The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel Is an evocative historical fiction book which highlights the struggle of jews who lived in the Naliboki forests of Eastern Europe near Belarus during WWII. This is based on a true story of those who found ways by banding together and creating communities within the dense forests to forge their own survival when the Nazis wanted them dead.

Yona, is a fictional character, but the skills she has were attributed to those in the Belietz Family Camp and required for survival. Yona was kidnapped at age two from her bed in Berlin by an old Jewish women, Jerusza. Yona is taught in exacting detail and in practice until she is twenty how to use the forest to forage for food, trap and hunt, make shelters, learn multiple languages, hide her tracks, and kill in many ways. Yoga’s gifts are numerous, but what she has no experience with is interacting with others. This all changes when she meets a small group of Jews who fled from a ghetto.

Yona puts her myriad of skills into practice. Harmel will truly will test your limits as you fall in love with those who have been victimized. The trials of just surviving are far from a guarantee and even with the unusual skills of Yona death is inevitable both from the forest and human predators.

Harmel weaves a difficult journey that almost breaks all involved. The decision to leave the ghetto has unbelievable ramifications. But the lives of all require them to adjust to their new circumstances in the forest in order to survive. These characters will become real to you, too. Despite their many challenges they found ways to face their challenges with courage.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Gallery Books in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

Set during WWII, Harmel's newest novel follows Yona, a woman who was raised kidnapped as a child and then raised in the woods. During the war Yona comes across Jewish refugees who are fleeing the Nazis. Yona works to help them and show them how to survive living in the forest.

Yona was a strong, resourceful character who was knowledgeable on how to forage and build shelter to successfully live in the forest. Yona was determined to help the group of refugees escape the horrors that were happening around them. Yona grew up rather isolated and was used to being alone, when Yona starts to help take care of the refugees she comes to learn what has been missing in her life and learns that family is not just about blood, but who you choose to make apart of your life.

Harmel's newest novel is different from her previous books. It shows a different survival story around WWII that I've not read before. This was a quick, heartfelt, and sad read. I enjoyed this one from start to finish. Harmel is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for providing a copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yona, a two-year-old child from Berlin, is kidnapped and raised in the thick forests of Poland. When the woman who raised her dies while Yona is still in her early twenties, she is left to navigate the forest - and the world - alone. Europe is deep into WWII and as the Germans commit increasingly devastating atrocities against the Jewish people, Yona begins to encounter groups of Jewish ghetto escapees throughout the forest. While she was always taught to avoid people, Yona feels it is her duty to help them learn to survive in the wilderness. In doing so, she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.

I really like reading historical fiction, especially when it focuses on WWII. This book was well-written and thoroughly researched. It was also enjoyable to read. The dialogue was heartfelt and genuine, allowing the reader to connect with the characters. The characters themselves were vibrant and alive - very well developed. I liked them all, except that nasty Sulia. Really loved Yona and Zus.

Highly recommended for a rainy day with a deep red Cabernet. Fireplace optional.

Pub date: July 6, 2021, so be on the lookout for it at your favorite indie bookstore!

Thanks to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

*Review to be posted on my blog on 6/21/21*

Likes:
*This reads like a fairytale, at least in the beginning when Yona is taken from her biological family to be raised in the woods. I almost thought I was reading a magical realism book instead of historical fiction but we get to that part soon enough.

*Yona is a young woman raised without interacting with other people except for one person, her caretaker, Jerusza. Jerusza is an elderly woman who knows how to survive the forests in Europe. Jerusza is Jewish but also worldly about many cultures and religions and she teaches Yona about everything she can, but why? Jerusza has seen the future, is more in tuned with the mystical elements of the world, maybe because of her life in the forest, and knows what is coming with the German Nazis. So she prepares Yona for what is coming.

*When Jewish people flee the ghettos the Nazis have trapped them, some try to flee into the forest and that is where Yona finds her purpose. She teaches these groups how to survive living in the forest. I found the focus of this story quite unique because of Yona, her disconnect from the world and then being introduced to the horrors of it when she finally interacts with people coming in the forest. I love how the forest gave them everything they needed at a time when Jewish people were losing everything: jobs, family, friends, homes, loved ones, dignity, their way of life.

*There is a little romance in this story despite how awful the circumstances but I thought it was nice it didn’t become the sole focus of the story. Yona is learning how to interact with others and belong with a group. She is trying to find out who she is after being by herself for so long and there are some harsh life lessons to learn. Despite everything that happens I love that Yona is smart, strong, optimistic and practical.

*I love the overall message of this story. It’s not only one of survival but identity too. It’s also a reminder of how cruel and ruthless hate could turn people against one another and the everlasting trauma the Holocaust had on families that survived. A reminder that generations of families were wiped out.

Random Notes:
*Triggers: violence, death, kidnapping

*I think the premise of this story is very unique, it almost has a mystical feel to it with Jerusza but it is intertwined with in real historical events. If you read the Author’s Notes in the back, the history of the Bielski brothers making camp in the forest during WWII is as gripping as the fictional story the author gave us.

Final Thoughts:
This is the first book I’ve read from Kristin Harmel and it is an epic story. I learned a lot, and was reminded once more what survival was like in World War II for so many people and how much was lost in a span of a few years. This story was heartbreaking, and yet still full of hope. It’s a great book for someone who loves reading history or World War II stories and want something with a unique perspective.

Kristin Harmel has, once again, written a gorgeous book that will stay with the reader long after the narrative ends. The lens through which the story is told is a fresh exploration of an otherwise familiar story - the plight of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe during WWII. My people. This story of Yona and those she encounters is as hauntingly beautiful as the forest they inhabit. I look forward to discussing this book for many years to come. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was a unique historical fiction. Although it was set during WWII, it was unlike the storylines from the same era.

It began with a sort of fantasy feel, but I was soon captivated as we follow Yona, whose life thus far has been isolated and confined to the wild. Everything changes when she intersects with refugees fleeing from the Nazis and learns of the atrocities taking place.

Harmel’s writing made me feel a part of the story and become attached to the characters. I’ve loved all of her novels and this one might be my favorite.

I loved The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel, so I was looking very forward to reading her new book, The Forest of Vanishing Stars. It didn’t disappoint at all! Inspired by real-life stories of survival, Kristin Harmel weaves together the engaging story of Yona, a young woman stolen from her Nazi parents as a two-year-old and raised in the forests of Eastern Europe. Yona knows no other human except for the woman who took her. She is raised learning that the forest can provide and support and hide her. When her kidnapper dies, Yona is alone, living off the land and listening to her instincts when it comes to her brief encounters with other people. As the Nazi persecution of Jews intensifies, many flee to the forest for protection. They are woefully unprepared and when Yona meets a group desperately trying to survive, she stays to help them in any way she can. As Yona learns what it is to be surrounded by people, she also learns heart-rending lessons in love and betrayal, and ultimately acceptance. This is a beautifully written, detail-filled, suspenseful, and engaging novel. Yona will stay with me for an exceptionally long time. The author’s note at the end is equally compelling reading, noting the tremendous amount of research Kristin Harmel did. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced reader copy.

This novel is not your traditional World War II story but rather a unique perspective that focuses on the survival of those who were able to escape the Jewish ghettos and lived in the forest. This novel begins with the capture of a young child Yona while asleep in her parents’ home in Berlin by a woman named Jerusza. Jerusza resides in the forest and hears voices and premonitions which lead her to Yona and the need to save her. Jerusza raises Yona in the forest, teaching her the ways of survival, including how to live off the land, disappear and blend in. Yona learned multiple languages and customs and traditions. Yet, despite her vast knowledge, Yona was taught to fear people and avoid any interaction with them, as only “bad” things would come from it. After Jerusza’s death, Yona is forced to live alone until she encounters a group of Jewish people, who escaped the ghettos. Despite her fear, Yona feels this calling to help these people survive and in turn, becomes part of their community.

This novel is a wonderful collaboration of nature, survival, companion, empathy, belonging, doing right by others and goodness prevailing over evil. The author does an excellent job of developing the characters and portraying strength and weakness. The reader is able to step into the forest along with these characters and understand and relate to their feelings, cry for their losses and sorrow and forgive their sins.

The author does a good job of developing a story and highlighting a part of history that is not often explored – the survival of people in the forests. She touches on strong themes that tug at the reader’s heart and really emphasizes the courage and strength of people when faced with unimaginable circumstances. This novel is thought provoking and often leaves the reader questioning what he/she would do under these circumstances and hoping that he/she too would be strong enough to make difficult decisions.

This book was enjoyable and keeps the reader engaged. The pace moves quickly, and it is an easy read given the likeable characters. It is a good reader for anyone fond of historical fiction novels.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Jews from the Polish ghettos of WWII fled to the surrounding forests, their only hope of surviving. This well-researched novel tells their story. Add a kidnapped child taught the ways of the forest by a woman not her mother, and you have a unique story.

I love this author and everything she rights so I knew this would be no exception. She delivered. I loved this story! I’d highly recommend it to people and I think people are gonna love it!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
by Kristin Harmel
Publishing date July 6, 2021

If you haven't read this author, run not walk to your closest book store or library and start reading her books!
Historical fiction at its best! This author researches so well and presents books that are remarkable.
I am a follower of her on Friends and Fiction and she is an inspirational person as well!
Thanks to her publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. I will recommend her books to our historical fiction readers.

5star

Kristin Harmel has written a wonderfully provocative and fascinating historical fiction novel. You are on the edge of your seat as you turn every page. Her research is impeccable. Set in Poland in the early 1940’s, this piece relates a story not often told...of those who lived in the forests on the run from Hitler. Ms. Harmel has developed each major character so deftly. You will fall in love with Yona and read as she develops into such a strong woman and cheer the results of her every action. I have read hundreds and hundreds of holocaust novels, but this one is a must read. Five stars doesn’t give it justice!

This is the story of a young girl who was stolen and raised. In the forest of Poland. It takes place during world 2. She finds and helps Jews running from the Nazis survive in the forest.. it shows mans inhumanity to man. Through it all man can survive..

A heartbreaking story of survival with a little bit of magical realism. I absolutely loved the author's note at the end. A worthwhile and inspiring read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have recently read four WWII stories ~ which is unusual for me as it is not my favorite genre. Typical so sad and leaves me with feeling of not being able to do anything about the terrible things that occurred. I realize it was a time we must never ever forget and also a time in which we should have learned there is no reason for such cruelty.
<i>This story kept popping up as a recommendation and described as ‘not your typical story about Jewish feeling Nazis terrorist. </i> Additionally I have liked all of the [author: Kristin Harmel]’s novels.
This story starts out in July 1922 with Yona who was kidnapped at age two from her wealthy parents Berlin home by a woman named Jerusza. Jerusza lives in the woods and ‘hears voices’ and is told she must save the child ~ the only safe place is the forest. As Yona grows, Jerusza knows Yona is bright, sensitive and intuitive. She has learns to hunt, gather food and other survival skills. However, she has no idea what is happening outside of the forest.
Jerusza has two rules that Yona must do ~
1. She must obey her and
2. Must stay hidden in the forest away from men who might hurt her.
Yona and Jerusza live in the forest and in 1941, at the age of 102, Jerusza dies of natural causes. Story totally had me. Yona does remind me of Kyra in [book: Where the Crawdads Sings].

This is just the first part of the story. I won’t spoil by telling you anymore.

The ‘Author’s Note’ is a story within itself. I always love reading the author’s thoughts. Truly the inside scoop on the ins and out in creating a story.
Ms. Harmel did an amazing amount of research. Story has so much detail; it is far more historical than fiction. She tells of about the Bielskis who had a camp of over 1200 people. They were self-sufficient; lived in a community of trust and hope and were able to survive.

Her note ends with a recommendation on how to make the world a better place ~”Be nice if at all possible.” Sounds so simple ~ doesn’t it? However, as I watch the evening news and read the newspaper I am sadden by so much hate. Recently so many hate crimes.
On a positive note I love to read John Tesh’s daily inspirational messages.

We can all do better at trying to be nice by remember before we speak…ask yourself ~
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?

Want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books this uncorrected eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only. Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 6, 2021

With The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Kristin Harmel once again takes a genre that can seem tired and overdone and spin a story that balances a unique, layered and relatable character with a storyline that's different enough from all the others that makes it worth picking up another book that takes place during World War II in Europe. In this story the focus is a young woman that is stolen away from her German parents and raised in the forests of Eastern Europe who ends up taking on the responsibility of helping the Jewish people survive that have managed to successfully escape the ghettos. Yona, while taught to understand how to survive in the forest and how to speak multiple languages, is naïve to the ways of people. When she decides to help the people that are in the space she feels comfortable she learns to form a symbiotic relationship - she helps them survive, and they teach her what it likes to be part of a family and community and all the complex emotions that go along with it. This and the beautiful, descriptive language help the book stand out from the pack. At several points during the book Harmel does try and bring Yona's early childhood full circle. I can see some value in this, and one point it ties into a real life historical event. But it also feels almost disruptive to the rest of the story being told and I kind of wish she'd found a way to write the book without incorporating these parts. Beyond that, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to Kristin's next book!

Enjoyable read, couldn't put it doown. One of the things I liked best was the title and the meaning behind it--Jewish people wearing stars on their clothing---vanishing thanks to Nazi Germany. Yona, the protaganist, grew up in the forest, and shares her skills helping groups of people survive the forests of Poland and Germany during World War 2. Outstanding book, highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a great story. The characters were easy to love even though it was not a great circumstance. The story was tragic but stories like these really help you to understand what it was like during that time.

I received this an ARC through Netgalley and Goodreads. This is not your typical WWII historical fiction. Yona is stolen from her bedroom in Berlin when she is two by woman of the forest, Jerusza. Jerusza felt compelled to steal Yona to keep her safe and prepare her for what life had in store for her. Yona grows up one with the forest, not knowing about her past. This is a tale of how you may not know at the time what you are doing and being taught will be used for the good of others in the future. With the skills Jerusza teaches Yona, Yona is able to help save and hide Jews in the forest. After 22 years of being with only one other person, will Yona be able to trust people? Find friendship and maybe even love?

This story reads like a fairy tale, like an epic, and a war novel all in one. The entire story is beautifully written, very rich in imagery, and I very much enjoyed the storytelling. I always enjoy historical fiction, but this story comes with secrets and mystery which made it so interesting and compelling to read. I didn't look up many of the words and phrases, but just reading the words evoked the spirit of Judaism, and I felt a deep respect for all the Jewish people who suffered from this war and all other forms of discrimination around the world. Yona is a strong heroine, but she's not invulnerable - I grew to really like her as a character, and I really liked the way she connected with the forest. In a way, it reminded me of Native American cultures and their closeness to nature - this book gave me that same impression. I would highly recommend for anyone who is interested in WWII, Jewish survivors, and a little bit of magic.