When the Forest Meets the Stars
By Glendy Vanderah
Blurb
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.
Our Review
When the Forest Meets the Stars is a unique gem of a book. I waited and waited to read it because I had only heard good things and I didn’t want to be disappointed.
Jo Teale has recently returned to the field after the devastating loss of her mother and her own fight with cancer. She is studying the nesting habits of birds in rural Illinois. Jo throws herself into her work and tries to keep her mind off the last few harrowing years.
Then a young girl shows up from the woods barefoot and covered in bruises. Ursa looks to be about 8 or 9 but refuses to tell Jo her real name or where she lives. She claims to be an alien sent to earth to witness five miracles.
Jo knows she should try to find the girl’s parents, so she enlists the help of her sullen neighbour Gabe to help find the girl’s family. The more time the two spend with the girl though the less they can all bear to think about where she came from.
When Ursa’s past comes calling they will all be hurt by the fallout.
“I can’t go back yet. I have to stay on earth until I’ve seen five miracles. It’s part of our training when we reach a certain age – kind of like school.”
The relationship between Ursa and Jo and Ursa and Gabe was heart-warming, and I didn’t want the book to ever end.
I hate anything to do with space and aliens, it just doesn’t interest me, but this was a mesmerising book. I loved and it and read it in a single day.
When the Forest Meets the Stars was a magical book and I loved it. It frequently moved me to tears. Highly recommended reading.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 12 Times.
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