This novel was truly unique. It was a Historical Fiction novel with elements of Mysticism, Christianity, and Judaism. At first, I wasn't sure it was for me, but as I continued reading, I became quite enthralled. The story moved at a quick clip and was fairly compelling.
It was definitely not a typical WWII Historical Fiction novel. The uniqueness stemmed from the story of Yona who was stolen from her birth family as a toddler by a rather peculiar lady with psychic ability, who teaches her to rely solely on herself and the forest around her to survive. Many a time she hinted that Yona was destined for greater things. Yona's transition from utter isolation to a fully functioning community member was enchanting, but also somewhat implausible.
What was most intriguing to me was that this novel and its characters were inspired by true stories of individuals who survived in the wilderness just outside of Poland during the Nazi occupation. The lengths they went through to outsmart and outrun the Nazis was absolutely incredible.
The novel does quote scripture quite often. Although it is done in a tasteful manner, and worked well into the story, it wasn't what I was expecting from this author. Having read Harmel's last novel (and having absolutely adored it), I was not expecting this to be a spiritual novel with psalms and scripture quotations throughout๐คท♀️.
Overall, however, it was quite an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Read 6/22/21
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