Maybe it was all of the hype surrounding this book that made me feel this way, but "The Forest of Vanishing Stars" by Kristin Harmel left me wanting more. The book was meticulously researched and I liked the storyline enough, especially the bits of magical realism (so unexpected in a book about the Holocaust) and the spiritual undertones of the novel, but this book could really use a good edit. It was a bit too long and dragged in parts because of repetitive passages, and I wish Yona's character had been more developed. To me, I think it reads more as YA than adult fiction. There were also continuity errors, the most notably being the insertion of the name "Eva" instead of "Yona" at one point, as well as a passage that said Yona had been in the woods only two months, but also that she moved camp every few months. Huh? Honestly, I thought the best part of the book was the author's note at the end about the real history that inspired the story-it inspired me to do some further reading.

Overall, this was a great idea for a story, but in my opinion, the execution was lacking. I'm glad I read it, but I won't reread it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I think I have read every angle of WWII, @kristinharmel finds a new story to tell that surprises me. This story is about an amazing young German woman, Yona, who was kidnapped as a baby and raised in the woods near Poland by Jerusza in isolation. Why? Destiny! From the moment Yona is on her own, she tries her very best to aid, teach and lead the Jewish people she met to teach them how to survive in the woods. She saw each person for who they were, a human being first. The story is beautiful and I highly recommend it. It is not a true story of one person per say, however the book is based on many Jewish people who did survive in the forests in Poland during WWII. The audiobook is excellent and I really enjoyed the author notes at the end. This quote is from the end notes: “Be kind to our fellow man, be nice if at all possible.”

I am determined to read more books by Kristin Harmel. I love her writing style and the couple of stories that I have read have captured my heart. Reading all her books may take me into 2023 but that is ok. Look out LF Libraries I will be searching for her books when I stop by to visit.

Yona has lived her entire life raised by the woman who admits on her deathbed to having kidnapped her. Taught how to survive in the wild as well as how to fend for herself in a confrontation with men, Yona is self sufficient, wary of others... and lonely. When she comes across a group of Jews fleeing Nazi attempts to exterminate them, she is torn. On the one hand she feels compelled to help them, but on the other is wary of entanglement. Committing to help for a short time Yona soon finds a purpose in the group and a sense of belonging that feel threatened over time as the Nazis venture further into the forest in search of them.

I have seen Kristin Harmel's books out there and been meaning to read one but this is the first book I've read of hers and I enjoyed it. I've mentioned this in other reviews but a real bugaboo for me with historical fiction is how authors can so often use just a small portion of history as a backdrop for the rest of their story and not really get into history that much, often centering on a romance story. I actually wish the entire genre of historical fiction would split into two subgenres: stories with history as a small backdrop and stories with history front and center as real and and integral to the plot as a character itself - the latter would hands down be more what I'm interested in. Interestingly despite all that this story was more the type with history just on in the background and yet, and yet it worked. I think it helped that the synopsis for it made it clear that this was character driven so I went in with the proper expectations. But there was sufficient history throughout and it wasn't just a star crossed lovers story inserted into history which I was grateful for. I will note as some readers felt Yona wasn't believable that there was just a bit of magical realism to the plot in the way that Yona's kidnapper saw the future and in aspects about Yona that bordered on the magical. I took it that way and suspended disbelief about a few things as a result. Had that aspect not been there, it is true it would have been harder to believe one person could know so much, about the woods, fighting, speaking different languages and etc.

Harmel wrote The Forest of Vanishing Stars with a great deal of dramatic tension that would have been very much a part of the lives of the groups of Jews whose plight it was based on who found themselves wandering the woods of Eastern Europe literally trying to survive, especially in winter, and also evade the Nazis that hunted them. She did a great job of showing how they survived but also in never letting the tension disappear for the reader of the worries of the group being discovered which allowed the reader to inhabit a tiny bit of the space and stress felt by those who actually lived it. Overall a very compelling and interesting book and worth the read. I will be looking up other stories by this author in future.

A big thank you to the publisher for allowing me an ARC to read through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was a great read. It gave a different perspective of WWII that many do not read about.

Yona is kidnapped from her family home in Berlin at age two by Jerusza and raised to survive in the forest. As the war in Germany heats up, they move to Poland. When Yona turns twenty, Jerusza dies leaving Yona to live alone. One day as Yona is moving her camp she comes across a group of Jews that have escaped the nearest Ghetto. She commits to helping the group stay safe from the Germans. Little does she know how this small act will change her life forever.

This is a wonderful story about survival, finding love, and becoming part of a community. It is based on a true story and actual events. The writing is spectacular and had me hooked in the first chapter. It has many charming characters that warm your heart and some that you just want to vanish. My favorite character is Yona because she experiences so many difficult things, yet comes out even stronger. If you love reading WWII stories, this is the perfect book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

From the first page, I was drawn in by the Rapunzel-like situation. The main character, Yona, was developed in a way that was so realistic. I felt like I knew her. Even as a young girl, seeds of faith were planted in her and it was beautiful to see how it grew in her heart amid heartbreaking circumstances.

I also loved the story about the nuns and learning how they stood up against the Germans. The story of Yona’s real parents is also shocking.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars delivered and was so satisfying to read from start to finish. Thank you NetGalley!

I love Kristin Harmel and I was so excited to read this one. I was unable to read this one in time. But I would have loved this one I know it. I will be buying a copy for myself.

Kristin Harmel has, once again, written a story that captured my heart.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: WWII
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 7.6.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

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

I loved The Winemaker's Wife and was worried that I wouldn't get the same feelings from Forest of Vanishing Stars. While I was right that I didn't have the same feelings, it was because this was a wholly different story. I'm glad that I finally took the time to read/listen to this book and appreciate the beauty of Kristin Harmel's writing.

I appreciated so much about this book, but I'd have to say the all-encompassing teachings provided by Jerusza were my favorite; she included several religions (including witchcraft), but there was also a deep appreciation for the earth and what it can provide. I loved seeing how Yona came to grasp the importance of what she learned from Jerusza.

Forest of Vanishing Stars was a unique look at the WWI era. I learned about a new faction of the war and the very real people who were able to escape to the forest when their lives became endangered.

🎧 Perfectly narrated audiobook
🌳 Unique look at WWII
👩🏽 Complexity of female relationships
💔 Raw, emotional, and masterfully told story
❗️Must read Author's Note

I recommend you read The Forest of Vanishing Stars if you're a fan of The Nightingale or The Huntress.

What has been your favorite fictional WWII novel?

This book is an exceptional World War II novel, told from a unique perspective. Right away, the author draws the reader into the story. The author begins her tale of resilience and survival in the forest with the kidnapping of a child. Yona, the protagonist, is kidnapped by Jerusza, who raises Yona in the forest and teaches her invaluable survival skills. Yona adapts to an independent and lonely existence living in the forest, especially after Jerusza dies. When the Nazis begin hunting and killing Jews, Yona encounters groups of Jewish citizens who are fleeing for their lives. She is compelled to help by teaching them the skills needed to survive in the forest, and in doing so, she creates the type of relationships and bonds that were missing in her early years. The author is to be commended for the extensive research that went into writing this captivating but heartbreaking novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an e-reader copy of this book.

It had a great pace that kept me reading. I've read multiple WWII books and I'm surprised by how many different perspectives and situations there are still to be written. This is just another that I had never heard of: Jews hiding in the forest. Yona's story was so interesting and the way she thought was intelligent and she cared so much for having been so isolated. It wasn't just a survive in the woods story, there was some drama. There's also a lot of death and just heartbreaking history.

Thank you Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for a review.

I personally have not read many WW2. books so this was nice it was really a definitely unique wonderful book There is truly so much to learn and this book and it is a heartbreaking story in the end. I was shown and told about all of the horrible things that were done to the Jewish people under Hitler. In the authors note there is a wealth of information about who and what the author based her novel on and is extensively researched and based on a real Events. I enjoyed the beginning of the novel with the element of magic realism and wished that some of the theme would have continued throughout the whole novel but it was very subtle. Overall this is a very touching story and I most definitely recommend it. Hands-down love this author

Author #Kristin Harmel's novel # The Forest of Vanishing Stars is on many favorite lists. And if you like WWll stories this is amazing.
Description:
Raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, after being stolen by wealthy German parents, a young woman finds herself alone. Her kidnapper has died, and it's 1941. Her solitary life is changed when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror......
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Kristen Harmel, and # Gallery Books 💜🐾🐾

This was a very interesting read, Yona is such a remarkable character, imagine being raised in the forest pretty much your entire life, I can’t even imagine. Then in your twenties coming across a group of people desperately needing help in order to survive.

It makes it hard to imagine the horrible atrocities delivered at the hands of the nazis. Yet the true strength of the human spirit to survive.

This book was so detailed in scenes and characters that I could envision the story playing out in my minds eye and it was a great story!

Kristin Harmel is a favorite author of mine and I didn't think I could love her writing any more than I already did. I was completely mistaken because The Forest of Vanishing Stars completely blew me away! Harmel simply has a way with words and storytelling that are a notch above.

Right from the first chapter this book had me hooked and I found that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Yona was an incredible character to come alongside and I love how the single storyline really emphasized her life and those around her. If there was one word I had to use to describe this WWII historical fiction story, it would be unique. Besides the masterful storytelling, that's what stood out to me here. Theres a bit of magical realism mixed in which was just so refreshing to me as somebody who reads a lot of this genre. Plus, the story was chock full of an underlying theme of the resilience of the human spirit and that in itself won me over. I will never tire of or fail to be inspired by stories like this one. especially when coming to find out it was based on a true story (the author's not at the end cannot be missed).

Heartwrencing, at times gritty, powerful, emotional, and thought-provoking, trust me that this book check all the boxes for what makes a perfect historical fiction read. This book has officially become an absolute favorite of mine and one of the best books in the genre that I've read in a while. Highly recommend and then some!

Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

I love historical fiction, and this one is amazing 👏. I have read quite a few WWII historical fiction novels and I love that this one covered a whole different way of survival that I haven't seen covered before.

I had never heard of the communities of Jews that survived in the forest after escaping various ghettos in Poland. It is always incredible to learn more details of how various people survived this horrific time in history.

The story itself also sucks you in, I found myself thinking about the characters and needing to get back to them to see what would happen. I definitely recommend this read!

The Holocaust stories have always been profoundly moving to me, but in this novel, I was initially deflected by the magical realism, the fairytale-like quality of the story, and the excessive focus on romance. In the last part of the novel, the author's note, and her diligent research, however, made it meaningful at the end of the story. In the end, it is a book that emphasizes the imperative message of resilience and of never forgetting.

Synopsis: Yona, is a girl that was raised in the woods, and taught how to survive by a wise elderly woman named Jerusza. Following the death of Jerusza, Yona must remember her teaching and continue on a journey of self discovery, bravery, and adventure, as she provides assistance to the lives of fleeing Jews during WWII.

Thoughts: I found this book to be incredibly powerful! I was immediately captivated by the writing style. Yona is a strong female character, who comes to learn that a home is not defined by its physical location, but more so by filling it with the people that you love and care about. Yona faced multiple situations that ultimately changed who she was as a person, and she met each challenge with determination to continue on and push through. The writing was heart felt, the characters were well developed, and each page was filled with emotion that truly made the story engaging.

This was the first book by Kristin Harmel that I’ve read, but I’m happy to say that I have officially bumped The Winemaker’s Wife up on my TBR, since it’s already on my bookshelf!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

Great book on lesser known WWII history and the fight for survival for Polish Jews. Another Kristin Harmel book I throughly enjoyed!

Thank you to net galley and Simon and Schuster for providing me a copy of The Forest of Vanishing Stars. Kristin Harmel is an author who is amazing at writing historical ficition and this book is an example. This book is about the Jews who lived in Poland. Please after you read this book read the authors note.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars features a young woman who had been taken from her wealthy German parents when she was just a baby. Raised in the forest by the old woman who stole her, Yona ends up helping the Jewish people who take shelter in the woods from the Nazis.

On the strength of The Book of Lost Names, I requested to read The Forest of Vanishing Stars. Unfortunately, this book fell short for me, in both story and characterization. The plot seemed driven to reach a certain point in the book and the rest of the novel just fell away. Yona was raised in the forest, taught how to survive off the land, yet her resilience and fortitude become compromised so easily. Yona ended up on her own when she was already a young woman, so it did not seem realistic that she would put aside the teachings of the old woman so easily. Overall, The Forest of Vanishing Stars seemed more fiction than historical, so it is not one that I would recommend to those who like historical fiction.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Forest of Vanishing Stars by NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.