The Forest of Vanishing Stars

A Novel

By: Kristin Harmel

Narrated by: Madeleine Maby, Kristin Harmel

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).

Critic reviews

"In this compelling coming-of-age story, narrator Madeleine Maby portrays the mysterious Jerusza in a wise and foreboding tone. The intuitive woman kidnaps Yona from Berlin just before her second birthday and raises her in the Naliboki Forest of Poland. Maby's depiction of Yona, initially brimming with curiosity and wonder, evolves to reflect the girl's growth into an increasingly self-assured young woman after Jerusza's death. As WWII approaches, Yona's purpose becomes clear: She is to help the Jews who are hiding in the forest. The author delivers a note on the historical underpinnings of this story at the end of the audiobook. Light, plaintive clarinet music introduces and ends the production."

Wonderful read

I feel it took a bit to get in to this one but once hooked couldn’t let it go… great read

Love this book

This book provides a different outlook for what happened to Jews that weren’t killed right away or sent to the camps. The reading is so vivid you see yourself in the midst of the forest.

Loved it

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Great perspective on a facet of WWII.

Good Read

Some parts were predictable and some far fetched. Overall, worth a listen if you enjoy WWII historical fiction.

Another World War II book? I loved it!

I absolutely loved this book - and didn’t expect to AT ALL! I get weary of WWII novels, in general, but this kept me sitting in my car to hear “just a little bit more”.

Then to hear how much research the author did and the actual groups were so much larger, is mind-boggling.