The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel (2021)

 I know what you’re going to say - yet another book about World War II. Inspired by incredible true stories of survival against the odds, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a thoroughly researched fictional accounting of a group of Jews hiding from the Nazis in the forests of Poland.

Yona is just two years old (1922) when Jerusza takes her from her wealthy German parents’ home and raises her in the forest, teaching her everything she will need to know to keep herself alive while avoiding civilization. When Jerusza passes away in 1941, Yona is totally alone until she comes across a small group of fleeing Jews. Yona, who knows nothing of the outside world or even how to interact with other people, knows she possesses the knowledge to keep the group alive. It is through her interactions with the group that Yona learns to open her heart to others.

When Yona is betrayed by one of the group members and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change all their lives.

The author’s previous book, The Book of Lost Names (see review on this blog), is also available on the library shelves.

4.36 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon