The Nightingale
By Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended For: Ages 19+, history enthusiasts (specifically WWII) and those who love a heart-wrenching story full of drama and hope.

In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

 

France, 1939
In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another. 

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real–and deadly–consequences.

 

The Gist:
This book was almost life changing for me. It was a beautifully told story of such a sad and scary time. The book takes place right after the German occupation of France in WWII. It tells the vivid stories of two sisters and the horrific trials they went to. But what I saw most of in this book was the courage and hope in the midst of sadness and agony. Every character felt real, every heart break felt crushing and every victory felt awe-inspiring. The prose was gorgeous and Hannah did an excellent job of creating an atmosphere where I could not stop reading until I knew what happened to sisters Vianne and Isabelle.

 

What I Liked:
The characters of this book were some of the best developed characters I’ve ever read. I loved how each sister was so strikingly different in what they valued and how they reacted to the war, yet each showed incredible amounts of bravery. To me, it showed that courage comes in many forms and is inspiring no matter what it looks like. The struggles, both internal and external each character went through were well crafted and felt so realistic to me I could have been fooled into thinking I was hearing a first person account. Not only that, but there is so much growth in each of the characters. You get to see Vianne and Isabelle mature and learn and become almost new people (in a good way).

This story was very fast paced. Something was always happening, and I got irritated every time I had to stop reading it for something lame like work or sleep because I constantly had to know what happened next. I honestly can’t think of a single dull moment because from the beginning you get pulled into these characters’ lives and the world they survive in.

Hannah did an exquisite job with the detail in this book. Whether it’s the character’s emotions, actions or the events that happen around them, you feel a part of the story through her vivid descriptions and immersive prose.

Even though it’s technically fiction, The Nightingale truly does bring to light some of the horrors of WWII and how some of the brave women fought back against the Nazis in their own way. We get a glimpse of life with the unsung hero and grow a new appreciation for them.

The hope. When you have a book that is this sad and traumatizing in parts, it’s gotta be counterbalanced with hope, and The Nightingale has hope to spare. So many parts of this book were inspirational to me, so if you’re looking for a book that will incite a spark of hope and perseverance in you, this is your book.

 

What I Didn’t Like:
Nothing. Go read it.

 

LunasLuckyRating: 5/5 Lunas