Kristin Harmel is a University of Florida graduate in Journalism. She is a New York Times Bestselling, and USA Today Bestselling Author. Harmel started writing when she was still in school. Her career began as a sports writer for a magazine. She then started reporting for the People magazine and others as well as contributed to The Daily Buzz. Born in Newton, Massachusetts she grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has spent time in Ohio, L.A., and Paris before settling down in Orlando Florida with her husband and son. Her debut novel came out in 2006 and The Forest of Vanishing Stars came out in 2021. Her novels ‘The Winemaker’s Wife’ and ‘The Book of Lost Names’ are highly applauded in reader’s circles.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars
In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things…in moments like this it doesn’t matter what you were born to be. It matters what you choose to become.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a superbly researched, meticulously written, and unforgettably inspiring World War novel. Like many other World War II novels, this also is a survival story of Jews trying to escape the ghettos. But this one stands out in the crowd of historical fiction books, mainly because of the unique plot and survival tactics, the coming of age perspective of a brainwashed child, and the poignancy with which the story unfolds. It is filled with thought provoking, tender and yet intense quotes, some of which stand out of the book in a way that they leave an imprint on the reader’s hearts:
“People should always help others in need; there was no other way for the human race to survive.”
Isn’t that true? Human race would have never pulled it through if they did not stand for each other when they started out, if they did not look out for each other in times of need, to hunt, in sickness, in seeking shelter, in moving in packs, or in building societies through to this day.
“Do not be afraid to ask your questions. But you must always be sure your heart is open to hear the answers.”
It is not easy to ask questions. Agreed. But once that is behind us, is it always easy to be ready for the answers your heart seeks, knowing that it may not be to our liking at all? However difficult it may be, even if a question deep dives into your heart and soul, it is best to be all open eyes and ears to muster the courage to behold them. Sound advice.
“The universe is always in balance, she said – summer and winter, day and night, sustenance and poison, good and evil. To know the light, you must also know the darkness.”
True, yin and yang work together to make the circle of life complete. Respect it !
“For when you love, you stand to lose so much. But I think you stand to lose far more when your heart is closed. That is no life.”
An open heart can make miracles happen. It helps you gather abundance of love when you may have to deal with loss. Put your trust in it. Choose love. Choose Kind.
“But the forest knew no difference when it came to race, religion, or gender; it smiled and frowned upon all of them in equal measure,”
Nature has no reason to differentiate. It is neither good nor bad, neither knowing nor unknowing, neither happy nor sad. Nature just IS. Like a spectator of the cosmos. Forest just knows to live, to just be itself, impartial to who you are or are not. You don’t exist as far as it is concerned. You feel good when you take a walk in the forest, but the forest doesn’t care. It just exists.
“Lives are circles spinning across the world, and when they’re meant to intersect again, they do. There’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Its a small world even though we may debate that it is massive, which it is. Why, you ask. We live one life, we go around the world, living our individual lives, not knowing what is in store for us up ahead. But fate has all set in its plan. It chooses to make us bump into each other or revisit places and nothing, I mean nothing can stop it or change its course. Is it possible that we are caught unaware because we are unable to see it coming. Its like a hidden agenda and we have an unknowing yet active part in it. We are like puppets. We dance to the tunes we don’t know exist.
“I’m broken, too. But sometimes it’s the jagged edges that allow us to fit together. Sometimes it’s the breaks that make us strong.”
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle… and every piece must align itself to make it work. Its not broken, its just uneven for a reason. Find the reason, fit the pieces, and what you have will be so strong that no wind can blow it away. Kristin knows how to make her readers savor this evocative story. Brokenness is within every one of us. We just need to know how to deal with it.
“And you’re not broken, Yona. It’s the cracks in us that make us who we are, and you… you are stronger than anyone I have ever met, I think.”
This particular quote from The Forest of Vanishing Stars reminds me of the ancient Japanese practice of embracing imperfection called Kintsugi. We all have crack lines in our souls, some deeper than others. But truly they are what makes us all unique. They are meant to make us stronger, bolder, braver compelling us to just keep going on, no matter the odds. Just like the golden paint on broken tea cups in the art of Kintsugi, we have to paint our cracks and crevices with the golden hue of our souls and help heal the broken hearts.
I had heard and read a lot of reviews about Kristin Harmel’s works. When I picked The Forest of Vanishing Stars, I was not aware of the intensity with which this wonderful novel will hit me. I am glad I did not mistake it for another world war novel. This is different. You will see. You should read it.
The Spell Bound 