‘Where the Forest Meets the Stars’ Makes Us Believe in Miracles [REVIEW]

When the changeling appears mysteriously out of the woods, she changes two people’s lives forever. (Photo by Lee Render, Flickr)

A scientist content to study birds in rural Illinois. A quiet loner who sells eggs on the roadside. A little girl who appears one night with a fantastic story to tell. Where did she come from? What will they do with her? And how will she change their lives? Find out in Glendy Vanderah’s exquisite debut novel, Where the Forest Meets the Stars. 

Lake Union

Following her mother’s death and her own battle with breast cancer, Jo Teale spends long, arduous hours studying the nesting success in indigo buntings as she works toward her PhD. One night when she returns to her cabin to prepare a meal over an open fire, an enigmatic young girl slips out of the woods and into her life: barefoot, dirty, covered in bruises and wearing only her pajamas.

The child proceeds to tell Jo an unbelievable tale about her origins, that she is from the distant planet Hetrayeh in the Pinwheel Galaxy and is here to study Earth and mankind. She calls herself Ursa and claims that she is borrowing the body she’s in from an unknown dead girl. She can only return to her planet once she witnesses five miracles.

Uncertain what the girl’s “real story” is, Jo lets the captivating child stay with her… at least until she can figure out what to do with her. At a loss and looking for someone who may be able to identify who Ursa truly is, Jo asks her neighbor, Gabriel Nash, the reclusive roadside egg peddler, to stop by and see if he recognizes her. But upon meeting Ursa, Gabe says he has never seen her before either.

The more time the trio spends together, they closer they become, and yet the mystery surrounding Ursa only grows as she displays astounding intelligence, and a knack for making good things happen whenever she is around. As the summer begins to fade and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, Jo and Gabe have touch choices to make. But when the child’s past catches up to them, painful come to light and what future shall befall them is anyone’s guess.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars is one of those rare novels that captivates readers from the opening scene and refuses to let go. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Berg’s Joy School and The Story of Arthur Truluv, this is a novel that enchants with its innocence and buoyant spirit, yet simultaneously elevates with its subtle power and imaginative examination of the world we inhabit.

Vanderah’s characters shine, and we quickly come to care about each of them as their stories gradually unfold, revealing glimpses of their resilience and the strength it takes to hope in times of darkness. More than anything, these vibrant characters renew our faith in humanity and make us take a new look at the world and the ordinary miracles we tend to overlook every day.

We are delighted to introduce Where the Forest Meets the Stars as our latest diamond reviewed book. It is a novel we are sure you’ll want to share with the special people in your life, and one that is sure to secure Glendy Vanderah a place on the bestseller lists and in the hearts and minds of readers the world over. Enjoy!

Glendy Vanderah
(Photo by Ashley Nicole Johnson Photography)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Glendy Vanderah worked as an endangered bird specialist in Illinois before she became a writer.

Originally from Chicago, she now lives in rural Florida with her husband and as many birds, butterflies, and wildflowers as she can lure to her land.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars is her debut novel. Connect with Glendy via her website and follow her on Instagram.

WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE STARS
By Glendy Vanderah
332 pp. Lake Union. $24.95

Purchase Where the Forest Meets the Stars at one of these fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound and Powell’s.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.