The Forest of Vanishing Stars

 

“The Forest of Vanishing Stars” by Kristin Harmel

Published by Gallery Books

Finished 7/16/21 – 5/5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this story!  It begins with a toddler being taken from her bed in Germany to then be raised in the forest with the old Jewish woman who took her.  As a young adult, she finds herself alone when World War II begins and the Jews start hiding in her forest.  But they don’t know how to shelter and eat year-round while living a hidden life so she must teach them if they are to survive.  Obviously, the German soldiers are going to make appearances throughout the story but the main focus is the “family” and their struggles to survive so not really a war story.  Religion also plays a role in the storyline but more in a thought provoking way, not pinning one against the other.

This story is completely fictional but inspired by true events of those that survived the Holocaust by hiding in the wilderness.  The Bielski family is mentioned within the book which took me back to another 5 star non-fiction book that I read awhile back – “The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and saved 1,200 Jews”.  The author even interviewed one of the Bielski men while researching for this book.  I highly recommend both books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this wonderful book.