The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah– 448 pages
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review: 4.5 stars
This was a breathtaking story of sisters, love, loss, war and resistance during the agonizing years of WW2. I can honestly say, I’ve only read a handful of Kristin Hannah books as she generally writes more women’s fiction (my lingo for good chick-lit). I do however read a lot of books that take place during WW2 or are about the Holocaust and I must say, she did a wonderful job of delving into the historical fiction genre. I also must commend this author for bringing to light the atrocities of the Holocaust to the mass-market reader in which she attracts. With Israel being on the news almost daily and the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world, it’s crucial to believe in acceptance and love rather than dissension and hate.
The two main characters in this book were a perfect foil for one another. They each were true to their inherent nature and although they lost much from the war, they both gained each other in the end. I loved the setting in Paris. Not many people are aware of the devastation both the city and people endured.
This is a powerful and wonderfully written novel and I believe it’s also the book that Kristin Hannah was meant to write.
Quotes I liked:
In love we find out who we want to be, in war we find out who we are.”
-“It is easy to disappear when no one is looking at you.”
-“Men tell stories. Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over.”
-“But love has to be stronger than hate, or there is no future for us.”
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Just finished this book. It was hard to put down and very well worth reading. Thank you for recommending it.
Glad you liked it Caren. I think Kristin Hannah did a great job at delving into Historical Fiction.