Today the Book it Sisters reviewed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
(Published February 2015, 448 pages)
Book it Sisters’ Grade
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.
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to 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.
Here is our report:
| Judy Bush | A | 'This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. I learned a lot about the French resistance, but also about sisters' relationships, and how complicated they are. The reading was beautiful, and the characters well crafted. I loved the journey! |
| Samantha Harrison | A | I loved how this book helped me understand more about what happened in France during the war. I loved that it brings out how people make different choices during similar pressure. |
| Mary Halsey | A | Delightful development of two sister's relationship. Great twist at the end. |
| Anna McDaniels | A | It was a beautifully written book with terrific character development. I loved the story of the two sisters. I learned a lot about how Parisians were effected during WWII. |
| Tricia Gadberry | A | A great read! The story really took me in, and I felt a kinship with the characters. The writing style was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! |
| Suzanne Rigby | A | I loved this book! I thought I was over WWII books, but this was such a fabulous plot that I was sucked in completely. I loved the sister's relationship and how it changed. The ending was completely wonderful and took me by surprise. |
| Cheryl Clowes | A | I enjoyed this book! It really drew me in and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I did not realize what the women had to go through, It was very eye opening. The story was riveting. |