The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel
Parade “Best Books of Summer” pick * Real Simple pick * She Reads “Best WWII Fiction of Summer 2021” pick
The New York Times bestselling author of the “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People) The Book of Lost Names returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.
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.
Inspired by incredible true stories of survival against staggering odds, and suffused with the journey-from-the-wilderness elements that made Where the Crawdads Sing a worldwide phenomenon, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel from the #1 internationally bestselling author whose writing has been hailed as “sweeping and magnificent” (Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author), “immersive and evocative” (Publishers Weekly), and “gripping” (Tampa Bay Times).
The New York Times bestselling author of the “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People) The Book of Lost Names returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.
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.
Inspired by incredible true stories of survival against staggering odds, and suffused with the journey-from-the-wilderness elements that made Where the Crawdads Sing a worldwide phenomenon, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel from the #1 internationally bestselling author whose writing has been hailed as “sweeping and magnificent” (Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author), “immersive and evocative” (Publishers Weekly), and “gripping” (Tampa Bay Times).
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Community Reviews
Another really good historical fiction coming of age WWII story. If you are a fan of The Nightengale or The Last Year of the War, you'll like this book too. A young woman, Yona, uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis. Stolen as a baby from her wealthy German parents, Yona was raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe. She knows little about human interaction when she stumbles upon a group of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. Yona teaches the group how to survive in the wilderness and they teach her about belonging to a family. When Yona feels betrayed by a member of the group, she flees into a German occupied village where her past and present collide. Yona's loyalty is tested in this suspenseful, compelling story of survival and bravery.
The storyline moves quickly, the characters are fleshed out and the descriptions are vivid. I have read many stories about WWII but none of refugees hiding and surviving in the forests of Poland. Harmel did extensive research for this novel which is inspired by true stories of survival. The author's notes are a must read too. There is a small element of folklore or magic at the very beginning with the woman who kidnapped Yona as a baby (the woman was old when she kidnapped Yona). I wasn't sure I liked that but after finishing the book, I see that it was such a small piece and it does add to the magical feel of the story. Yona is a wonderful character and human being in a time when the world was so very dark and bleak.
The storyline moves quickly, the characters are fleshed out and the descriptions are vivid. I have read many stories about WWII but none of refugees hiding and surviving in the forests of Poland. Harmel did extensive research for this novel which is inspired by true stories of survival. The author's notes are a must read too. There is a small element of folklore or magic at the very beginning with the woman who kidnapped Yona as a baby (the woman was old when she kidnapped Yona). I wasn't sure I liked that but after finishing the book, I see that it was such a small piece and it does add to the magical feel of the story. Yona is a wonderful character and human being in a time when the world was so very dark and bleak.
This is a must read. She captures your mind to be with her in the story as she portrays it. Excellent writer.
I enjoyed reading this book and I can gauge this because I read several books at one time and when one book takes over I know that it is THE one. I did not rate this a 10 out of 10 and I cannot tell you why. I left with an odd feeling of something missing. I cannot put my finger on it, it is bothering me and that is exactly why I love book clubs because I get to hear other people’s thoughts on the book because maybe someone will say something that gives me my ah-ha moment. The story was interesting, characters pretty well fleshed out, ending not too rushed but something leaves me wanting. The story is a new twist and view that I had not read before and the history behind it is fascinating. I would still rate this book highly and suggest it for a read to book clubs and personal reads. This feeling is all my own and not a reflection on this book overall.
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