Beautifully written and diligently researched, Harmel weaves a fictional tale based on real events of WWII that will pull at your heartstrings and remind you what it means to be human.

Yona was stolen away in the night as an infant and raised in the forest by an old woman who taught her the way of the land but kept her isolated from society. After two decades of this life, Yona encounters a group of Jewish refugees and learns of the horrors being committed in the world beyond the forest. As she helps the group learn how to survive in the harsh wilderness, Yona herself must learn how to love and be loved.

Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale will eat up this moving story of survival, female strength and human connection. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a little shorter in length with a larger cast of characters, so I didn’t find myself quite as emotionally invested as I can sometimes get, but there are still plenty of gut-wrenching moments and beautiful glimpses of hope in the midst of darkness.

Harmel’s attention to detail will make you feel like you are actually in the forest - walking for days at a time, making soap out of crushed plants, digging underground shelters for winter. The forest is as much a character as any human in this story and I adore the way that it jumped off the page.

This story keeps up a fast pace and engages the reader with plenty of moving parts to puzzle over. I felt like I was able to fly through this book because there weren’t any major lulls in the plot. I was consistently entertained and curious about what would come next. Not only was I invested in the group’s survival, but also Yona’s journey to discovering herself.

Wow, words cannot express the emotion associated with this story! The characters were intense and engaging. This read is indeed a WWII story about the Jews fleeing Nazi invasion, but it is portrayed in an original and extremely interesting way. The setting is what grasped my attention and totally peaked my curiosity. How were people able to go into hiding in the woods, entirely living off of the land, while maintaining complete concealment from their enemy?

The story revolves around Nona, a strong and intelligent female heroine, who, against the odds of nature, survives and saves others from mass brutality, or even a tragic death. There is bravery, love, trust, violence, jealousy, hate and most importantly an undeniable faith. It is within the detailed description of forest survival and physical endurance in which we are captured. Nona, raised in the woods herself, happens upon a group of stray and runaway Jews, Her sense of humanity brings her to help, teach, and protect this group with nothing short of fierceness.

I highly recommend to readers of historical fiction, especially interested in WWII, enjoys a strong female protagonists, the mystic of nature, and the love for humanity..

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Forest of Vanishing Stars, by Kristin Harmel

#netgalley #theforestofvanisingstars #kristinharmel

4.5 rounded to 5 stars

I have not read many WWII historical fiction novels in the last several months, having binged on them over the previous couple of years. I am still interested in books set during this time period, but with the caveat that I want to learn new things from each of them. For this reason, I am looking for those that come at the reader from unique vantage points. I found such a book in this stunning piece of work by Kristin Harmel.

Our protagonist is Yona, a young woman who is stolen from her Berlin home at age two by an old woman (Jerusza) who lives in the woods. Jerusza “sees things” and feels “she is saving” Yona from a terrible future disaster by abducting her. Yona is taught everything about surviving in the woods and remains in the forest even after Jerusza dies. In the spring of 1942, Yona has her first of many encounters with Polish Jews who have fled into the forest to escape the Nazis. She finds she can teach them the ways of the forest and how they can try to survive under its cover. I really appreciated the fact that as the war rages in the background, this story focuses on Yona and the people she meets desperately fighting for their lives.

The concept of the story is based on true events as detailed in the wonderful Author’s Notes at the end; make sure you read those. Ms. Harmel clearly did her research, including interviewing a 93-year-old survivor who lived in one of the forest’s largest groups. It was fascinating to learn how much the forest has to offer, allowing human beings to survive for years out in the elements. There is also much depth in the personal interactions of the characters. Yona’s life with Jerusza, the only person she had any contact with for two decades, did not include love, and I really enjoyed seeing Yona learn about human relationships from the refugees. The story also holds a good measure of suspense and impending loss, which enhances the read and allows the story to flow. Also contributing to the flow is the single timeline, something not often seen in historical novels set during a war. I found it tough to pull myself away whenever real life intervened and made me put the book down.

Overall, I found this to be a unique story, a very inspiring, almost spiritual tale. I learned so much and was rewarded with “all the feels.” I will likely remember this one for a long time. I strongly recommend it to all readers of historical fiction, including those who are tired of novels set during WWII.

I want to thank Net Galley, Gallery Books, and Ms. Kristin Harmel for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

The setting of this book and the timeframe in history are certainly allures that pull the reader into the world of Yona. Each of us can connect with her as we have each been a child of someone and to imagine the pain and anguish her parents must live with after she is taken is unbearable.

However the story takes some strange turns that allow me to distance myself from this same character to which I am instantly drawn. Some of the supernatural events make the story seem unreasonable and less believable. Then there is the challenge of wanting more than the shallowness of the intimacies that are described, for to me, living through such extraordinary times would call for extraordinary values as well.

As an outdoor explorer the learning that transpires in the wilderness is fascinating and the opportunities to use it capture my attention and make me visualize a vibrant woods. This setting sets up the danger and the mystery that unfolds in the pages of this novel.

In Kristin Harmel's "The Forest of Vanishing Stars" a toddler is kidnapped from her bed in Germany by a mystical stranger who has been watching her. The kidnapper takes the child to a Polish forest where she raises her to live amongst the flora and fauna. The child has almost no human contact with anyone other than her kidnapper until she encounters refugees who have fled to the forest to escape the Nazis. The child, now a young woman named Yona, must use every skill she has ever learned to save the refugees and herself from the Nazis who are hunting them. She has to fight to earn their trust once they learn her German heritage.

Harmel grabs the reader's attention from the first page, and I was immediately captivated by the story.

I've read many WW2 historical fiction books, but I haven't read one that describes these particular events, i.e., refugees hiding in the Polish forests for years to avoid being tortured and murdered by the Nazis while also facing dangers of hunger, wild animals, and other natural catastrophes. Harmel's descriptions put the reader right in the forest.

There were some portions of the book I didn't care for as much as others: the magical/mystical kidnapper (and these elements later in Yona) and too much detail regarding life in the forest (although I tremendously respect the amount of work that went into researching this information). I actually most enjoyed the sections of the book where Yona left the forest and met pivotal characters I won't identify for fear of spoiling plot points.

I also liked that this book had one main character and one timeline. While I love many books with dual timelines, it was nice to be able to focus on a single storyline.

Even though the mystical portion of the book was not the type of storyline I normally enjoy, the overall book was so good that I'm giving 5 stars anyway. I also really liked the detailed author notes following the end of the book. They are a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Vanishing into the night, a baby was stolen under the guise of protecting her future. Raised in the forest, Yona learned from her guardian how to survive. Branching the past and the present, refugees flocked to the forest seeking its protection. Will Yona retreat into the shadows or remain rooted to save others?

Thank you to #NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early edition of #ForestofVanishingStars in exchange for an honest review. Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite historical fiction writers but I found myself struggling to connect to the story. When Yona steps forward as the star of her story, I become invented in the novel.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a captivating book encompassing the true grit and hope found in the human spirit. Before World War 2, a very special child is born one that would impact and help lead many Jews to safety. Jerusza a woman that sees things before they occur follows the wind’s leading and raises Yona in the forest teaching her all the things she needs to survive alone in the dense region of the forest. She teaches her things from, how to survive the winter to which herbs to use in case of a fever. Yoga’s education from Jerusza is wide and deep the only thing lacking from it is love. Once Jerusza passes away Yona longs for human connection. Through the book Yuma learns lessons about love, compassion, acceptance, betrayal and forgiveness. She uses the skills and education she learned growing up to lead a group of Jews hiding in the woods.

Mesmerizing. Simply mesmerizing. Yona is going to be one of my favorite characters through the years. She strength, her knowledge of the forest, and her beautiful character had me devouring this story. As the Nazis stormed the countryside killing everyone they could, I could picture her leading the grumbling group of frightened jewish people. The forest itself was a favorite character. It gave food, coverage, and a since of home to Yona and the people. As her life changes every time she meets new people, I felt her courage grow. Thank you Kristin Harmel for this amazing story of courage and pain. Five stars are not enough.

I absolutely adored how this book was written and had trouble putting it down to do other things. I instantly understood and felt for the main character and all the characters that came along. I hung on each word and page waiting to see what would happen next. Gloriously written.

Kristin Harmel is an author I am familiar with having read a few of her books, the last one being The Book of Lost Names. I really enjoy her books so I was very excited to get an ARC of her newest book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free electronic advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the very first page, I became quickly vested in this book. Two year old Inge is kidnapped from her wealthy German parents and raised by an eccentric old woman named Jerusza in the forest. Jerusza changes Inge’s name to Yona and teaches her survival skills which she is forced to use when Jerusza dies. Yona meets a group of Jews fleeing the Nazis in the woods and helps them to survive and avoid capture.

The first half of the book was extremely interesting and fast paced. It certainly was not your typical World War II novel in that it had a somewhat mystical feel to it. The second half of the book was somewhat disappointing in that the author seemed to get too caught up in descriptive writing and religious overtones and the storyline took a twist that was a little too unbelievable for a realist like myself (hence my rating of 4 stars instead of 5). Still, the writing was excellent and the book was enjoyable and captivating for the most part.

Kristin Harmel has done it again with an amazing historical fiction book about WW2. Yona was taken from her parents in the middle of the night in Germany, and brought to Poland, where she was raised in the woods by an older woman named Jerusza. Jerusza taught her everything she needed to know about living off the land: what to eat, what not to eat, how to disappear when needed, how to sneak into villages to steal only what they needed to survive, how to survive the cold winters, etc. But also how to avoid people at all costs. But when Jerusza dies, Yona is on her own as more people are fleeing their homes into the woods to escape the Nazis. Yona has to decide if she will assist them, and how much assistance she will provide.

There are so many historical fiction books out there about WW2. What I love about Kristin Harmel's books, is that she provides a glimpse into aspects of the war that most people have never heard about.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Loved this perspective of World War II. Well researched and written.

Yona lives in the forest for much of her life. As the Russian and German soldiers become more prevalent, Yona finds that she must make a choice of helping the Jews fleeing from the certain death.

This story kept my attention and I didn't want to put the book down.

I love how a book about the Holocaust can be both horrifying and uplifting. Kristen Harmel writes a fictionalized novel of a real l story of survival, about the thousands of Jews that had fled to and hid in the forests of Eastern Europe to escape the German occupation. I've read many historical fiction novels from the WWII period, I knew nothing about the communities that survived in the forests. One of the rare books I will read a second time.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was a gripping read from start to finish, from the early “baby napping” to Yona’s many interactions throughout. I was so impressed by the author’s research and how she pulled inspiration from real-life heroes, and that this feminist feature was heart warming, engaging, and riveting all at once.

This was a fantastic read. I appreciated the look at a different portion of survivors from WWII. The main character was phenomenal. The elements of light magical realism were quite interesting. I read through this one lightening fast and was sorry to say goodbye to the characters. I can see why Harmel's novels are so beloved and will read more from her.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was a beautiful, gut-wrenching novel which I loved. I have read numerous historical fiction novels that take place during WWII, but this one was different. It is based on true happenings, but none that I or many of you may have knowledge of.
Yona is kidnapped from a rich German couple at the age of two. Her mysterious abductor believes she is protecting Yona by taking her away and teaching her how to survive in the forest. As the story unfolds, Yona learns not only how to stay alive in the wilderness and weather, but about understanding emotions and living amongst strangers. The strangers she meets are refugees escaping from the Nazis and through them, she learns about the many horrors taking place in the Ghettos. As events unfold Yona must venture into a German village and what she learns there forces her to face her past which forever alters her future.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Forest of Vanishing Stars, this was a heartbreaking story, but so beautifully written. Kristin Hammel’s Yona was an unusual heroine, but one I will not soon forget. I also really enjoyed reading the Author’s Notes at the back of the book which gives you insight into the history on which the story was based. I would like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC.

Oh. My. Stars. Kristin Harmel is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I read her The Book of Lost Names last year and was incredibly moved by the story, so I squealed with delight when GalleryBooks and NetGalley gave me an advanced copy of THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS in exchange for an honest review.

This historical fiction novel follows Yona, a girl who was kidnapped at the age of 2 by an old woman and taken to the forest where she learns how to survive even the bleakest of circumstances. But when her kidnapper dies, Yona is forced to survive on her own and the Germans and WW2 is threatening her at every turn. When she finds a group of Jews in the forest fleeing from the Nazis and towards safety, she vows to use and teach her survival instinct to save them from the horrors of war and oppression.

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS has the nature and survival of Where The Crawdads meets the suspense, courage, and heartbreak of WWII. This novel deserves all the stars and is absolutely fantastic. It is easily one of my favorite reads this year. I cannot wait to to see what Kristin Harmel comes up with next!

I look so forward to sharing this beautiful story with our blog audience as well as keeping it as a potential contender for our organization's book club. 5 out 5 shining stars for THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel, available everywhere on July 6th, 2021.

This book reminded me a lot of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. It was raw and emotional, but also took you back Nazi filled Germany and Poland. Some great historical aspects were put into this book and I enjoyed the thorough details. The author did a great job of portraying the loss and despair of all the characters, and also tying in the sentiment of love and compassion. Highly recommend reading if you enjoy books like The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlett Sky. I give this book 5 stars!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars centers on a young girl, Yona (Inge) who was kidnapped at two years old by an old Jewish woman who felt she had a higher purpose. The old woman, Jerusza, taught Yona how to survive in the forest for that is how they lived, surviving on what they could forage and build with their own two hands. After Jerusza’s death in 1941, Yona found herself trying to help the Jewish refugees who had fled the ghettos of Poland to seek safety in the forest. There were many twists and turns connecting Yona’s past with her present which kept the book interesting page after page.

I am a newcomer to Kristin Harmel’s books. I had just finished The Book of Lost Names, I was anxious to read another of Harmel’s books. This one did not disappoint. It was very different from The Book of Lost Names. By taking place deep in the forests of Poland and by including just a touch of mysticism surrounding Jerusza and Inge, the book almost had a fairytale aura about it. I also enjoyed the author's notes at the end explaining some of the historical events that served as an inspiration to much of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be seeking out more of Harmel’s books in the future.

*This advanced readers’ copy was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Inga was born to German parents and was kidnapped at the age of two by Jerusza, a woman with mystical powers. Jerusza calls Inga by the name Yona, and raises her in the woods with very little contact with the outside world. Through the years, Yona becomes one with nature in survival skills and knowing the forest well.

Jerusza dies in 1941, leaving Yona alone at the time when the Nazi Regime is spreading its reach across Europe. Yona joins forces with Jews in the forest to hide from the Nazis. Her biological family's past collides with her present while she is at the height of helping her newfound group survive the Holocaust.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a Holocaust novel centering on the people who hid in forests during World War II. Their story is one of strength and resilience. Harmel's novel fits into the historical fiction genre, but has touches of mysticism and romance. It's a solid 5 star read that I could not put down. The author's notes at the end of the book are worth reading and has me googling about the Naliboki forest to learn more about the environment in which the Jews survived the war.

I was provided with a copy of The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.