This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I thought it was a very suspenseful, unique WWII story of survival. As the book description states the protagonist, Yona, is very reminiscent of Kya in Where the Crawdads Sing. The only aspect of the book that I did not enjoy was the mysticism surrounding Yona’s kidnapper- it just didn’t fit the rest of the story. And somehow made the Jews survival a fairy tale and not a historical fact as referenced in the Afterward. Thank you for the ARC

This is a wonderfully written bistorical fiction novel set in the early 1940s as WWII takes over Europe. I happen to love historic fiction but I really do not believe all historic fiction is as thoroughly researched as Harmel researched this book. Most of us know the facts--that Jews were hunted down and routinely forced into ghettos then killed or simply rounded up and killed, often buried in mass graves. However, most of us do not know the stories of how some Jews survived and actually lived through the war.

This story begins with the abduction (or literally the stealing) of a two-year old child from her bed. She is taken by a woman who lives entirely in the woods yet is highly intelligent. All we know as to why this child, Inge, is taken is that her family is bad and the child is being saved. The child, whose name is changed to Yuna, grows up under the guidance of Jerusza, who teaches her everything she needs to survive. She learns to speak several languages fluently, learns history, reads many books, and so much more. She learns the most important thing--survival in the woods--what to safely eat,how to survive in all types of weather, how to find items needed through theivery, and move.

We see Yuna grow into a young lady who is eventually on her own. Now she has seen otehr people; has even spoken to one or two, but does she actually know how to interact with people? No. As the talk of war begins and the Jewish communities are targeted, Yuna meets some Jewish people trying to escape. Knowing the difference in good and bad, she knows she must help those escaping the wrath of the Germans. Through remarkable research, Harmel shows us how Jewish communities thrived and survived in the woods. In this novel, they had the help of the remarkable Yuna

Her family never knew what happened to her. Of course, she does "run into" her father but that is all I will say to that as it would spoil things. Some events from this time, along with others, are based on actual events happening during the time period.

Many authors will share information about their research after the novel is finished. I found Harmel's information compelling as to the length she went in her research. She went beyond books to actually talking to people who had survived and I really believe she went to the area where her story took place. I am pretty sure she has traveled as part of her research before.

Now, I did find this book from Net Galley and somehow had forgotten I had it. What a thrill to find it because I have been waiting on it to come out. I heartily recommend it as a well-written story but also one to more deeply explain life for Jews in WWII.

#Goodreads #Netgalley

Wow! This was an excellent book! I don’t read a lot of historical fiction books, but I’m glad I chose to read this one! I once had a Polish professor who had escaped from the Germans multiple times during WWII, and I imagine his life might have been like some of the characters lives in this book. I’m glad I read this book and will definitely be recommending it to my book club.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is one of those books that will stick for a while. To even imagine what the Jewish community endured is painful. The pain they felt, the lives lost, the things they did to survive. Many of them broken. To know that there was so much hate and pure evil.

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The Forest of Vanishing Stars” is an amazing, unusual, and page-turning story set in WWII Europe. The main character, Yona, is stolen as a child and brought up in the forest by an elderly woman who’s a psychic and teaches Yona everything she needs to survive in the woods, knowing that her skills will be needed in the future to help communities of Jews fleeing from the Holocaust.

The author has done incredible research and it shows on every page. The book is compelling, beautifully descriptive, filled with a wonderful cast of characters, and evokes every emotion. You will feel as though you have traveled back in time and are in that forest, on the journey with these people. It’s a story you will never forget.

"But the forest knew no difference when it came to race, religion, or gender; it smiled and frowned upon all of them in equal measure, sometimes providing protection, sometimes peril. 'By the grace of God, may we all be vanishing stars.'" Yona ,a child stolen from her family and raised for an unknown purpose, struggles as she finds what family means in a way she never imagined. She finds herself leading, teaching, and saving others from dangers in her beloved forest. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a look inside the difficult struggles to survive in a forest when you are hunted, have nothing but a glimmer of hope, and learn of the beautiful provision and security of the forest. History and other books allude to those who lived in the forest during WWII, but Kristin Harmel helps us understand how they lived and survived to tell the tales of loss, anguish, and survival that they experienced.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars demonstrates the dichotomy of WWII life in the forest: lyrical yet harsh, comforting yet uncomfortable, home but can never be home, beautiful and bountiful yet barren and brutal. The forest is a character in this novel like Alaska is in Kirstin Hannah's The Great Alone and the marshlands of Where the Crawdads Sing. A beautiful journey that has yet to be told.

Kristin Harmel is an author I discovered about a year ago. Every book I’ve read of hers I love. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is by far my favorite! I love historical fiction but this book is exceptionally great. The plot is original, full of hope. I love the characters and the emotions that I felt surrounding them. This book will be on all the bestsellers lists!!

I would rate this book a 3.5 if I were able to. I have loved all the previous books I have read by this author, but this one fell a little flat for me. I can’t even really describe why - I just couldn’t get into the story and perhaps there were too many characters, so that I never really came to know them too well. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this, but for me it was just okay. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is very different than any other World War II book I’ve ever read. Full of hope and sorrow, the story that unfolded was amazing. I was not able to put this book down. I highly recommend this book.

Usually, I devour a Harmel novel from the get-go, but for some reason, this one didn't grab me at the start, but once it did, there was no releasing me. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is set in a location I have never seen in a WWII novel, obviously, the forest.

I did not like Jerusa as a character because I felt she was cold, but in the events that unfolded, I realize she was vital to the setup of everything. Yona was a delight. She was a character you could relate to because she was conflicted between how she was raised and what was the right thing to do.

This may not be my favorite Harmel novel, but it is good, and she shows us once again that she is a creative and detailed writer. I believe my friends are going to LOVE this one. and I am excited for them to get it in July.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. I was so excited to start this, the description sounded amazing. However the writing didn't really draw me in and I didn't find myself excited to pick it up at the end of the day (I didn't hate picking it up either but I wasn't thinking about it throughout the day). In the spots where major things happened I found I didn't have much to any emotional reaction until the end and even then I should have had a stronger reaction. I also felt it ended super abruptly.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is an excellent WWII-era historical fiction novel that truly capitivated me from beginning to end. The atrocities, the rawness, the fear, loss, and complex emotions that the characters exchange and feel themselves really affected me. As always, it was hard to read so much hurt, fear, and damage. This book gives a harrowing account that has some historical fact/basis, and it was just so remarkable and stunning, Inspired by true events, Yona is abducted at the age of two by a strange woman who lives in the forest. She is stolen away from her German parents and raised for twenty years, completely in the forest. When Jerusza, the woman who both kidnapped her & then raised her, dies in 1941, Yona finds herself alone for the very first time in the forest. Her loneliness is soon over as Yona finds herself in the middle of a group of Jews who are fleeing into the forest to escape the Nazi’s in order to survive. Yona pledges to teach the group all she knows about surviving in the forest so that they can remain safe and healthy. In return, Yona finds herself learning much more about life, love, and family-from the group of Jews in return.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
by Kristin Harmel isn’t just another WW2 story. It is a novel @ a young woman who was abducted from her wealthy German parents as a toddler by a very old Woman. They live in the woods, avoiding contact with other people, as Jerusza, the old woman, teaches Yona, the girl, how to survive on her own. She seems able to see into the future and tries to teach Yona what she needs to know about people she might encounter. After Jerusza dies, Yona encounters groups of Jews fleeing the Nazis. She tries to help the first family, but they don’t accept her help and are killed. She then vows to help others. When she encounters a fairly large group she teaches them how to hunt, fish, gather herbs, berries and other useful plant life and how to create shelters. She is betrayed by one of them and leaves them to venture into a town but it is occupied by Nazis.

The tale has many twists and turns including a reunion with her father, a Nazi officer and a group of nuns who want nothing more than to help people. There is a mystical tone to this novel about a young woman living in the woods. I read everything this author writes and loads of WW2 fiction. I liked this book despite feeling that parts were just too contrived.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was eager to read this book, since I have enjoyed Kristin Harmel's other novels. This one does not disappoint! Yet again she tells a little known story about WWII with fascinating characters, heart-racing twists and turns, and nail-biting story arcs. The bold and instinctual heroine Yona is certainly a character that you will root for. Finally, I loved how the title held several different meanings for me by the time I had finished the novel. Kudos to Kristin Harmel on a well-told story that will stick with me for a long time.
Thank you to Gallery Books, Kristin Harmel, and Netgalley for this ARC. #theforestofvanishingstars #gallerybooks #kristinharmel #netgalley

Kristin Harmel has done it again with another wonderful historical fiction based in the times of WWII. This time we have a young girl, taken in the night by a Jewish witch like -woman. The woman raises the young girl in the woods and teaches her to live off the land and to live un-noticed. I was fascinated from the beginning at the life that this girl was about to lead during the worst of WWII. It was a great story that will grab you right away. I did however find that towards the end- the story drug on a little too long and then suddenly the dropped to quickly. I was waiting on the edge of my seat for a little more excitement that never happened. But this was still an interesting story from a new perspective of Jewish families trying to survive this war.

First thing I did when i finished this book was to download Book of Lost Names and Winemaker's Wife into my kindle, as I loved Kristin Harmel's writing and I can't believe I haven't read more of her books! but onto the topic at hand, The forest of Vanishing Stars. This is an absolutely beautiful book. It's a hard read, as so many war books are, but it is such a different take on it. At first I was a bit hesitant, i didn't really know where the story was going, but it builds up beautifully. Such detail and specificity in the intricacies of the forest, and such strong emotions that have to be evoked. For a very eccentric and unconventional character, Yona is so splendidly written and so relatable in her emotional discovery. The book is a deep take on the concept of it's not who you are but what you do and how you behave. my only qualm is I would just have done a little bit more of an ending. Its a tough read but so rewarding. I absolutely loved the explanation of the title, will not ruin it here, but it was just poetically beautiful. A Must Read.
This is partially based on real life accounts, and its one of the things I loved the most about the book, the acknowledgements when she talks about her research and inspiration. An old war survivor had the best quote, so relevant today, and so simple: Be nice if at all possible and not forget the past.

What a unique and interesting story line this book is! If you are a fan of historical fiction, as I am, read this book. You will get a new perspective to some things that occurred during WW2. Be sure to give the book time... I wanted to quit at the beginning but the book soon got very interesting! You will fall in love with Yona and root for her throughout the whole book1

A touch of magical realism enhances this beautifully drawn historical novel set mostly during World War II. Jerusza is an old woman of the forest with the ability of knowing impossible things, a gift from God. She alters the fate of a young girl and this propels the story of survival and fate. The two live "off the grid" to use a contempory term. As World War II escalates their world becomes less private and complicated. Characters are fully developed and they pull the reader deeply into the plot . Excellent, thorough research adds to this unputdownable novel that I read an advanced copy of through NetGalley.

“Humans had a responsibility to do more than just protect themselves. In the face of evil, they were compelled to save each other.”

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

A very different perspective on WW2. This story follow Jews who fled the ghettos of Europe and sought safety in the woods. It’s there that they meet a woman, abducted at the age of two and raised in the woods, who will show them how to survive off the gifts the forest gave them. It’s a story of loss, hardship, hatred, love, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. It’s a story of family, the one you are born into and the one you choose.

The story is fictional, but very well researched. I was pulled into the story right away and had a hard time putting it down.

Thank you to Gallery Books, Kristin Harmel, and Netgalley for the ARC of this beautiful story..

A historical story that had me 100% captivated with this book right from the start. The author did a a lot a research before writing this book. The book came alive and touched my heart for the characters in the book. No one can describe what went on as accurately as this book unless you lived through it.