful book about a terrible time in history. Yona was taken from her German parents as a toddler and she grew up in the forest, raised by her captor. This story’s main character grows tremendously throughout the book and learns so much through her interactions with those she is helping to save. The events, while fiction, are based on true events and the author shows the horror of the time and the hope the Jews held onto as they hid in the forests. I would definitely recommend this book.

Compelling and intriguing, this is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of survival in the wilderness that features the story of how many Jews during WWII were able to survive the ongoing genocide by living off the secrets of the forest. Highly recommend this impactful read.

🌿A real pageturner! 🤗

This book is moving, gripping and one that's really hard to put down. So many characters with crushing, tragic losses and yet the will to protect each other and survive to honor their dead and thwart the Nazi's attempts to obliterate them. Yona, the female lead, is eminently resourceful, courageous, generous and a real role model for how to treat others, no matter their background, creed or faults. Yona and her mission in the woods (and her efforts to save defenseless children and some brave nuns) will be hard to forget!

After reading Yona's fictional story, author Kristin Harmel's note at the end put the story into actual historical context by including insights she gleaned from her research and from actual survivors who had escaped the Polish ghettos and villages to shelter in the woods. It's a good postscript to a fabulous story.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Excellent, highly recommended. This is one of the best books I've read lately. In one sense, it's a WWII/Holocaust book, but it's like no other I've read. This book is about survival, and the Jews win.

The main character, Yona, is a young woman who was stolen at age 2 from her parents in Berlin. The old woman who stole her is mystical, cranky, and an expert in surviving in the forest. Yona comes of age just as WWII breaks out. While living alone in the forest, she comes across small groups of people fleeing Jewish annihilation in Poland and decides to help them. Because of her actions in teaching them how to survive in the forest, many of them live. Late in the book, Yona lives in a village and experiences more heartbreak than she ever imagined in the forest, and she comes to terms with the loss of her parents.

This book reads a bit like a folk tale. The characters are utterly human but also bigger than life. Five stars.

I loved this book! The story was so well written and it was nice to read a historical fiction book from the WWII period that was different than most of the others. I loved Yona's story and reading about how she helped to save so many lives during such a horrible time in our world's history. The character development was amazing and I didn't want the book to end!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
By Kristin Harmel

A Beautifully Written Story of a Young Woman Who Uses her Skills and Knowledge of the Forest to Help Jewish Refugees Survive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
A two-year-old girl is stolen from her bed in the apartment of her young, wealthy German parents in 1922. The child is raised in the forest by Jerusza, the 82-year-old woman who kidnapped her. Jerusza renames the girl Yona, meaning Dove, in Hebrew, and teaches her how to read, defend herself, and survive in the wilderness. She also teaches Yona about the perils of the outside world and encourages her trust no one. Jerusza dies at the age of 102 in 1942, and Yona, at 20, finds herself alone and lonely.

She soon meets a group of Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi extermination. She is stunned to learn what is happening in the world outside of the forest and vows to help keep the Jews safe by teaching them how to survive in the woods.

As Yona grows closer to the refugees, she opens her heart, despite the previous warnings from Jerusza. When she is later betrayed, she is devastated and abandons the group. As she struggles to figure out where she truly belongs, Yona enters a Nazi-occupied village, and her past and present collide, with devastating consequences.


REVIEW
THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS is a beautifully written and brilliantly plotted story. Harmel grabs the reader from the onset with the unusual kidnapping by an elderly woman who hears a voice in the trees. Harmel weaves a mesmerizing tale. She skillfully transports us to the forest, where we can smell the trees, hear the woodpeckers, see the mushrooms, and feel the freezing snow

Yona’s character was delightful. She was brave, courageous, and intelligent. Harmel brings the blond-haired Yona to life on the pages of this poignant novel. Jersurza’s character was also well-developed, determined and unique. There is a spinning carousel of characters entering Yona’s forest, but Harmel does a great job of character development and shining a spotlight on those characters who play a significant role. The story is both heart-wrenching and hopeful and a BSR best book for 2021.

Kristin Harmel lives in Florida and is a graduate of the University of Florida. She has written over 13 novels; her most recent include The Book of Lost Names (2020), The Winemaker’s Wife (2019), and The Room on Rue Ameliie (2018).

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Simon & Schuster
Published July 6, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and WWII stories especially. This story of Yona is remarkable. in her own personal survival stories and yet she was able to help so many others escape persecution and survive to tell their stories. Her feelings for Jeruza have to have been very complicated since she was responsible for abducting Yona (Inge Juttner) from her comfortable home, and yet taught her how to survive in the forest....which enabled her to be able to save so many people. The character of Yona is a puzzle, as she is fiercely and capably independent, and yet so innocent and naïve in the ways of the world. Meeting her father and learning of his place in the German army was very traumatic to Yona, and she learned she would never be able to go back to the life she was born into. The references Ms. Harmel make within the book to the vanishing stars seen from the forest, and the plight of the Polish groups she is hiding, are well-written and bring the title into focus through their eyes. and their survival. Definitely a book to recommend to other historical fiction lovers. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #TheForestofVanishingStars

HAPPY PUB DAY!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
by Kristin Harmel

“In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things.”

I found this book to be a unique twist on your typical WWII novel! Yona, stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, is left 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.

Don’t skip the author’s note on this one! This story was inspired by incredible true stories of survival against staggering odds. According to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, an estimated 2.8 to 3 million Polish Jews were murdered during the war. That’s between 84 and 91 percent of the ENTIRE Jewish population of the country. ONE COUNTRY. Yet somehow people found a way to survive against those staggering odds.

WWII historical fiction novels tackle some really tough subject matter, but I think they are so popular because of their themes of hope and resilience. Even today, eight decades later, we are still dealing with hate between nations, between religions, between races. I feel like there are always lessons to be learned from reading history.

QOTD: Do you enjoy reading historical fiction or nonfiction, and if so, is there a certain time period you prefer?

Thank you #netgalley and @gallerybooks for the #arc! The Forest of Vanishing Stars is available July 6!