First, my immediate impression of this book is that it is weird. A toddler gets kidnapped from her wealthy parents by a woman who is 80+ years old, and then taken into the forest to learn the most basic survival skills. The woman, Jerusza, teaches her reading, math, science, and a bit of politics. Jerusza also changes the toddler's name from Inge to Yona-meaning dove, because of the dove shaped birthmark on her wrist. Jerusza has pre-sight into the world that is coming and teaches Yona what she must know to survive in the forest and what Yona must know to teach others the same survival skills.
Soon after Jerusza dies, Yona meets a very ill young girl and her family on the edge of the forest. She nurses the girl and her father back to health, but they refuse to allow her to take them deeper into the forest and lose their lives because of it. Yona does encounter more people who are escaping the Jewish ghettos in Poland and teaches them the skills they need to survive, up to and including building underground bunkers for the winter months.
Yona's experiences are confusing at best. She's been taught to live a solitary life, but gets thrown into a community of people who are trying to escape the evil in the world. She knows much of the healing arts with herbs and other plants, she knows how to forage for food and what forest plants are safe to eat. She knows when to move, and how to cover her tracks.
Kristin Harmel has put together a book that is based in fact with some creative license thrown in for good measure. It is a cohesive story, but the weirdness really threw me for a loop. I can't really put my finger on what makes it seem weird to me, it just is.
Three stars
Gallery Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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