The Forest of the Vanishing Stars

This WWII Historical Fiction story, inspired by real events, follows a young woman named Yona who was stolen as a toddler, raised apart from society, and educated in various subjects by her captor to allow her to survive in the forests during the Nazi occupation of Poland. 

The premise has lots of potential, the cover is stunning, and it is clearly well-researched. But the story fell flat for me in plot and character depth and required me to suspend disbelief well outside my comfort zone. The story starts with an unexpected, whimsical feel that includes Yona's abduction at the age of two by a mysterious 80+ year old woman who managed to scale a home, steal a toddler and the live with the child in the woods for another two decades. Okay, so it's a bit of a fantastical start. 

I appreciate that Harmel tried something different by adding this magical realism element, but it is only briefly and vaguely described and except for mentions of Yona's gut feelings/Spidey Sense, it felt ignored. The story focuses on Yona's day-to-day survival which got a bit tedious but allowed readers to see Yona's mad survival skills - hunt, forage, build tools, whip up a herbal remedy and know how to go unnoticed in the forest. That's a lot for a 20-year-old who learned everything from a few books and her captor - a woman who doesn't like her and has unexplained foresight which she's somehow passed on to Yona. Clearly, readers will have to suspend disbelief about Yona's abilities, her vivid memories from her toddlerhood and how adept she is at socializing even though she spent her life away from all but one person.

I feel like I'm poo-pooing this book, but I did like the larger story arc about a woman doing what she could to help Jews escaping the war. The strength of this book is in its themes of friendship, family and building our own sense of home and belonging. I also learned new things about WWII - specifically the cool bunker-like, rudimentary dwellings that some people used. And while not my personal preference, readers who enjoy religion in their books should like the scripture quotes within the story. 

I had hoped to enjoy this book more. I appreciated that Harmel tried something a bit different, but I was left with too many unanswered questions and a less suspenseful story that often felt more Bear Grylls than Historical Fiction. Inspiring but not quite believable, this slower paced, character focused story gives readers a unique perspective of WWII with some grittier elements, but generally keeps readers outside the major atrocities of the war. Readers will find the author's note at the end helpful in explaining some of the plot points.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Kristin Harmel

Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Gallery Books

First Published: July 6, 2021

Opening Lines: 1922 - The old woman watched from 

the shadows outside Behaimstrasse 72, waiting 

for the lights inside to blink out.

Book Description from GoodReads: The New York Times bestselling author of the 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.