I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Published by St Martin's Press
Publication Date February 3rd 2015
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads
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 a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.
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 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. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.
Review
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah had languished on my kindle for two years. It mocked me each time I turned on the device to delve into something else. Finally, finally I got around to reading it.
The reason I dragged my feet was because after reading one of Kristin Hannah’s earlier novel, Winter Garden I was not impressed. The story was lacking, the characters never developed, in short, it was a hot mess.Fortunately, The Nightingale was the exact opposite.
The beginning was a bit slow. The characters took their time to introduce themselves and get to the meat of the story. Once our heroines were in place The Nightingale was difficult to put down. Isabelle and Vianne’s tireless efforts never gave me room to breath. I was spellbound.
Kristin Hannah’s novel is a story that is easy to get lost in. Isabelle and Vianne were strong female protagonists. Despite being sisters, they were vastly different in personalities as they each resisted politics that loomed ahead.
Isabelle was headstrong, and at times stubborn. Even though I found her frustrating I couldn’t help but admire her as she helped the innocent out of France Von Trapp Family style.
However, despite Isabelle having the title of “The Nightingale” I felt the Vianne was the unsung hero in the novel. Her work to save children from a vicious fate aboard a train, and her quick thinking to hide them in plain sight via a forged orphanage was nothing short of brilliant. Vianne went to great lengths to keep these jewish children safe and it goes without saying that she would do anything for her own.
Speaking of which, Vianne’s daughter Sophie was a heroic child growing up in a most difficult time. I felt that Sophie’s character was the most heartbreaking. The reader sees her grow up and reads how the war has changed her from a care-free youngster to a hardened teenager. She carries just as many secrets as her mother and bares them admirably.
Despite being spellbound, I was a little disappointed by the ending. It was a little too unbelievable. Sadly, I found Vianne and particularly Isabelle’s fate to be unsatisfactory and a bit of a let down. As a whole, The Nightingale was a fabulous read and would highly recommend it.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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