A new story in the historical fiction WWII genre, with a hint of mystical and a strong lead character to love. Yona was taken as an infant by the strange elderly neighbor who has a sixth sense about the future. Raised in the woods, Yona was taught everything that could keep her alive, except how to interact with other humans. Yet as terrified Jews begin to flee in the forest desperate to try to survive the terrors of the Nazi regime, Yona is forced to decide what role she is willing to play.
A beautiful story. I recommend!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is an absolutely fantastic WWII historical fiction novel! Yona was two years old when she was stolen from her parents by an old woman who lives in the forest. At the start of WWII, she finds herself living alone in the forest and stumbles upon a group of Jews that escaped ghettos and Nazi horrors in the surrounding villages. What follows is a fascinating story of perseverance, growth, friendship, and love.

This was such a unique story and the incredibly special character of Yona will stay with me. This book definitely goes into my category of favorite WWII books! I highly recommend it and will be going back to read more Kristin Harmel books!!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Kristin Harmel, and Gallery Books for this ARC of #TheForestofVanishingStars.

There are hundreds of stories about World War II by this is the first story I have read about the survivors living and hiding in the Polish and German forest. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a wonderfully researched tale of survival but it is also a tale of how people who are different can bond together in friendship. Yona, who is a German, I raised in the woods and is raised to trust in God, but not the notion of a particular religion. When Yona, comes across the fleeing Jews and learns of their plight, she uses her trust in God and the forest to help them. Yona learns a great deal about the Jewish people and a great deal about her place in the world.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a book about survival, friendship, love, and duty to help your fellow humankind. It brings the plight of the Jewish people into a harsh reality but shows you that despite their toils, how they still held on to hope, community, and family. It makes you feel fear, sadness, anger, but at the same time love and compassion.
Kristin Harmel is an excellent storyteller. This is another example of her bringing a story to life with strong characters who develop complex relationships. I look forward to reading many more books written by her.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery books for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Kristin Harmel and after seeing so many rave reviews for all of her previous books, I was excited when I was approved for this one. A story of survival during the the most horrible times of WWII! This is why I've grown to love Historical Fiction! Learning things I knew nothing about. Yona is taken from her parents home by Jerusza, whom then takes her to the forest and raises her, teaching her everything she needs to know to survive. When Jerusza dies, Yona is alone. But not for long...she comes across a group of jews who are escaping the Nazis and hiding away in the forests. She teaches these jews the things she learned, so they can survive! Yona learns alot from them too, about being part of a family, and love! Wow, I really loved this story so much. I highly recommend you add this one to your list. I will definitely have to check out more of Kritin Harmels books after reading this one!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!

Kristin Harmel writes wonderful historical fiction, specializing in W W II. Yona is a Young woman, who was stolen from her German parents as an infant and who has spent her life living in the forest with her abductor, an elderly Jewish woman, who teaches her survival skills. After the woman's death, Yona encounters a Jewish family who is escaping from the Germans and she attempts to help them elude their enemy. This encounter ends in disaster and Yona vows that she will find ways to assist other Jewish refugees. She encounters a small entourage of Jews who have escaped from the ghetto and she teaches them all she knows of forest survival. Throughout her life Yona, which means Hope) has wondered about her parents and at last she is given the opportunity to meet her father. Who is now a German officer. Through a series of surprising events, Yona learns of her true heritage and must decide what person she will become.
This is one of my favorite books for this year. Beautifully written and so carefully researched, the reader finds herself immersed in the forest with this raggedy group of pilgrims fighting for their lives against nature and against the Germans who scour the forest looking for runaways. The story is suspenseful; the characters are memorable and the fates of some will bring you to tears.
Recommended for anyone who likes historical fiction or just enjoys reading about strong women, the fight for survival, and for live that triumphs during the worst of tines.
Thank you, Kristin Harmel, for writing this wonderful story.

Reviews for “The Forest of Vanishing Stars” by Kristin Harmel are universally 5 stars. I agree- this was a creative, lyrical and profound book that I will always remember.

With an aura of a fairytale or folktale, filled with gritty characters and experiences, this book will haunt you with its beauty and wisdom. “Once up on a time” there was a mysterious young woman who lived in the forest and spoke to nature and nature spoke back to her. Yona is the main character and she lived in the isolated forest in Poland, with an old crone from age two until the start of World War II. The crone has prepared her with many skills, from how to build a shelter, survive on the flora and fauna, even how to kill a man. But why has the crone taken her and educated her? When the war begins, Yona meets her destiny.

World War II is shown through the eyes of Yona, who knows nothing of politics or governments. But she does know the beauty of the first spring, day, snow falling from stars, and the need to love and connect with others. She becomes a guide for Jews escaping into the forest.

Finding one’s purpose, through the filter of love, caring and honesty is the heart of this historical fiction book. I commend the author for creating a story that is filled with the details of a life in the woods, the hearts of people, and the source of it all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel was captivating from Chapter One. I loved her character development, and her deep descriptive storytelling in this book.
This is a look at the War from the character's perspective as they fight to survive.
As the Germans are occupying Poland,
a young girl (name changed to Yona) is taken from her parents by a woman who believes she must 'save' her. They live in the forest and this is how the young girl learns the ways of the forest. She is taught to hunt and gather food, how to use herbs, flora and fauna for medicine, how to build shelter and most importantly, how to watch for the enemy.

In the story, Jews were rounded up and forced to live in ghettos and the necessary decision to flee the ghettos was not only because of the abhorrent conditions but they were witnessing other Jews that were just shot at random and they knew they must escape.

As Jews were fleeing for their lives from German occupation and the Nazi murderers, this story tells how they survived in the forest on what nature provided.

As the story progresses, Yona teaches those she encounters the mysterious ways of the forest, and what they must do to survive. She must teach them
how to gather their food, and to tell "basic poisons from basic sustenance", how to build shelters, to hunt without weapons, and to listen for and stay out of the path of those hunting them. She teaches them such things as how to weave willow bark into baskets, and to gather certain herbs to be used for medicinal purposes.

In the forest, there were certain things they needed to do to stay alive. They would travel deep into the forest at night and would "navigate by the stars, to walk by the light of the moon."
One of my favorite lines was "Above her, the stars stretched across the heavens, a familiar canopy that would be with her wherever she went" The stars would always be there for Yona.

This story tells us more about the human condition as these people were living in the forest and how one girl taught them how to survive and how to appreciate the beauty of the forest but to 'listen' for the enemy.

I really appreciated the Author's note. How she explained her research and introduces us to people who told their stories of survival like her characters in the book.

Fans of Kristin Harmel won't be able to put this book down. It's a story of strength, love, honor, determination and despair in difficult times and the will to survive. For anyone who reads this book, be prepared to devote hours to a story that will amaze you.

This is such an incredible book. I'm so thankful to NetGalley and Gallery books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Harmel has done it again. I’ve like all her books and this was no exception. It was well researched and reminds you of Delia Owens writing also while still remaining historically accurate. So very good

The old woman is watching Siegfried and Alwine. I like the name Alwine. It's 1922 and she's been watching them for years. I liked the descriptions.

I enjoy ww2 historical fiction and this book provided a new perspective from the point of view of those that went into hiding in the woods to escape the Germans. I found the story line between Inge and her father to be a bit too coincidental to be believable though and that sort of ruined it for me.

Loved this book about a girl growing up in the forest to later help a group of Jews survive there during WW2 because of her knowledge and sacrifice. Ms Harmel did a fabulous job painting a story that was difficult to put down. The characters fought to survive insurmountable odds and worked to look out for the good of each other even though it was difficult instead of taking the easier and more self-serving road they could have chosen often. They wrestled with grief and hope, sorted thru evil that was forced on them and tried to find the good, and they wrestled with purpose and belonging. Excellent book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for and honest review.

NetGalley gave me the incredible honor of being able to read an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Forest of Vanishing Stars by one of my all-time favorites: Kristin Harmel! Upon learning that I was given this honor, I immediately started shaking, crying, and aching to go home form work and start reading, and that's exactly what I did!

Yona was taken from her family and brought to live in the forest with Jerusza, who taught her how to survive and thrive in times as grim as those they were currently living in. Yona would go on to save the lives of countless men, women, and children, but would also lose many lives along the way. World War 2 was an awful time, but that goes without saying. It was even harder for the Jewish people in Europe. Being Jewish, I identify very strongly with these types of books, and Historical Fiction has quickly become my favorite genre. Kristin Harmel goes into vivid detail, making this book hard to read at times, but that did not and would not slow me down. I cried multiple times while reading The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and I had expected nothing less. Kristin Harmel, yet again, wrote a story about a bad-ass woman, and I for one, find that fantastic!

This story is going to stay with me for a while, and I cannot wait for my pre-ordered hardcover to arrive in July so I can read it all over again! It goes without saying that I gave this book a very enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars!

It's moments like this that I wish I could articulate better, maybe that's why I am not a writer LO

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Forest of Vanishing Stars. It was phenomenal, and I am still reeling from all of the emotions that Yona's character evoked in me. Her character is a perfect example of grit, strength, bravery, intelligence, selfishness and compassion. Yona's life started out much different than most, being abducted as a child, and raised in a forest by a complete stranger. As she grows, we watch her hone in her survival skills and eagerness to learn years leading into the war and the invasion of the German Army. As Yona, moves throughout the forest alone, she encounters a group of refugees that have fled a nearby village. Against, her better judgement she immediately recognizes the group's inability to survive the harshness of the forest and chooses to join them while teaching them how to find food, shelter and most importantly safety from the unkind world around them.

Kristin Harmel weaves the stories of several characters (who quickly become family) so beautifully. and powerfully that I just couldn't stop reading. Late into the evening, I came across the passage of the characters describing themselves as vanishing stars and I was completely blown away by the goosebumps and feelings those few sentences stirred in me. Times of trouble do really define us and the way we chose to act speaks volumes. Yona always put the needs of others first - often referencing Talmud, “He who saves a single life, saves the world entire.” This story will stay with me - I walked away from it feeling blessed, inspired to do better, do more and be a better neighbor and friend.

Order your copy today!

The author employs a folktale-like beginning to establish her main character – a young woman who has grown up in the forests of Eastern Europe and has been broadly educated by the old crone who raised her from toddlerhood. As the Nazis take over Poland and the other Slavic countries of the area, our heroine’s knowledge of living invisibly in the forest enables her to aid the escape of some of the hunted Jews.
As Yona, whose only companion has been the old woman (now dead,) comes into contact with these refugees and decides to help them to survive and disappear into the forest, her education broadens to include human interactions, including love, jealousy and feeling responsible for the safety and well-being of others.
The author’s skill in storytelling leads the reader to experience the complete range of emotions—fear, love, betrayal, self-doubt, joy, devastating loss—that the heroine and her refugees endure. The extensive research the author conducted infuses her characters and story with the veracity of history.
This is a compelling read that brings to life the horrors and triumphs of a terrible period of world history.

This was the second book I’ve read by Kristin Harmel and I cannot wait to read more of her work. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was so different from the other WWII books I’ve read. It had Where the Crawdads Sing vibes but with added layers of well researched historical fiction. The main character was a total badass that I rooted for throughout the book. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3883264726?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I received a free e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.
I read a lot of historical fiction. This book stands out because it feels like a very magical sort of fairy tale for the first part as Jerusza kidnaps Inge and raises her as Yona in the Polish forest for decades while teaching her everything she can about survival. Then Jerusza dies and Yona must decide what to do. She ends up using her skills to help others survive the forest as they hide from German Nazis persecuting Jews during WWII. The language used by Kristin Harmel really felt like poetry in many places and was a pleasure to read.

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! The details of this book are astonishing. I am a Kristin Harmel fan and have read a few of her books, also as a lover of most WW2 historical fiction, I was blown away. The book had my heart from the first page and took me on a roller coaster of emotions until the very end. The Forest of Vanishing Stars will stick with you for days. My heart was full with this book. This maybe Kristin's best work yet! Do you self a favor and READ IT!

Kristin Harmel’s latest work of WWII historical fiction is superb on so many levels. The tremendous amount of research she put into it is evident throughout and quite impressive. She obviously cares deeply for the subject matter and wishes to portray it in a heartfelt, non-gratuitous manner. The plot itself is well-written and vividly captures the Eastern European woods where the Jewish ghetto escapees do their best to survive in a harsh, wilderness environment. But the harshness of the woods is nothing compared to the atrocities they would have faced from the Nazis had they not escaped. Harmel also brilliantly depicts both the magic and turmoil of human relationships. Our main character, Yona, must learn how to get along with others after being isolated for years. Finally, I found the story to be strikingly original. There are many works of WWII fiction but none that go into the details of the Jews who survived the Holocaust by living in the forest. An overall, poignant, thought-provoking and powerful read that captured my heart and held my interest throughout.

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.

I read a lot of WW II books but each one seems to have a different take on what happens during that time. And since I've discovered this author, I've been impressed with the research she does on her book and how she writes. them. This was written well and the research that she did on what can be use in the forest to survive, lent creditability to this story. Many of the happenings in this book are patterned after things that really occurred during this time period. There is a bit of a mystical thread to it as well. It would have been interesting to hear a bit more about Yon after the war, but that wasn't really the story. Excellent read and i highly recommend it

As a toddler, Yona was taken from her Berlin home in the years just after The Great War by Jerusza, who seemed to know things that others did not. With her gifts of sight, Jerusza believed the girl was in danger and that the household was evil. She took the girl into the large forests of Europe - Poland, mostly. Yona was taught to live in the wilderness and use the bounty of nature to survive. As Yona becomes a young woman, the forests are touched by the atrocities of World War II. After the death of Jerusza, Yona wanders the forests using her skills and avoiding contact with other people. When she comes upon a group of Jews fleeing ghettos and extermination, Yona teaches them how live and feed themselves. Yona realizes that a war is being waged and innocent people are being persecuted. She is a fighter and is willing to do whatever she can to help and to teach those in need.
I don't want to give away too much of the story but I recommend this as an excellent example of the power of the human spirit and the depth of courage exhibited by those most deeply affected by adversity. This story is based on real events that were previously unknown to me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.