Another amazing book by Kristin Harmel! As with all of Harmel's other books I've read, this book made me do a ton of googling during and after reading it. I love how much time and research she puts into all of her novels. This book focused on a young woman who focuses her knowledge on the forest to help the Jews escape the Nazis. I loved the main character and the chapters on her past with her kidnapper. A great ending as usual with Harmel's books!

Having read other books by Harmel, I was very intrigued to take on this tale.

Yona, a young woman living in the woods of Poland, begins wondering across Jewish refugees and finally comes across a large group who are in desperate need of her help to survive in the forest and to conceal their presence. Little does Yona know that her past would come back to complicate matters for she and the group of refugees who have become the family she has so longed for.

First and foremost, since I have read some of Harmel's works before, I did have an idea of what to expect. Harmel is very good at getting into the main character's head and letting you work through their inner emotions and motivations. I think that was a good part and a hindrance in this book. It was good because it really allowed you to understand Yona's feelings about her father and some of the characters around her. But I also feel that sometimes it slowed down the action of the story because we got so bogged down in Yona's head.

I did really enjoy the setting and general plot of this. When I realized that the story was based in the forests of Poland mainly, I practically wanted to shout, YES, a WWII story NOT based in England or France. They're just so many Western front stories from WWII that are published in those settings, that I almost get sick of reading them. This was a refreshing and intriguing change of setting and story. I think it also was fantastic to hear the story from partially Jewish refugees. So often we hear about the Holocaust from Jews who are just about to go into concentration camps or already in them. Any of us who know WWII history know those aren't the only viewpoints out there.

I think this story definitely had some pacing problems. I know the author was trying to get logistically from point A to B, etc. But it just really lagged at times and I had trouble picking the story back up. It actually made it hard to finish.

Otherwise, my points above make this a worthwhile read. Thank you for the ARC!

4.5 stars out of 5! Kristin Harmel has succeeded again in writing an unforgettable and gripping historical fiction novel. The Forest of Vanishing Stars explored an aspect of World War II survival that few had ever explored in such detail and complexity. Kristin Harmel delved into the details of the lives, survival tactics, bravery and hope Jewish men, women, and children faced in the safety of the forests after successfully escaping from the confines of the ghettos where they were being held. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was based on true events. At the end of this incredible novel, Kristin Harmel, shared details in her note portion of the book, about her interviews with survivors and the existence of many of the places she mentioned in The Forest of Vanishing Stars as well as the events that actually occurred. I listened to the audiobook of The Forest of Vanishing Stars that was expertly narrated by Madeleine Maby. It was meticulously researched and Kristin Harmel’s talent for excellent storytelling shone throughout. Kristin Harmel admitted that the idea for this book was based on the movie, Defiance. The characters were unforgettable and I still find myself thinking about them especially the strong female protagonist, Yona. I was drawn into the intriguing plot from the start and found that I could not stop listening to this harrowing story.

There once existed a baby girl who lived in Berlin, Germany. She was the daughter of wealthy parents. One night, while her parents slept, she was kidnapped by an old woman who took her far from her home to live with her in the forests of Eastern Europe. The old woman named her Yona and she became her teacher and the person who took care of her. Yona learned how to survive in the forest by following the old woman’s advice and lessons. She learned which foods like berries and mushrooms were edible and not poisonous. Yona learned how to hunt, fish, protect herself from wild animals or evil men and how to build shelters that would hold up against the elements of winter and storms. She lived a very sheltered and isolated life though. When Yona grew older she became curious why the old woman had taken her from parents. The old woman told Yona that this was her destiny and that her parents were bad people. Then in 1941, Yona’s kidnapper died. She was beyond one hundred years old. Yona was alone for the first time in her life.

It was at this juncture in Yona’s life that she discovered two men trying to fish in the forest. The men told Yona about their escape from the ghetto where they had been living. Eventually, Yona taught the young men how to fish and catch large number of fish in a short time. Yona realized that they were Jews that escaped the persecution of the Nazis. Having had no contact with the outside world all the time she lived with her kidnapper, Yona had no idea what was happening to the Jews under the Nazi occupation. She wanted to help this group of people that consisted of men, women and children, any way she could. All the people in the group had lost so much. Each one of them had lost love ones, their homes and livelihoods. The one thing they all had in common was the will to survive so they could recount the horrors they witnessed. Yona promised the people in this group that she would teach them how to survive as they lived in the forest. Was this Yona’s destiny? Yona, in turn, became the recipient of the valuable lessons the people in this group were able to teach her about friendship, trust and love.

Yona opened her heart to the man she first met and taught to fish. Through Alexander, Yona learned the concept of love and caring for another person and what it meant to have a family. When Alexander betrayed Yona, she fled from those she thought had become her family and found herself in a small village that was occupied by the Nazis. Yona was about to discover something about her past that was hard for her to acknowledge and accept. How would that discovery alter her life and affect the people she had come to care for and love?

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel was a heart wrenching and powerful historical fiction novel that exemplified bravery, hope, survival and heroism. It was incredible that so many Jewish people were able to successfully escape from the ghettos and survive life in the forests of Eastern Europe. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was beautifully written and included many vivid descriptions of the forest and what its surroundings must have looked like. The many characters were well developed and complex and will stay with me for quite some time. I have read many of Kristin Harmel’s books and have liked them very much and this one was no exemption. I highly recommend this book.

Kristin Harmel is an auto-buy author for me and has another hit in The Forest of Vanishing Stars!!! I enjoy the quality of her writing and the details in which she tells the story. I always learn something new in her historical fiction books! If you are a historical fiction lover or just love an engrossing storyline, you must read this one!!

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and I loved this book so much because it was inspired by true stories and those, to me, are always the best kind when it comes to historical fiction!

With the plethora of WWII novels out there, I was pleasantly surprised to read a storyline from this unique viewpoint......a young girl named Yona was raised in isolation in the woods of eastern Europe, where she learned various ways to survive against staggering odds. Later, Yona will use her skills to teach the Jewish people, escaping from the ghetto and the terror of the Nazi regime, how to survive/live in hiding in the wilderness.

What Yona didn’t expect is that she would learn some surprising lessons from this group of Jewish escapees that will change her life forever.

If you like a strong female MC, you will fall in love with Yona.

In the end, this is a captivating story full of heartfelt lessons about life, love and family and it will stick with you for a long time!

I’m not sure why I waited so long to read this book when she is a favorite author of mine, but once I started, it was unputdownable!!

I absolutely loved this book! I've struggled with historical fiction throughout Covid, but this one sucked me in and left me completely entranced. The plot was interesting with great characters and setting. I highly recommend this one to anyone and everyone who loves a good historical fiction read with a strong heroine.

Kristin Harmel writes amazing historical fiction, and this book is no exception! I always learn so much from her books.

“I don’t want to disappear. I want to survive so we can tell the world what has happened.”

absolutely loved this book! it was such a great read, i would highly recommend this books to my friends and family if they wanted a well written book

I enjoyed reading this historical story. I enjoyed this author's writing skills and her attention to details that made the story come to life. This is a well written story that takes place in WWII and a secret that happened in the past come crashing into the present. This is a story that has characters that are written inspiration and heart. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into their journey from the start. They are connectable and kept the story engaging. I enjoyed their growth and also the growth of the plot throughout the stor.y. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. This is an easy and entertaining story to read. I highly recommend this book. You don't want to miss what happens in this journey.

Thank you NetGalley and GalleryBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why have I slept on Kristin Harmel’s writing for so long? What took me so long to get to this book? Why was I putting it off? What’s wrong with me?!

This book was incredible!! There was so much that happened in less than 400 pages, but it was so well told. What these people went through to survive in the wilderness during this time is unbelievable.

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction set in this time period, but none that told this story from this point of view. There were so many lessons about life, love, and family to take away from this novel.

It is very strong on the religious front, but that did not have any negative bearing on my end. I enjoyed how open the religious conversations were.

I highly recommend this one, and cannot wait to read more by this author.

Kristin Hamel is a very good Author. This review has no ill will against her or the way she writes. This book was just not for me. I have tried to read it 5 times and have also tried the audiobook. But when it comes to mentions of anything war related I can not seem to pick it up afterward. Sadly, I DNF this book. I will look forward to seeing what else this author tells within her stories.

Thank you for allowing me to "attempt" to read this book!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was a refreshing take on the WWII novel. I loved the element of the forest and nature as well as all of the bravery shown.

I always like when I'm able to find a WWII novel that explores stories I didn't know much about before. This novel digs deep into what it was like for those who took refuge in the vast woods in Europe during the war. While the story is fictional it is based on stories of real people who did similar things to the characters in this book to survive.

While I found the main character a bit hard to believe at times given her background and what was happening, I did like the novel. The world building within is fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I enjoy her quality of writing and her grasp on time and place. I would continue reading her historical novels in the future.

I was not able to get in to the storyline of this one. If in the future I attempt to read this again I will update my feedback!

I'm not sure what took me so long to read this...I feel like I'm a little burnt out on WW2 books since that has dominated the historical fiction market for so long but SERIOUSLY! This is not "just" a WW2 historical fiction. There is a magical element (but not too much) and some romance. It was splendid and I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

3.5 stars

I liked the idea of this story, but from the get I could tell what would end up happening, based on the original characters and timing.

Story was moving and fanciful. I enjoyed it.

Oops - so sorry I forgot to send the feedback on this book! I did read it back in Oct 2021.

This is a WWII era historical fiction with a heavy dose of fantasy element in it. I didn't find it super memorable, in either a good or a bad way. It's about a young woman who was kidnapped and raised by an old woman, learned to live off the land, and then went on her own journey. There's a lot of self discovery and that kind of thing. I really feel like this one falls less into the WWII category than many others I've read.

A moving story based on real life experiences. Very well written and researched, I now know why everyone loves books written by Kristin Harmel. The story is surrounded Yona, kidnapped at the age of 2 years old from a prominent German couple in 1922. She is raised by a old lady of 82, learning to survive in the vast woods of Poland. Fast forward 20 years later and Yona is in the middle of WW2 and first time on her own when Jerusza passes away. Trying to survive using the skills she learned was second nature to her, but showing and sharing her knowledge to refugees, Jews hiding from the Nazis was a inner battle she fought. Not use to people, but yet craving companionship she leads a group into hiding. The story unfolds and one reads and learns of the struggles of the Jewish people to survive during a time of great atrocities.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheForest of Vanishing Stars #KristinHarmel

This is a magnificent book, full of the sights and smells of the deep forests of Poland and Russia.

Based loosely on real people during the troubling times of World War II in Europe, this is the story of an old woman, a young toddler and the wisdom that is passed from one to the other. Jerusza, a wizened crone of a character, teaches Yona all Jerusza knows and all Yona will ever need to know to survive the times to come - how to survive off the land, off what the forest offers, off of her own wits and wisdom. The day arrives when everything Yona has learned is put to the test.

The Germans search out every Jew and Russian dissenter they can find throughout Europe. They search towns, cities and forests, trying to stomp out those who don't agree with them politically. It is Yona's task to keep her rag-tag group alive, and every ounce of knowledge she has gained is put to the test.

But, Yona has a past that not even she could have known about.

The book was un-put-downable. So, so highly recommended!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forest-of-vanishing-stars-kristin-harmel/1137938564#reviews-header

Yona hid behind a tree…so many, many times. This book was slow. I honestly don’t know how I managed to get through it, I was determined because I saw hope in the story, but it just did not grab me. I guess I just kept hoping it would get better.