Fabulous book! I have read other books by this author which have been great reads and this one did not disappoint. The story line follows a girl taken from her parents to live in the forest with another woman who teaches her the ways of the world. This woman has premonitions of what things that can happen and conveys it to this young girl. This young girl, Yona, grows up to teach the jewish people that were hiding in the woods how to survive in Poland during WWII. It is historical fiction but having heard many stories of people that had this experience it wasn't far off from the truth. Interesting story from a different perspective of survival during WWII with a strong woman as the main character. A must read for all.

3.5 stars, rounded up
A unique take in the abundance of WWII historical fiction

A tiny bit of magical realism, a hint of romance, detailed information about surviving year-round in a forest, and fact-based stories of Polish Jews during WWII makes this novel an engrossing one. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a survivor story of Yona, who learns the secrets of the forest from an old woman who kidnapped her and of the Jews she taught those skills too.

Some of the phrasing tends to be a bit trite, “Don’t forget to listen to yourself. No one knows what’s in your heart but you.” But the strong characters and continuous dilemmas overcome these occasional moments. Some of the connections seem forced – like Yona meeting her real father who is an SS officer. I particularly enjoyed how Yona knew how to find food sources in the forest.

The author’s notes on the historical elements of the novel are very interesting. I appreciated that during all the horrible times, an element of faith shines through Hamel’s writing. “Even in the darkness, that light burned. God was with them all along, in the big moments and the small.”

This book checked all my boxes, so why didn't I love it? I think the slow pace of the book made it hard to get absorbed into the story. I also didn't buy into the relationships that were happening. I did appreciate learning about the struggles of the people who were able to hide in the forest and learn to live day in and day out. I was a piece of World War II history that I wasn't aware of.

I loved this book. I truly cared for Rainey, Liam and Maverick. This book has everything--conflict between classes, high school drama, first love, and tragedy. Maverick, Rainey's little sister, has a heart problem and is mostly confined to home because of her illness, but she is a positive, loving and happy person and Rainey adores her. The feeling in mutual. Maverick is anxious for Rainey to find a boyfriend, but when Liam comes along and he is not from the same social class as Rainey and her fiends, problems follow. I am an avid reader, but I admit to being surprised by the ending. I did like the epilogue that tells how everything finally turned out. I will surely recommend this book.

I have read numerous books on the Holocaust & WW2, fiction and non-fiction. What I found most interesting about Harmel's book is learning about the Jewish populations that survived in the wilderness. A fascinating read.

At the age of two, Inge is kidnapped from her German parents. Rechristened Yona, she is raised in the wilderness by Jerusza, an elderly mystical Jewish woman. She tells Yona her parents were evil, and she teaches her about how to live in the wild. She is convinced that Yona needs to learn these things for a reason. Jerusza dies after World War II starts and Yona discovers groups of Jewish people living in the forest. She realizes her purpose in life is to help them survive. Will they be discovered by the Germans?

This was a fascinating historical fiction novel. It felt like a mystical or magical realism book at times. I looked it up as it seemed more like a fairy tale than a real story. What I found online and what is included in a great afterword to the book is that this was indeed a true historical event. Jewish people did flee into the forest and did have a large-scale settlement that was able to hide from the Germans until the end of the war, the Bielski Partisans. The Bielski Partisans are mentioned in this novel. There is also a 2008 movie called Defiance about the Bielski Partisans starring Daniel Craig. I need to watch this.

I loved Yona as a character. She felt called to help people, but she also felt a deep loneliness in life from her strange upbringing. I’ve always enjoyed survival novels and did like how her she is able to use her knowledge of the forest to survive herself and to help others. I like how she had to learn to live with people as well and I also enjoyed when she fell in love. It was also interesting that Jerusza implied that Yona was predestined for her role in helping others. Do you believe in predestination?

Favorite Quotes:
“We’ve all lost so much. When we find happiness, especially where we didn’t expect to, we must hold it close with all our might, don’t you think?”

“Every time a good soul dies, I think the world gets a little darker.”

“Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”

“I’m broken, too. But sometimes it’s the jagged edges that allow us to fit together. Sometimes it’s the breaks that make us strong.”

“You have to remember one thing for the rest of your life: hardship teaches a person life.”

Overall, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a unique and fascinating World War II historical fiction novel. There is a lot out there in this genre lately and it’s great to find new aspects of it.

Book Source: Review Copy from Netgalley and Gallery Books. Thank-you!

This was a story that I was really super eager to read and I'm so glad I did because it really blew my mind. it was a book and story very out of the ordinary at least for me I haven't read something so real, with a character that was very bold and strong like Yona.

This is the story of Yona a young woman who was raised in the forest by Jerusza a woman who thought her everything she needed to know to survive the ugliness of the War including the evilness of her own family.

Yona is trying to survive in the forest, she is now alone after so many years living with Jerusza who helped her to grow. while Yona is trying to survive the cold winter and the hardness of the condition of the forest she will come across several groups of people who were trying to escape the War. she was their only salvation nobody knew the forest better than Yona.

I love Yona's character especially when she encounters a few soldiers and had to fend herself, she was strong bold, and never shown any weakness this is probably the part that I really love. a heroine that was never weak or deter to do what was right to help others.

Yona broke many promises in order to help others, some of them even betrayed her in the worst possible way but still, Yona was an impeccable heroine. The secondary characters were good some of them were terrible, I really didn't like Aleksander and the other woman, he was a very weak character, very naive, he jeopardizes the safety of many for his terrible decisions.

Zeus's was one of my favorite characters, as he was also very intuned with Yona no matter what he was also strong bold and knew what to do in the forest, he was always a leader with a kind heart.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars was beautiful, a great book to lose yourself enjoy the adventures of Yona

Not my favorite by this author but still a good story about WW2 eith a German heroine who was raised in the woods away from
Civilization and helped other survive.

As the granddaughter of a WW2 Veteran, I have been interested in that era for years. I have read a lot of books on the topic. This one was so different than all of the others. It was a beautifully tragic story. There were parts that were very difficult to read, but overall, it was a wonderful book.

A cross between the movie Defiance and Where the Crawdads Sing, this is a book that reminds one that you are not defined by who your blood is from but by the choices you make. Born the child of a future Nazi officer, Yona is stolen away & raised in the woods by her kidnapper. Taught how to survive, Yona gains a kinship with the forest. A respect that it’ll provide safety in the ever changing times. When she comes upon Jewish escapees in the forest, she quickly discovers her purpose. Like most books in this time frame, this story is about survival. It’s about the strength of human resiliency. It’s about nature & the protection she can offer, should you choose to learn it.

I enjoy WWII historical fictions but this one is fantastic! I love Kristin Harmel’s ability to develop characters and a plot and this book is no different !! This is a time period that’s hard to read about but it is definitely a favorite for me! If you like HF this one is awesome!!

Thanks to NETGALLY for this great book on audio for my honest opinion

This was a fabulous read. I have found I really enjoy atmospheric novels and this did not disappoint. I could visualize the forest where so many were hiding and the life they lived there for a time. I could sense the fear always around them, worried about being discovered and the heroism of the main character determined to protect those she grew to love.

I have enjoyed several other books by this best-selling author and was looking forward to reading her latest, which is based on actual events and stories of survivors. I was intrigued by the opening pages of a scene set in 1922 in Berlin during Hitler’s early rise to power. Jeruza, an eighty-year old woman, kidnaps the young daughter of wealthy and political parents while they are sleeping. In describing how such an elderly woman could do so, the author uses magical realism and mysticism. This technique is unusual in historical fiction, and I found it very effective as the plot unfolded.
The woman changes the young girl’s name to Yona, which means “Dove” in Hebrew (because Yona has a grey birthmark on her wrist). They live in the Naliboki Forest in Eastern Europe in what is now Belarus. Jeruza teaches Yona many languages, how to survive in the forest, how to kill a man but also how to heal with herbs, and how to steal clothing, tools, books, and other items from neighboring farms. She warns Yona about the dangers of the civilized world, and to stay hidden from anyone else.
By the time Yona is 20 years old, the outside world is at war, the skies are filled with planes and bombs. There are Russian deserters escaping into the forest. When the now 102 year-old Jeruza is dying, she finally reveals Yona’s true heritage and that she has a special mission to fulfill. Later, when Yona encounters some Jews in the forest who are fleeing from persecution, she decides to teach them survival skills. They, in turn, teach her about friendship and being connected to community. By the end of the book, faced with a horrific dilemma, Yona has to make a horrific decision, which took me by surprise (no spoilers!)
Themes abound in this plot-driven book: survival; loneliness; resilience; heroism; love (romantic, familial, and community); loyalty; and betrayal. This book is perfect for fans of historical fiction and book clubs. Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An elderly woman steals a German two-year-old child and raises her in the woods. She teaches the young girl how to stay alive in the wilderness and to trust no one. After the old woman dies, Yona (now a young woman) fears she will never again experience human contact in her life. However, not too long after beginning her solo life, Yona begins to find Jewish families who have escaped the nearby ghettos and will surely die if she doesn’t intervene and help them learn how to survive in the wild. Risking her own life, Yona decides she must help these Jewish families survive.

This book was an inspiring tribute to all the real-life brave men, women, and children who successfully survived in the wilderness instead of being killed by the Nazis during World War II. I loved how Kristin Harmel weaved true historical facts into her fictional story of survival. The book was suspenseful, heart-breaking, and thought provoking. This book was different than a lot of other WWII historical fiction books that I have read because the Jews are being sheltered in the woods rather than in people’s homes. I found it very interesting to learn about the different strategies these brave humans used to survive in the wilderness. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoy Kristin Harmel's historical fiction books about World War II. Once again, she delivers a heart wrenching and totally accurate account of the thousands of Jews who hid in the forests to escape capture.

Spectacular! A beautiful novel written about true Holocaust events. Yona is stolen from her parents on the eve of of second birthday and is raised in the forest by the woman who stole her. As the war gets closer to them and after Jeruza has passed on Yona must decide what is really right for her and how to stand for her beliefs.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Kristin Harmel and Simon & Schuster for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I always read Kristin Harmel whenever I get a copy of any of her books and review them when they come out on the other platforms. I sometimes forget to review them on here. This was a wonderful book by her as always.

I’ve always loved Kristen Harmels books and while I’ve read more of her lighter titles this one is a bit more heavy of a subject matter. It is about a women stolen from her wealthy parents and raised in the wildness until she finds herself alone after her kidnapper dies. It is about her journey for survival and the people she meets and helps along the way. It definitely is hard to put down once you get into the story and something that will stick with you long after you finish.

4.5 / 5.0 Stars

The year is 1922. Inge Jüttner, at the age of 2, is kidnapped from her Berlin bedroom right out from under her German parents' noses. The deed was perpetrated by an old woman, named Jerusza, responding to what she believed was God's call to rescue the girl from "bad people". She named the young girl, "Yona" which in Hebrew means, "dove". Together, alone in the forest, Jerusza teaches Yona how to survive and thrive in the forest, becoming one with the breeze passing through the limbs of the forests' trees. Jerusza taught her all which she needed to know of the world - reading, math, languages, geography of distant lands and world religion. She cautioned Yona to avoid people, especially men, as they could bring harm to her and compromise her anticipated long life. They were each other's sole companion until Jerusza passes away at the tender age of 102 and Yona finds her self alone with and within the forest. That is until the day she encounters a family fleeing into the forest and she chooses to help them in their hour of need. Is this what Yona is called to do, given that its against all which Jerusza taught her? Through several encounters, we learn more and more of Yona, the skills for survival, the flora and fauna of the then Polish forests and of the endurance of the refugees within the protection of the trees.

This was such a compelling and beautifully rendered tale of World War II about those who inhabited and fled into the forests during the war. It is historical fiction at its finest. There is a mystical element threaded throughout the story. As the protagonist hears whispers on the wind, are they from departed souls, the voice of God or merely one's wishful thinking? Whatever it is, Yona pays close attention and allows it to be her guide. Her courage, compassion and fortitude are inspirational. This is a story of hope, endurance and love. I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

I am grateful to author Kristin Harmel and publisher Simon and Schuster for having provided a complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Such and interesting story and Kristin Harmel does it again! It’s hard to find a new story to tell for this time period and keep it engaging, but Harmel does it so well! Great characters and an amazing story!