Sunday, 3 October 2021

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

 
 


Having read reviews by Melissa of Chick Lit Central and Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews, I decided to give this unusual sounding book a go.  I enjoyed another book by the author -  The Book Of Lost Names.

 

The setting is during the Nazi occupation of Poland.  The heroine Yona, is a young woman stolen by an old woman from her German parents and raised in the forest.  As a result she is wise.  When she comes across fugitive Jewish families in the forest she starts to help them.

 

The story is both upsetting and uplifting.  Elements of it are not easy to believe in – but then the whole way in which Jews were hunted crosses those credibility bounds. 

 

“In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things,” says one of the men Yona meets in the forest. “In moments like this, it doesn’t matter what you were born to be. It matters what you choose to become.”

 

Do read it.

3 comments:

  1. I am glad I helped you decide to read this heart wrenching, but fabulous read.

    Enjoy your Sunday and new week, Carole.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds intriging and I will add it to my Goodreads list!

    ReplyDelete

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