The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was such an emotional, captivating story. This goes between two different perspectives: first person from the present day and third person from the past in France during German occupation in the WWII era. It tells the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, and how they fight the war at home in roles that fit their personalities. Vianne is one who follows the law and doesn't take a lot of risks, but she makes choices to keep herself and her daughter alive as they wait for her husband to come home from war. Isabelle, however, is more reckless and wants to find her purpose, so she dedicates herself to the Resistance and fighting to remove the Germans out of control of France.
I felt like this book paralleled parts of my sister's and I's relationship. I'm more like Vianne, which makes sense since I am the older sister, and my sister is much more like Isabelle. While this obviously isn't the same circumstances, I really appreciated the enduring power of sisterly love and what it can do.
I also feel like this novel shows just how much power women have in general as well. There aren't many stories about what women did or how they served their countries in WWII because of how it largely went unnoticed. The research of this book was incredibly well done, and I really liked how it felt like I was transported to 1940s France. The emotion and struggle of Vianne, Isabelle, and their friends and family came off the page, making this 400-page book feel like it wasn't long enough.
WWII historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, so this book was definitely in my wheelhouse. This was my first Kristin Hannah book, and I'm excited to eventually read more of her work in the future. It was also super exciting to read this with Reese's Book Club in real time!
Have you read The Nightingale? I'd love to start a conversation in the comments!
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