Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

by Glendy Vanderah

An Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post bestseller, and a Goodreads Choice Award finalist.

In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again.

After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past.

Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.

Reviewed by Marissa Lupe Author on

4 of 5 stars

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"Where the Forest Meets the Stars" by @glendyvanderah is lead by main character Joanna Teale, who goes by Jo. But the true driving force of this story, is mysterious young Ursa.. who claims to have come from the stars. The way she grabs at your heart and intertwines the people she meets; is both intriguing and magical. The setting and how the characters are unwrapped one piece at a time, layers throughout to create a beautiful nest of story by the end with heart at the center.

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  • 29 March, 2023: Reviewed