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!

As a proud "baby boomer" WWII stories have always been of special interest for me. I learned about the Holocaust in school and mourned the loss of nearly an entire race of people, but I had never known about those who managed to survive by living in the forests of eastern Europe. Through impeccable research, and based on true stories, Kristin Harmel gives us the fascinating story of a young woman raised in these forests.
Yona was stolen from her bed at 2 years old and raised away from civilization by an old woman who teaches her what it means to be one with nature and with God. In the early years of the war Yona comes across a group of Jews fleeing the Nazis she teaches them how to forage for food and build shelter for the winter. And how to survive and avoid the German army. Eventually their group merges with another. In this Yona finds family, a sense of home and eventually love.
Kristin Harmel has given us a beautifully written story about hope and heartbreak, and perseverance in the face of extreme hardship...and yes...triumph over evil. I heartily recommend this book for anyone that enjoys WWII fiction. And be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book for some additional insites into the story.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful story of survival in its truest form. The historical encounters of the Jews, during WWII, are horrific. But need to be told. This story follows a young girl, kidnapped at only 2 years old. She is raised by an old woman in the dense Forrest in Poland. The story is fiction, with many authentic events, locations and people incorporated in, to make it a very reliable and gripping story. I enjoyed the Author’s note, at the end, explaining all of the research she did to bring it to life. The characters,, especially Yoma, were well written and engaging. With any wartime story, there will be graphic scenes that can be disturbing to some. Also the is 1 medium sex scene, any others are mild. I typically try not to read books that are very mild, but this story was worth rushing through that scene. I would suggest this book to, very mature, young adults to adults.

Kristin Harmel is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of WWII historical fiction. I love how she always manages to uncover and shine a spotlight on some aspect of the war, and in particular of the various Resistance movements, that I was completely unaware of. In the case of her latest novel, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Harmel’s subject matter are groups of Jewish refugees who flee from the Nazis and try to survive by hiding in the vast forests of Poland. The author’s note at the end of the novel is just as fascinating a read as the book itself because Harmel shares the details of her research, including information about the real-life groups of Jewish refugees she based her fictional groups on.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars centers on a young woman named Yona who is stolen from her crib by an elderly Jewish woman when she is only two years old. It is unclear at first what the old woman’s motivation is. She seems to have some mystical powers that allow her to see the future and she “sees” that Yona is destined for something special and that she must teach her so that she is ready when the time comes. The old woman raises Yona in the forest and gives her what seems like the oddest of educations. She teaches her all about how to survive in the forest – how to build various kinds of shelters, how to gather and preserve food, how to use plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, and how to defend herself. She also teaches Yona many languages: Polish, German, and Russian to name a few. The old woman dies soon after Yona’s education is complete and she is left to wonder what exactly she is meant to do with all she has learned. It soon becomes clear when she encounters a large group of Jewish refugees fleeing for their lives deep in the forest. They are doing everything wrong and if they continue as they are, they will all surely perish. Yona makes it her mission to ensure that they all survive and begins to teach them everything she knows about living off the land and about how to stay hidden.

The survival aspect of the story is definitely compelling enough in its own right, but I especially adored the character of Yona. She is such a special young woman and I loved how fully she devoted herself to caring for this group of people even though they are complete strangers and she could be executed if she is caught helping them. I admired her bravery and her selflessness. I also became quite attached to the group of refugees. They are all so eager to learn everything Yona has to teach them and they become just as devoted to her as she is to them. They become a family and it’s just beautiful to see that bond form when everything around them is so dark and treacherous.

Made all the more poignant by Harmel’s characters and her exquisite storytelling, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a story of strength, resilience, love, family, and sacrifice. If you think you’ve read it all when it comes to WWII historical fiction, I highly recommend giving Kristin Harmel’s novels a try. I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve read from Harmel so far and The Forest of Vanishing Stars is my favorite yet; it’s a real gem.

At age two, Yona was stolen from her German parents and raised in a forest wilderness of eastern Europe. After her kidnapper, survival expert and teacher dies, Yona finds herself alone in 1941. Her solitary existence is interrupted when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. 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 what will happen when she comes in contact with the outside world that threatens her life and newfound family?
The Forest of Vanishing Stars is an interesting book based on true events. Part survival guide and part novel, the story is both educational and entertaining. Yona is a strong woman who knows her mind, listens to her intuition and loves people well. I wasn't a fan of the romance, but it's not too much of a focus. There is a bit of war-related violence as one would expect in a WW2 novel.

Harlequin Junkie TOP PICK!!

Having been raised by Jerusza in the deep forests bordering East Germany, Yona learns the powerful lessons of the earth, and absorbs the knowledge of the world without having lived in it. Jerusza, who was something akin to a witch, stole Yona from her German family in 1922 as a 2 year old when she had heard the mystic call that Yona’s life was predestined for remarkable things. Throughout their 20 odd years together, she held the deep knowledge that despite not wanting to be a mother, she must raise Yona to learn all she could teach to prepare her for what was to come. And whilst there was no softness between them, Jerusza performed her job perfectly, giving Yona more than just the skills required to survive the Nazi occupation as World War II begins. And yet despite this, Yona had little to no understanding of how to behave, how culture is created and how to engage in the most basic human interactions. Until, of course, she is put to the test and must do all she can to help those fleeing into the dark forest, escaping the Nazi brutality and horror that robbed the Jewish people of their futures, by sharing her knowledge of the earth to help them survive.

The choices she made, built on a multi-weave of instinct and compassion, and the deep trust she had in her faith, the earth and all things inexplicable, were what made Yona the perfect heroine from beginning to end. In many ways she was as much a victim as a creator in her own journey, given she had a sense of her pre-destined path and yet also knowing she must veer from that path when her heart voiced otherwise. In essence, this was a true tale of survival, purpose, hope, love and the fierce spirit of the people who were forced to build new families and find new ways to exist in the echoes of horrendous violence and inexplicable destruction. And despite the perfectly blended generic elements of Magical Realism and Historical Fiction, Harmel’s deep authorial research wholly underpinned the narrative, drawing from the real events that occurred in the many villages that sat on the outskirts of the dense trees.

For many, this will not be a quiet or gentle read, and yet its beauty lies in the necessity to repeat, recreate and share the tale lest humanity forget its darkest time and its capacity to do the unimaginable. Furthermore, there were so many stunning moments of love and joy that sat in utter contrast to the death and violence, which highlighted the sheer resilience of the human spirit and the necessity to look beyond religion and culture to find the voice of truth within. I cannot recommend The Forest of Vanishing Stars enough – this is simply a must read for all.