Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
Joanna Teale returns to her graduate studies on nesting birds in rural Illinois after losing her mother and overcoming breast cancer, determined to show that her recent adversity has not broken her. Her isolated routine is interrupted when a mystery child who arrives at her hut barefoot and covered in bruises causes her to stop working from dusk till dawn.
The young woman, who goes by the name Ursa, says she was sent by the stars to see five miracles. Jo reluctantly decides to let Ursa stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past—out of worry for the child’s home life.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
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Jo asks her reclusive next-door neighbour, Gabriel Nash, for assistance in unravelling the mystery surrounding the endearing child. But as they spend more time together, they start to wonder more. How can a young girl read and comprehend Shakespeare? Why does nice stuff keep happening while she’s around? And why don’t Jo and Gabe any longer visit the webpage for the missing kids?
Even though the three have a remarkable bond, they are aware that tough decisions must be made. As the summer draws to a close and Ursa approaches her fifth miracle, her perilous past draws closer. All of their traumatic secrets will be forced into the open when it eventually catches up to them, and their futures will be left to the stars.
A mysterious youngster teaches two strangers how to love and trust once more in this breathtaking debut.
Field scientist Joanna Teale is spending the summer pursuing her graduate studies with a focus on the nesting behaviours of birds in a professor’s cottage on the marshes of southern Illinois. But this ornithologist is only one of three damaged individuals. Joanna is one day contacted by a very strange 9-year-old girl who claims to be an alien and has just emerged from the woods. She goes by the name “Ursa,” and she is from the pinwheel galaxy. She reveals she has taken over a deceased girl’s body and is on earth to see five miracles. Joanna Teale acts in a way that any sensible person would. She makes a police call.
But it doesn’t operate like that. It nearly seems like Where the Forest Meets the Stars is a tale. It’s also a thorough character study that subsequently turns into a suspenseful thriller. I’m in it for the character work, personally. The egg man’s cat, Gabe, is a fascinating creature. He is yet another damaged individual with a problematic upbringing who struggles with depression, social anxiety, and agoraphobia. And I adore his interactions with Ursa. It’s interesting to see how Gabe and Joanna are connected; despite both being cautious and hurt, they do share some traits. What irritates me is Joanna’s approach to Gabe’s severe fears. She acts in a manner that would be analogous to saying, “Shake it off, rub some dirt on it.” And it is not good.
