What a wonderful book! I have long enjoyed reading historical fiction, especially that with a focus on WWII. Kristen Harmel's tale of Yona, a young woman who had been stolen from her parents as a toddler depicted a part of the history I knew very little about. Due to Yona's upbringing by the woman who stole her, she was able to help Jews hiding in the woods to survive the brutal years of the Nazi regime. This was even more impressive when reading the author's notes that large groups of Jews did in fact spend the war years hiding in the woods.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars would be a good pick for anyone who enjoys their historical fiction to have a basis in real life events.

Sorry I am so late in reviewing this but I had to come here and make sure I did. This was such a great book. Whenever I wasn’t reading it I couldn’t wait to get back to it. Kristin has a real way of making you feel connected with the characters and this book was no exception

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my voluntary and unbiased opinion.

This novel reads like a moralistic fairy tale about being one with nature. Of course, things can appear magical but also dangerous at the same time. There is always a danger in trusting the wrong person too much. When raised in isolation it becomes difficult to discern what reality to believe. Unlike a fairy tale, much of the story originated from factual events of how some Polish Jews survived by retreating deep into the forest and swamp land. The author includes notes on her extensive research and inspiration regarding this book.

In 1922, an old woman Jerusza was 82 years old drawn by God to this home in Berlin to forever change the fate the child who lay inside. She had been watching Siegfried and Alwine Juttner living what she felt was a power hungry and aloof life. She knew things about people that others didn't. Her mother, who had killed herself with poisons in 1860, explained how the women in the family possessed a knowing of impossible things which was a gift from God for only the most fortunate Jewish women. Jerusza was the last in the bloodline and often felt it a curse to be burdened all her life following the voices which echoed from the forest. "But nature makes no mistakes, and now, as the sky filled with a cloud of silent blackbirds over the twinkling city, she knew the time had come."

By 1928, the girl was 8 years old when Jerusza had named her Yona which meant "dove" in Hebrew like the birthmark in the child's palm. She teaches Yona how to kill a man which confuses the girl who was taught how precious life is and should be protected. "Yes. But the most important life to protect is your own," Jerusza explained. She knew she needed to prepare the girl for the terrible things that were to come for she knew the day of her death would soon come.

After Jerusza died, Yona wandered the forest and one day found a young girl who collapsed in the forest. Yona cared for Chana, the 6 year old until she was well. Unlike Yona, she ran into the forest to escape the Germans and explained how they wanted to kill all Jewish people. Yona was shocked to learn about the world outside the forest and how dangerous it was to injure a small child. They find her parents Esta and Isaac who is in grave condition from a gun shot wound. Yona helps to save his life and stays with the family until they are well. When she suggests that it is time to move as they had been in the same spot for too long, Esta adamantly refuses Yona's help and insists that she is no longer needed. Five days later, Yona hears three gun shots and finds the family dead in the forest.

Soon Yona encounters more people in the forest who have escaped from the Jewish ghettos. She fears making herself known to others yet feels compelled to help them to survive. She teaches Aleksander how to catch small fish and make a fishing net so that he might feed the other 13 people in the forest with him. She volunteers to help the group from the city learn how to survive in the forest as the winter came. After awhile they encounter another group who are also trying to survive and hide from the Germans. With so many people living together there was bound to be some conflicts.

Yona leaves the group and finds herself wandering into the town which she meets more people who are people of faith and belief in God. They are not focused on religion but doing "God's work" by helping and protecting those trying to survive and escape persecution. By chance, Yona encounters a German commander who identifies as her biological father. Their reunion is met with mixed emotions and feelings about the state of the nation. She becomes torn between her acknowledgement that she is German by birth but raised by a Jewish woman in the forest.

The story is one of bravery, survival and conviction to one's beliefs and values. The events depicted in the novel were based on some real events of Jews who survived living in the forest to later share their experience with others.

I love books that blend history with fiction and slipped into this story. WWII stories pull me in over and over and no matter how many I read, each offers me a new perspective. This is a book I will recommend & gift to others

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. It was an engaging read from page 1 all the way to the end. After finishing I was sad that the story was over. The story of a young child who was taken from her wealthy German parents and raised in the wilderness by her kidnapper. After her kidnapper dies, the woman finds herself at loose ends and alone and without purpose. She then runs into a group of Jews fleeing from the Nazis and she needs to decide if she wants to give up her solitude and help these people. What happens next is all at once heartwarming and heartbreaking.
A must read.

This is a heart wrenching story about Yona, a child who was kidnapped at the age of two, and raised to survive in the woods. Knowing that this story is based on a true story makes it even more emotional,

If you like Historical Fiction, I highly recommend this book. Kristin Harmel has done it again!

I have been eyeing this novel since I first saw the cover and it did not disappoint. Harmel has a way with words and I am all for it. I can't wait to see what's next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's sometimes amazing how many historical fiction books set during the WWII era I have read and still find titles such as THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS that have a different perspective of life lived under duress. Kristin Harmel has done an excellent job of making the readers feel Yona's emotions as she ages from the stolen child to the young woman left with little direction when her caretaker dies. The descriptive nature of the isolation and the fear of the unknown paint a picture of a young woman waiting for direction and purpose. She will find these by helping those who have escaped the death sentences issued by the Nazi. An excellent book that I know my reading circle will love too.

I am a big Kristin Harmel fan! The Forest of Vanishing Stars did not disappoint. I enjoyed the characters and the premise overall.

Kristin Harmel is a master at engaging historical fiction and this was no exception. A rich German young woman gets away from her kidnapper and encounters a group of Jews in the woods. She teaches them about surviving the conditions and they teach her lessons as well. This was a very different take on WWII fiction. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was so beautifully written. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were breathtaking, and I found myself so connected to them. I’m not usually a historical fiction fan, but this book was incredible, and I really think everyone needs to read it.

Enjoyed this story very much….will definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more of this author’s stories!! This is a favorite by this author

I loved this book! The premise of this book made it stand apart from other WWII fiction I've read. I enjoy WWII historical fiction and I love when a story comes from a completely differ perspective than other books. I had never considered the people forced to live in wilderness to escape the Nazis.

I can only imagine all the research Kristin Harmel did; not just for historical aspects, but also the survivor skills presented throughout the story.

The characters were well developed and the story moved at a good pace. I highly recommend this book to other lovers of historical fiction that also elicits a lot of emotion.

Absolutely riveting story. I love Harmels books. They always draw me in and don’t let go until the very end.

From the publisher: 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.

Kristin Harmel books are auto-buys for me. This title is particularly touching as it follows a kidnaped woman navigate her new world after the death of her kidnapper in the early years of WWII. Harmel's vivid storytelling is on full display as we explore the depths of the forest together and learn how to be a part of a community after so much time spent in solitude. I read this book in an afternoon, eager to learn more about how these refugees survived the war.

I absolutely forgot to leave my review when I read this book! Sorry for the delay! I loved the book, Her historical fiction always manages to come full circle. It will keep you involved in the story and evoke emotions you want to suppress as you read of the hardships during this time period. The endurance of these people is nothing short of miraculous-- that people such as these existed in real life, not just in the authors imagination. We are so fortunate that we have never had to experience this kind of life in our country and lifetime. I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Such a fascinating book!! It’s about an old woman who kidnapped a 2 year old girl, Yona, from her German parents. The old woman raised the girl in the woods. She taught her how to survive in the woods, taught her several languages, how to kill a man, and how to treat sick or wounded people. Once the woman died the girl struggled because she wasn’t taught how to be around other people. She struggled with social interactions. The young woman eventually meets Jewish people that have fled the ghettos and endured horrible hardships and losses. She decides to teach the people what she knows about surviving in the forest and makes herself responsible for their survival. This is a wonderful retelling of the trials and tribulations of the Polish Jews during WWII. It was well researched.
Thank you to Netgalley and Galley books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars
Kristin Harmel has done it again!! She is such an amazing writer and I love all her books, so why would this one be any different. But it is different, I have never read about the people who survived in the forest during World War II. You can tell she spent lots of time researching the history of how people survived in this way. It is a very well written book that moves along at a good pace. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.

**Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I read and also listened to it on audiobook and I was sucked in from the first chapter. This is an intense story of survival. Yona was a young girl taken at age two by an older woman and raised in the woods. This changes the course of life for several Jews two decades later. She uses her skills to help many Jews live in the woods to escape death.

I love the story line of love and survival, and without giving anything away the ending was fantastic. I loved Yona learning how to interact with people and finding out who she really is, it’s kind of a coming to age story also.

5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

Historical fiction, especially during WWII, is one of my favorite genres and I’ve read quite a few that fit that. While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite and I’ve read others that I enjoyed much more. I do think I’ll come back to it and reread it as it could have been timing and reading many similar books so close together.