In The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Kristin Harmel tells the beautifully heart wrenching story of Yona, a German-born girl who had been kidnapped and taken to live in the forest at the age of 2. When her kidnapper and teacher, Jerusza, dies, Yona begins a journey of self-discovery, adventure, and love that brings her face-to-face with the outside world, the plight of Jewish refugees, and even her Nazi father. Which world will she embrace: the glittering one Jerusza stole her from, one of isolation in the woods, or something new?
I simply could not put this book down and devoured every single page over the course of about 24 hours. From the very first page, Harmel weaves a complex, engaging, and truly exquisite coming of age story. Despite having read my fair share of WWII historical fiction, I've not read anything about the thousands of Jewish refugees who hid, mostly successfully, in the Polish forests until the end of the war. Not only is the plot itself fast paced and excellently researched, but Harmel's character development was masterful as well. This novel had everything I love in a great book: a fascinating historical setting, complicatedly believable characters, love, and adventure.
I received a free copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.
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