Date: 1 February 2026
Location: John & Marion
Eleven Bookers attended this month’s meeting, and seven of us actually read the book Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah.
This was a pleasant surprise for most of us, and I think we all enjoyed the book very much. It was a fairly quick read with lots of unexpected plot twists.
The book centers around Jo, a cancer survivor who had just lost her mother, and who was researching the nesting habits of indigo buntings. Her research – and life – was upset by the appearance of Ursa, a strange and incredibly bright child who claimed to be an alien from the stars. As Jo wrestled with what to do with Ursa, she sought help from a reclusive neighbor Gabe.
We learn a great deal about the lives and troubles of the major characters as Jo and Gabe try to figure out who/what Ursa really was. As we proceeded through the book, we all felt that maybe we were reading a work of science fiction, but the plot changed and the story became more realistic and sinister.
Without giving anything away, we can simply say that the book had a reasonably happy ending – not a Hallmark ending – but a satisfying one.
— Bob