Harmel possesses an undeniable talent in sharing historical fiction in a way that can be adored by historical fiction lovers and really everyone. Her book has a fantastical air about it, nearly fairytale-like.

This is a book about a young woman who was kidnapped as a child and grows up in the forests of Poland. During WWII she shares her talents to help those fleeing through her forests by sharing everything she had learned on surviving on the land.

I appreciated how once again Harmel inspired me to want to learn more, to do more. I loved the unique perspective making it distinct while still about a topic that's quite prominent in literature. I highly recommend it to history lovers and those that just want to do more.

A Light Shining in the Darkness

Each time I read a book by Kristin Harmel, it is like being reunited with a long-lost friend. Her characters are instantly relatable, even though their lives are vastly different from anything I have ever experienced. She builds her historical backdrops with precision and care, showing deep respect for the real people who lived through horrific periods in history, such as World War II and the Holocaust. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is no exception to this, with its depiction of life on the run from the Nazi ghettos, that drove some Jews into the wild, unforgiving forests of Belarus and Poland. The name of the book itself seems to point towards the fact that the Jews, with their yellow Stars of David stitched onto their clothing, had to do their best to vanish into the wilderness in order to survive, where they might go months without seeing the stars or sun due to the heavy foliage. The heroine of the story, Yona, was raised to survive in the harsh conditions of the forest by an old Jewish woman who was guided by mystical voices to kidnap her from her privileged life, in order to prepare her for her extraordinary destiny. Whether the old woman was guided by God, or by the forest is an open question, that is finally resolved towards the end of the book when Yona observes that the forest was created by God, so perhaps He was always present after all.

Yona begins the book as a somewhat naive, and thoroughly inexperienced young woman, who knows nothing of matters of the heart, or how to forge connections in a community. Despite that, she has an unshakable desire to help others; and she quickly begins to feel responsible for the Jews fleeing unspeakable violence, into her forest, where she realizes that she is uniquely equipped to keep them alive. As she learns to love, and labor alongside others, she also learns first-hand about heartbreak and betrayal, which is what ultimately sets her on a collision course with her past, and the destiny foreseen by her kidnapper. Yona’s character arc is well-done, and as previously mentioned, entirely relatable, even though I have never had to fight for survival in the depths of winter in a forest, or run for my life into a swamp, as Yona does with those under her protection. And when she experiences the power of redemptive love, it is a balm to the soul, reminding readers of the innocent value of a true, soul-deep connection.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars delves deep into questions of God’s will, life plans, and how Christian and Jewish doctrine can exist side-by-side. I personally enjoyed these spiritual aspects of the book a great deal and saw many of my own answers to life’s questions reflected back at me. At its core, this is a book that serves as a reminder that we have an obligation to our fellow man, and that truth and love are important values to fight for, and to preserve. This is not a light reading book, but it is a thought-provoking and enjoyable one.

Excellent tale of two year old Inge, renamed Yona, being take from her bed by Jeruza to be raised in the fores in Poland. Yona was taught all the ways of forest living, including how to listen to the forest and her intuition. Jeruza died when Yona was a teen who used the skills she knew to thrive at forest living. She had been taught to avoid towns and people, particularly men. She did meet a man, which led to her taking a group, which expanded over time, deep into the forest, sharing her knowledge of forest living.
There are twists and turns in the story that are page turners. I like Kristin Harmel's notes about her research, the connection to her own heritage, and meeting the man who inspired her to write the book.
I enjoy her style of writing and flexibility of story telling. Historical fiction is my go to choice but not limited to that genre.

Not just another WWII novel. Full of richly painted chapters that dive into who we are regardless of who we are born to or even how we are raised. Loved this novel and made me wonder how someone can grow up to be so kind and caring when being raised there was just a matter of fact, no real love shown type atmosphere. Very well written.

Author Kristin Harmel instantly captured my attention and held it until the last syllable of her latest novel. Her research is impressive: not only did she dig into how Jews evaded the Nazis by hiding in the wilderness, but she also took a deep dive into how to live off the land — what foods to eat, how to make and use holistic medications, how to build camouflaging shelters, and how to forage and hunt — while running for your life. It is evocative, haunting, and heart-wrenching, but ultimately triumphant. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars. Not perfect, but pretty darn close.

Genre: Historical fiction
Read-alikes: The Black Swan of Paris (Karen Robards), The Last Train to London (Meg Waite Clayton), Dragonfly (Leila Meacham), The World That We Once Knew (Alice Hoffman), A Boy in Winter (Rachel Seiffert), We Were the Lucky Ones (Georgia Hunter), The Girl from the Channel Islands (Jenny Lecoat)

Another great book by this author WW2 theme. Kept me interested. very well written. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book. #NetGalley #The Forest of Vanishing Stars

After being raised in the woods of Eastern Europe by an old woman Jerusza, who is not her mother, Yona finds herself alone after her guardian dies. It's the days of World War II and she comes across groups of Jews fleeing Nazis. She helps these people to survive in the wilderness and forms connections with them. Yona learns more about her own past and who she wants to be. She learns that she was kidnapped from a wealthy German family when she was a young girl, though Jerusza raised her to know Jewish traditions. Yona, therefore, identifies more as Jewish than as German.

This is a coming-of-age story about a young woman learning more about herself while helping others around her survive the atrocities of war. Yona is an admirable protagonist. The novel is based on true tales of Jews surviving in the woods of Poland during World War II. This was definitely an interesting read.

Any fan of Kristen Harmel will love this book. Riveting and outstanding. If you love Historical fiction you will love this book.

I have been an uber fan of Harmel's since her book, The Sweetness of Forgetting. How she manages to write these amazing stories and still come up with more astounds me.

Always impeccably researched, Harmel is a force to be reckoned with in the world of historical fiction. In Vanishing Stars, she gets you close to her characters. She immerses you in their life as they go through it. You are right there with them. How will they survive? WILL they? You will be there, with Yona, at every turn. Through her kidnapping, her life, and the turns it takes.

This book is suspenseful, harrowing, riveting, and captivating. You won't be disappointed.

Historical Fiction - 4.5*

What a wonderful surprise this book turned out to be. I am mad at myself that it took me this long to read it. My problem is that I'm a little bit exhausted from all the WWII books and this book started off slow and a little bit strange. I kept picking it up and putting it down, but after about 50 pages, I was off to the races because it got so good.

Yona was kidnapped by an old woman from her family when she was about 2. The woman raised Yona in the forests in Poland and Belarus. She educated her very well and taught her how to survive alone. The old woman dies leaving Yona alone. It is approximately 1942 and the woods are now filled with fleeing Jews as well as Russian and German soldiers. Yona tries to help the fleeing Jews and is eventually welcomed into a group.

This story is so powerful as Yona, who has lived without love and much companionship her whole life, now must deal with people. It's about love, kindness, sharing skills, community and overcoming obstacles in the face of horrific circumstances.

I loved learning a little bit about the groups that took to the forest. It created a thirst to learn more, which always makes a book successful in my eyes. Reading the afterward is a must as Harmel details some of her interview with a member of the Bielski group. They were an encampment of 1200 Jews that almost all made it through the war by living in the forest. This book was simply fascinating!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this one! I feel like the author did a wonderful job at setting the tone form the beginning and creating interesting and lovable characters. Thank you!

Another fantastic novel by Harmel! A look into the other side of the war after absorbing The Nightingale and the resistance side of World War II. The Jews who stayed in hiding and survived this time in extreme cold and hot with little food but foraged and hunted their way through months and years until the war ended is unimaginable. Harmel's tale is woven together from fiction but follows the heartache and truth so many endured in those years. Her research for these novels is above and beyond and makes the feel as if they are reading every bit of a true tale. The lives of these characters are deep and emotional and each individual carried burdens and loss like the true survivors. It's hard not to want to run and pick up the next Harmel novel as I read her last page.

Kristin Harmel easily became one of my favorite authors after reading The Book of Lost Names. I decided after finishing that novel, that I would read anything and EVERYTHING by her. The Forest of Vanishing Stars DID NOT disappoint. I found myself in that same realm of escapism while reading this as her previous novel. Yona's character is amazing, and you will find yourself cheering for her in your heart from the get-go. I HIGHLY recommend this book! So well written, and the cover art is amazing. 5 stars!!!

Loved this book so much! I did read other reviewers that thought the plot was unconvincing, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I thought it was very much realistic, especially considering this is historical *fiction*. I thought the main character was strongly written and very much relatable. This book was phenomenal.

What a remarkable book! I am such a fan of Kristin Harmel and her latest fits the pattern.
I have read many books about the Holocaust and an always amazed at the ingenuity and manners in which the horrors of history are presented. This is such an important and necessary addition to Holocaust literature.
The obvious research concerning people who had to immerse themselves in the forests in an attempt to survive annihilation from the Nazis is so realistically portrayed and well-documented. The characters are average people who have been uprooted from their lives in an unimaginable way.
.What's fascinating about this book is the infusion of mysticism which even enhanced the story more. The sensitivity, perseverance, and determination juxtaposed against unbelievable evil was so deftly described. This is a must read!

I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction in the past (not as much anymore), so I'm always interested when I read about an unusual storyline. This story, about a woman named Yona who grew up in the forest and helps Jews hiding from the Germans, was done so well. The details were fascinating and the book was obviously well-researched. The story was both gut-wrenching and beautiful. This story will definitely stick with me, and I'm glad I read it as my last book of 2021.

Beautifully written WWII story. My only complaint was it dragged a little in the middle.
Yona was a fascinating character with such an interesting backstory. I really enjoyed how different of a story this was for this genre.
A historical fictional tale that is well worth the read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

It started off slow but I'm glad I stuck with it


Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Kristin Harmel has become my go-to author for historical fiction. Kristin has created an immersive, emotional, achingly beautifully written story unlike anything I’ve read in the World War 2 time frame. The amount of research and time she spent getting the smallest details of the story right shines on each page of The Forest of Vanishing Stars. I felt Harmel’s heart on each page and have watched the emotion she shows talking about this story in interviews. As I was reading, I truly felt the cold of the forest in the dead of winter and the freshness of the locally foraged food. I heard the snap of a tree branch and stomping footprints in the snow. I felt like I was right there in the forest with Yona with my senses heightened, struggling to survive. The character of Yona will stay with me forever. The way Yona emerged from a sheltered childhood in the forest into a young woman who was deeply connected to nature of other’s needs and feelings was a beautiful story to read. People like Yona and the real life Bielski brothers, who’s story gave Harmel the idea for this book, are real life heroes, standing up to the atrocities and risking their own lives to save others. With tears streaming down my face and my breath held, I was both quickly turning the pages and anxious to see how Yona’s story unfolded at the end…

Yona, stolen at age two and raised solely in the forest by an elderly woman until her 20’s, faced a new reality after the woman’s death. Although she felt most at home in the forest, she was also drawn to the nearby villages. Quickly, Yona finds out what horrible things are happening to the Jews during World War 2 and bring Jewish refugees into the forest and helps them survive often putting herself at risk. Yona’s story largely takes place during the span of a couple years in the heart of World War 2. When a person from her past reemerges, Yona must decide what part of this war she wants to be on. Yona lived such a sheltered life and was let down by people she trusted and cared about, but still possessed the innate ability to be kind and caring towards each other. Human kindness and empathy shine throughout this story and is perhaps the biggest takeaway for me from The Forest of Vanishing Stars.
I can’t wait to read Harmel’s next story, however I don’t know how it can beat the world she created in The Forest of Vanishing Stars. An absolute must-read for any World War 2 historical fiction lovers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel! I was not able to finish the novel so I won't be leaving a full review.