The Forest of Vanishing Stars

 

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. 

February Reads

 Fiction: 

• News of the World by Paulette Jiles 
• 3 Stars 
• The plot was fascinating, but the ending was abrupt and the writing difficult to follow. 
• I don't say this often, but just wait for the movie to come out.  With Tom Hanks in the lead, my guess is that it'll be better than the book. 
• Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn 
• 4 Stars 
• Ok, I keep saying that I won't read any more Bridgeton books, but then I do.  I just keep getting so involved with the characters and HAVE to know what happens! I'm trying to quit. 
• The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel 
• 4 Stars 
• This. Story. Was. Awesome.  
• The writing seemed a bit clunky to me, but I otherwise loved it. 
• Lakeshire Park by Meagan Walker 
• 4 Stars 
• This was a lovely little Regency Romance that gave my brain a little break.  
• The Address by Fiona Davis 
• 5 Stars 
• This was, by far, the best of Davis's books so far.  Definitely worth the read!  
• My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kaye 
• 5 Stars 
• At about 800 pages, this book isn't for casual reading!  That said, it was excellent.  I had so much fun comparing it to the play.  
• Fair as a Star by Mimi Matthews 
• 4 Stars 
• I read this while on vacation a few weeks ago, and it was another fun, clean, and light Regency Romance from Matthews. 
• The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis 
• 4 Stars 
• The Address is easily Davis's best, but this one and Chelsea Girls are also thoroughly enjoyable.  If you like history with a bit of mystery and drama, Fiona Davis is excellent.  
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 
• 3 Stars 
• This one was definitely outside my typical reading, but the Hubby had checked it out and since it's something of a cult classic, I decided to give it a try. 
• While the writing was extremely witty and I appreciated the dry, British humor, I had a difficult time "getting in" to the story.  The characters are caricatures and the whole story was satirical.  Again, I appreciated the genius, but it wasn't my cup of tea.   

Nonfiction: 

• Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 
• 4 Stars 
• This was a fascinating memoir that really helped me understand our current political climate.  There's a chapter that almost eerily foretells the rise of Donald Trump and the reasons he is so beloved by such a large portion of the country.  This wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a pleasurable read, but it was an important one.