For me, the gold standard for World War II novels in the historical fiction genre are Krisin Hannah's The Nightingale and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. By gold standard, I'm talking about books that leave a mark on your soul. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is my first introduction to author Kristin Harmel. It's a worthwhile read but one that doesn't quite match the profundity of the other two books I mentioned.

The story begins with a very young Yona being kidnapped from her German parents by a very old woman. She is raised in the forest and left completely alone when the woman dies. But that changes when she comes across a group of Jews in the forest who are trying to escape the Nazi regime. Yona teaches the group what she knows about living in the forest until her past comes back to haunt her in a big way.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is well-researched (as the author note describes) and inspired by true events. There are times when it is very moving and suspenseful. The love stories interspersed between the stories of survival take away from the novel a bit for me, but it is still worh reading. I will definitely read more by this author.

MY RATING - 3.5

"After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything."

Historical fiction is my favorite. A few years ago, I read WWII fiction non stop. Then I was saturated with sadness and had to stop. This is the first I've read since then and I am so glad I did. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Devastating.

I know this is fiction, but it really captures the bravery and sacrifice of the time.

A vanishing star, a worthy life. Yona is on the right side of history when she voluntarily risks her life to help those who are thought less of survive. Instead of being on the wrong side of humanity, Yona steps out of the shadows of the forest to save who eventually will become her family. Stolen from a family of wealthy decent and raised in the deep wilderness in Europe, yona learns the land and survives without understanding of society. When the rest of the world goes into disarray a solitary voice recognizes that she might just be made for this moment.

A book of survival, this author goes beyond what others have done to illustrate the heroism that occurred during WW2 to save those that deserved saving. Writing a story based on true events that help us understand another side of the horrific story, Kristin Harmel is up for the task. I love how she showed us another survival story different from the typical hiding and moving of hunted people. This was a side of the war I did not know. She also did a great job of illustrating the horrors and feelings that this population of people lived through that was 100% real. Heartbreaking and inspiring all at once, this author really makes you feel the deep emotions of the characters. The author does extensive research on the topic and it shows in her writing. Overall a very moving and heartfelt novel, though it didn't make me cry (hense the less than 5 star review). A beautiful remembrance of the lives lost and forever changed during that time.

I voluntarily read and reviews an advanced reader copy of this book thanks to Kristin Harmel and Gallery Books publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and this one had my heart. It such a resounding story and kept me awake so I could be sure to finish it.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is a beautifully written story of love, loss, heartbreak, strength and perseverance during World war II. Another wonderfully written book by Kristin Harmel!

I've read many books set during WWII and I love the different perspectives of all of the books that I have read. The different takes always keep one's eyes open. While I enjoy fantastical elements they did not really serve this story or help the plot move forward, The writing was good but the characters didn't draw me in as much as I had hoped.

Germany, 1922, a young child is kidnapped from a wealthy German home. Over the next 20 years, Yona learns everything about the forest, learns a number of languages, and learns to rely on her surroundings to survive and be self-sufficient. And then Jurecz dies and Yona is left on her own.

She comes across a group of Jewish people who are fleeing after their families were killed. Without her knowledge, this group would have no chance of survival. She continues to help other groups and believes this to be her mission in life. Still curious about her birth family, she bravely leaves the forest and searches out her father. Discovering him to be a Nazi leader, she flees back to her forest. As she helps more and more groups, she comes to realize this is her mission. Love of her fellow man seems to drive all that she does. The forest dwellers of WWII have been well-documented. It was great to learn more about one fictionalized characters who helped these groups survive and thrive under adverse conditions.

I love Kristin Harmel's books but this one definitely wasn't my favorite. I usually describe her books as being "pearl clutching" but rarely experienced those moments in TFOVS. There’s a moment just over half way in that I thought oh yes now we’re getting somewhere and then it just fizzled out again 😩 Harmel is still one of my favorite authors and I very much look forward to her next novel.

Cozy historical WW II romance set in the forests of Europe, which at least differentiates it from the barrage of other WWII historical fiction. The magical realism wasn't believable and made the characters weird instead of engaging. Book lost me as a reader when it glossed over all of the hardships that hundreds of urban people now living rough. Perfect for escapist readers looking for a light historical romance.

what a great read! some interesting plot twists and very well developed characters altho this was YONA's story. Reading this was more important than errands, housework or repotting plants ;-).

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I always like when I'm able to find unique WWII novel that explores aspects of the war I didn't know much about before. This novel digs deep into what it was like for those who took refuge in the woods in Europe during the war. While the story is fictional, it is based on stories of real survivors. Gripping and heart wrenching.

A truly unique take on a WWII novel, but ultimately it wasn't my favorite.

It has magical realism elements with a girl being taken from her German family and raised in the woods learning to live off what the forest provides.

When the war comes, she is in a position to be able to help Jews and other refugees survive in the woods from the Nazi's.

I think part of my hangup was the first romantic relationship of the book. It just wasn't needed to help the story move forward. Also, the reconnection of her with her father later on felt very unlikely and borderline implausible.

Another amazing book by Kristin Harmel! As with all of Harmel's other books I've read, this book made me do a ton of googling during and after reading it. I love how much time and research she puts into all of her novels. This book focused on a young woman who focuses her knowledge on the forest to help the Jews escape the Nazis. I loved the main character and the chapters on her past with her kidnapper. A great ending as usual with Harmel's books!

Having read other books by Harmel, I was very intrigued to take on this tale.

Yona, a young woman living in the woods of Poland, begins wondering across Jewish refugees and finally comes across a large group who are in desperate need of her help to survive in the forest and to conceal their presence. Little does Yona know that her past would come back to complicate matters for she and the group of refugees who have become the family she has so longed for.

First and foremost, since I have read some of Harmel's works before, I did have an idea of what to expect. Harmel is very good at getting into the main character's head and letting you work through their inner emotions and motivations. I think that was a good part and a hindrance in this book. It was good because it really allowed you to understand Yona's feelings about her father and some of the characters around her. But I also feel that sometimes it slowed down the action of the story because we got so bogged down in Yona's head.

I did really enjoy the setting and general plot of this. When I realized that the story was based in the forests of Poland mainly, I practically wanted to shout, YES, a WWII story NOT based in England or France. They're just so many Western front stories from WWII that are published in those settings, that I almost get sick of reading them. This was a refreshing and intriguing change of setting and story. I think it also was fantastic to hear the story from partially Jewish refugees. So often we hear about the Holocaust from Jews who are just about to go into concentration camps or already in them. Any of us who know WWII history know those aren't the only viewpoints out there.

I think this story definitely had some pacing problems. I know the author was trying to get logistically from point A to B, etc. But it just really lagged at times and I had trouble picking the story back up. It actually made it hard to finish.

Otherwise, my points above make this a worthwhile read. Thank you for the ARC!

4.5 stars out of 5! Kristin Harmel has succeeded again in writing an unforgettable and gripping historical fiction novel. The Forest of Vanishing Stars explored an aspect of World War II survival that few had ever explored in such detail and complexity. Kristin Harmel delved into the details of the lives, survival tactics, bravery and hope Jewish men, women, and children faced in the safety of the forests after successfully escaping from the confines of the ghettos where they were being held. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was based on true events. At the end of this incredible novel, Kristin Harmel, shared details in her note portion of the book, about her interviews with survivors and the existence of many of the places she mentioned in The Forest of Vanishing Stars as well as the events that actually occurred. I listened to the audiobook of The Forest of Vanishing Stars that was expertly narrated by Madeleine Maby. It was meticulously researched and Kristin Harmel’s talent for excellent storytelling shone throughout. Kristin Harmel admitted that the idea for this book was based on the movie, Defiance. The characters were unforgettable and I still find myself thinking about them especially the strong female protagonist, Yona. I was drawn into the intriguing plot from the start and found that I could not stop listening to this harrowing story.

There once existed a baby girl who lived in Berlin, Germany. She was the daughter of wealthy parents. One night, while her parents slept, she was kidnapped by an old woman who took her far from her home to live with her in the forests of Eastern Europe. The old woman named her Yona and she became her teacher and the person who took care of her. Yona learned how to survive in the forest by following the old woman’s advice and lessons. She learned which foods like berries and mushrooms were edible and not poisonous. Yona learned how to hunt, fish, protect herself from wild animals or evil men and how to build shelters that would hold up against the elements of winter and storms. She lived a very sheltered and isolated life though. When Yona grew older she became curious why the old woman had taken her from parents. The old woman told Yona that this was her destiny and that her parents were bad people. Then in 1941, Yona’s kidnapper died. She was beyond one hundred years old. Yona was alone for the first time in her life.

It was at this juncture in Yona’s life that she discovered two men trying to fish in the forest. The men told Yona about their escape from the ghetto where they had been living. Eventually, Yona taught the young men how to fish and catch large number of fish in a short time. Yona realized that they were Jews that escaped the persecution of the Nazis. Having had no contact with the outside world all the time she lived with her kidnapper, Yona had no idea what was happening to the Jews under the Nazi occupation. She wanted to help this group of people that consisted of men, women and children, any way she could. All the people in the group had lost so much. Each one of them had lost love ones, their homes and livelihoods. The one thing they all had in common was the will to survive so they could recount the horrors they witnessed. Yona promised the people in this group that she would teach them how to survive as they lived in the forest. Was this Yona’s destiny? Yona, in turn, became the recipient of the valuable lessons the people in this group were able to teach her about friendship, trust and love.

Yona opened her heart to the man she first met and taught to fish. Through Alexander, Yona learned the concept of love and caring for another person and what it meant to have a family. When Alexander betrayed Yona, she fled from those she thought had become her family and found herself in a small village that was occupied by the Nazis. Yona was about to discover something about her past that was hard for her to acknowledge and accept. How would that discovery alter her life and affect the people she had come to care for and love?

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel was a heart wrenching and powerful historical fiction novel that exemplified bravery, hope, survival and heroism. It was incredible that so many Jewish people were able to successfully escape from the ghettos and survive life in the forests of Eastern Europe. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was beautifully written and included many vivid descriptions of the forest and what its surroundings must have looked like. The many characters were well developed and complex and will stay with me for quite some time. I have read many of Kristin Harmel’s books and have liked them very much and this one was no exemption. I highly recommend this book.

Kristin Harmel is an auto-buy author for me and has another hit in The Forest of Vanishing Stars!!! I enjoy the quality of her writing and the details in which she tells the story. I always learn something new in her historical fiction books! If you are a historical fiction lover or just love an engrossing storyline, you must read this one!!

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and I loved this book so much because it was inspired by true stories and those, to me, are always the best kind when it comes to historical fiction!

With the plethora of WWII novels out there, I was pleasantly surprised to read a storyline from this unique viewpoint......a young girl named Yona was raised in isolation in the woods of eastern Europe, where she learned various ways to survive against staggering odds. Later, Yona will use her skills to teach the Jewish people, escaping from the ghetto and the terror of the Nazi regime, how to survive/live in hiding in the wilderness.

What Yona didn’t expect is that she would learn some surprising lessons from this group of Jewish escapees that will change her life forever.

If you like a strong female MC, you will fall in love with Yona.

In the end, this is a captivating story full of heartfelt lessons about life, love and family and it will stick with you for a long time!

I’m not sure why I waited so long to read this book when she is a favorite author of mine, but once I started, it was unputdownable!!

I absolutely loved this book! I've struggled with historical fiction throughout Covid, but this one sucked me in and left me completely entranced. The plot was interesting with great characters and setting. I highly recommend this one to anyone and everyone who loves a good historical fiction read with a strong heroine.

Kristin Harmel writes amazing historical fiction, and this book is no exception! I always learn so much from her books.

“I don’t want to disappear. I want to survive so we can tell the world what has happened.”

absolutely loved this book! it was such a great read, i would highly recommend this books to my friends and family if they wanted a well written book

I enjoyed reading this historical story. I enjoyed this author's writing skills and her attention to details that made the story come to life. This is a well written story that takes place in WWII and a secret that happened in the past come crashing into the present. This is a story that has characters that are written inspiration and heart. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into their journey from the start. They are connectable and kept the story engaging. I enjoyed their growth and also the growth of the plot throughout the stor.y. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. This is an easy and entertaining story to read. I highly recommend this book. You don't want to miss what happens in this journey.