Where the Forest Meets the Stars Audiobook By Glendy Vanderah cover art

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

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Where the Forest Meets the Stars

By: Glendy Vanderah
Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
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About this listen

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.

©2019 by Glendy Vanderah. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Family Life Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Romance Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Heartfelt Mystery Feel-Good Funny Tearjerking Mental Illness

Critic reviews

“A heartwarming, magical story about love, loss, and finding family where you least expect it. This touching novel will remind readers of a modern-day The Snow Child.” (Christopher Meades, award-winning author of Hanna Who Fell from the Sky)

“In Where the Forest Meets the Stars, Glendy Vanderah weaves a deft and poignant story with well-drawn characters, including clever Ursa. With an unexpected and heart-racing climax, readers will wait breathlessly to find out what happens. A beautiful story of love, resilience, and the power of second chances.” (Susie Orman Schnall, award-winning author of The Subway Girls)

“A powerful story of the way in which hearts are mended by love, compassion, and everyday miracles. Cleverly plotted and building to an intense crescendo in the final chapters, Where the Forest Meets the Stars is a beautiful and unforgettable debut.” (Julianne MacLean, USA Today best-selling author)

Editor's Pick

Real-life magic
"Where the Forest Meets the Stars is my favorite audiobook so far this year! As mesmerized as I became with this tale, you may be surprised to find out that there's no actual magic in this story. The whole thing is more tortuously real than fantastic. The magic is in connections forged between some very likable people. But before I give too much away, let's just say that it’s one of those stories that hooked me immediately, and kept me 100% invested through the bitter end (yes, there were tears). The characters will capture your heart—in large part due to Lauren Ezzo’s performance. My god, can she transition from adult to child with ease and skill. She will make you believe that eight-year-old Ursa is a very real little girl (and possibly a genius alien). Dare I say it's a near-perfect listen for fiction lovers? Yes, I do." —Tricia F., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Where the Forest Meets the Stars

Highly rated for:

Unique Premise Engaging Narrative Emotional Depth Imaginative Storytelling Expressive Voice Acting
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Performance
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

not Sci Fi but a sweet story

not sure why i thought i was getting a sci fi novel here but im a sucker for a romance anyway. well written, I thought. held my interest.

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45 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Super entertaining

I was immediately captured by the premise of the story, (no spoilers) the narration was good, kept the story flowing. The story was good (sometimes a little bit corny) and not tons of surprises, but I listened to the book straight through in two days. So Corny or not I was hooked.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

amazing story! I loved it! highly reccomended! wow, just wow! heartfelt and intriguing. excellent stunning

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely story with a happy ending

I liked the inclusion of issues such as family dysfunction, drug and physical abuse, depression, and how they were resolved through the eyes of a child and those who loved her
I wished there was more than one voice speaking for the,characters.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Remarkable book

Just a truly remarkable book about the human condition and the dilemma that occurs when doing the right thing is against the law.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful story. I highly recommend this book

Buy this book if you want to feel good about people and how love brings us together.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Sugary sweetness

The overall story line was great but the sugary sweetness of the one dimensional characters was at times annoying.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Started off intriguing but fizzled

It started off very intriguing you but it just didn't go in the direction I thought it would. It fell a little flat. The book also seemed a bit longer than that.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

distractions

I would have rated this higher, but the overuse of "she said" and "he said" was far too distracting. Note to the writer and editor: please eliminate 80% use of the word "said"!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Whole story is just dialogues

The book is all about dialogues among Joanna and Ursa and one our two persons. Story is not expandable and there’s not a climax that keeps readers stay. Characters are just stubborn and indeed not so deep.

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1 person found this helpful