The Nightingale: A Novel

Kristin Hannah has written a significant novel concerning the German occupation of the town of Carriveau in France during WWII. Kristin highlights the lives of Vianne Mauriac (who twice had German officers billeted at her home; one a somewhat gentleman, the other a nightmare) and her rebellious younger sister, Isabelle, who eventually joins the French Resistance and acquires the code name...The Nightingale. With Kristin holding the number of main characters to about six people, she created great empathy for all involved. This novel was the most sentimental and tragic story that I’ve read in along time. Of course all books or novels involving the German occupation are sad, but this novel is noteworthy. I recently read Tilar J. Mazzeo’s The Hotel on Place Vendome (see my review of 5/4/2014) and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See (see my review of 12/30/2014). Although these novels were very engaging, they didn’t leave me with the woebegone feeling that I had when I finished Kristin Hannah’s novel. Great job, Kristin. Okay, enough...what’s the story about? In 1939 France, war is in the air. Vianne, her husband Antoine and daughter Sophie enjoy life in the country until Antoine gets notice from the Vichy government headed by Marshal Phillippe Petain (WWI hero) that he is in the army now. Vianne can’t believe that the Germans will invade France, but they do. Marshall Petain, for some undefined reason, gives in quickly. Meanwhile, Vianne’s sister is expelled from school again. Isabelle became rebellious after her and Vianne’s mother died and as their father lost interest in them and began to drink heavily. Isabelle leaves her father and Paris to move in with Vianne. On her way to Carriveau, the Germans drop bombs and Isabelle meets Gaetan, a French Resistor who thinks she is too young to fight. Isabelle arrives at Vianne’s home the same time the Germans arrive in town. They are in the “occupied zone”, while the surrendering Marshall Petain is in the German friendly “free zone”. A German Captain Beck decides to billet at the sister’s home. He tells Vianne that her husband Antoine is a POW and she will never see him again. Isabelle is defiant to Capt. Beck, while Vianne wants no trouble in the house in order to protect her daughter Sophie. Isabelle meets French Communist Resistor, Henri Navarre, who talks her into secretly distributing “mutinous flyers” from Gen. de Gaulle, who is operating out of London. Vianne, a local teacher, is asked by Capt. Beck to list the names of the teachers at her school who are Jews, Communist, Homosexuals, Freemasons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Not wanting trouble, Vianne gives him the names including the name of her best friend and neighbor, Rachel, who is a Jew. She regrets giving Rachel’s name to Captain Beck, but realizes that he would have found out anyway, which would have caused her family grief. Isabelle heads to Paris to get involved in the French Resistance and moves in with her father who objects. On page 161, “she had delivered her first secret message for the Free French.” Isabelle is now using the name, Juliette Gervaise and her contact is a weird woman named Anouk. When Isabelle finds a downed RAF pilot, her modus operandi is born. This is where the story ignites all the way to the finish line. There is so much sadness in the ensuing pages, but also a feeling of satisfaction as the French underground continues to befuddle the Germans. There is so much to tell the readers, that I wish this was a book report instead of a book review. But the good thing is that the readers can now go out and get themselves a copy of Kristin Hannah’s scintillating novel to read over and over again. This is the best novel that I’ve read this year, but we still have almost three months left this year. As Vianne might say, “nous verrons.” (we shall see)

Heartbreaking, powerful, and beautifully written, it tells the story of two sisters in Nazi-occupied France and the different, courageous ways they fight to survive and resist. The emotional depth is incredible — I laughed, cried, and had to stop more than once just to process what I was feeling. The characters are unforgettable, especially the strength of the women at the center of the story. Kristin Hannah does an amazing job showing love, sacrifice, and resilience during one of the darkest periods in history. This is a must-read if you love historical fiction that hits you straight in the heart. Absolutely deserving of five stars. 💔📚

‘In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.’ Wow… what a completely epic and powerful story this book was! This is a book that is subtle in its brilliance, it’s one of those books that gets even better the more you sit and think about it. I’m still kind of in awe as I sit here and reflect back on the sheer magnitude of everything that happened over the course of this book. This isn’t the type of book I typically read but I’ve heard so many people talking about it and with nearly 14,000 5-star reviews, how could I not check it out? I’m very glad I did because it was such a moving experience and it really makes you reflect on your own life and certainly will make you thankful for the freedoms we enjoy each day. It wasn’t over the top or gratuitous but it was a very real and honest portrait of life for women in France during WWII and the journey of two sisters as they set out on two very different paths towards survival and freedom in this horrific era. The story centers around two sisters, Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossingol. Vianne, the older and more responsible of the two is living a peaceful and happy life with her husband and daughter in the French countryside. At the threat of impending war, her life is upended when her husband, Antoine, is sent off the fight for France. As Germany begins to occupy France, Vianne is forced to learn how to survive in these new times and protect her young daughter, Sophie. Meanwhile, Isabelle, the younger more rebellious sister has spent much of her childhood being bounced from one boarding school to the next. After the death of their mother when she was just 4, Isabelle has been largely abandoned by her sister and their father. Neither one knowing how to handle the rambunctious girl. As the war starts, Isabelle is not content to sit back and watch as her beloved city of Paris is overtaken by the enemy. Longing to make a difference in the war, Isabelle makes some shocking choices that will forever alter the trajectory of her life. “Tell my sister I asked about her. We parted badly.” He smiled. “I am constantly arguing with my brother, even in war. In the end, we’re brothers.” Vianne and Isabelle’s war-time experience was vastly different, but I was fascinated and inspired by each. Their situations and choices, combined with their tumultuous history, was the source of much conflict between the two. But I loved that when push came to shove, they were still sisters and that’s a bond that is pretty hard to break. I loved seeing how their paths would intersect over the course of the book, even when it was heartbreaking. As I read, I found myself waiting for the time when they would cross paths again. Their relationship was so complicated and well written, I was 100% invested in each of their journeys as well as the evolution of their relationship with each other. “Kiss me,” she whispered. “Make me forget.” “It’s not forgetting we need, Vianne,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. “It’s remembering.” I found myself relating with Vianne on many levels. I can’t imagine having to live what she lived through, but I could picture myself making some of the same decisions she did. She was cautious and was one to try to fly under the radar in order to not draw attention to herself or her daughter. She did what she had to in order to survive but she wasn’t one to take unnecessary risks. There were few exceptions to this rule as time goes on, however, and I was so proud of some of the things she was able to do. Of course my heart also broke time and again for the things she had to endure or do. She was certainly a hero in her own right for the part she played in the war, and I think she deserved just as much recognition as her sister. And both of them deserved as much recognition as the men on the front lines. I was fascinated by all of the complicated relationship dynamics at play with her and the various men in her life, from Antoine, to Beck to her father and Von Richter. It was all so well done, I know I’m not doing any of it justice here! “I hope you never know how fragile you are, Isabelle.” “I’m not fragile,” she said. The smile he gave her was barely one at all. “We are all fragile, Isabelle. It’s the thing we learn in war.” We may all be fragile, but Isabelle did not let that stop her or hold her back from setting out to make a difference in the war! She was a fighter and pretty fearless. Many of her decisions gave me anxiety but I also had huge respect for her for all that did was doing and the risks she took to try to free her country. She may have been impulsive and reckless a lot of the time but her passion and love for her country radiated from the pages of the book, I could feel it in my soul. Her relationship with Gaetan was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time. It really captures the risks of giving your heart to someone in a time of war. As I said, her journey was very different from her sister’s but her experiences were equally (if not more) horrific as her sister’s. But it was her strength and her will to survive that captured my heart and inspired me throughout the entire story! I struggled with how I was going to review this book, and I know that I haven’t done a great job of capturing the depth and impact of this book. It’s really one that you have to experience for yourself. It’s painful and heartbreaking at times but it’s also inspiring and uplifting. While this is a work of fiction, it’s hard to think that people actually had to live through this during the actual war. I can’t even imagine, but like I said earlier, it’ll definitely make you thankful for the lives we have now. This book deals with loss, hardships and personal and human atrocities but it’s in the message of survival and redemption where it truly shines. I loved how it all comes together at the end, it’ll really hit you right in the heart! It was just perfectly done. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a story with an epic feel that features very real relationships and celebrates the strength and resiliency of the seldom talked about heroes of the war, the women! “It’s hard to forget,” she said quietly. “And I’ll never forgive.” “But love has to be stronger than hate, or there is no future for us.”

Eins der schönsten bucher die ich jemals gelesen habe. Kann es nur jedem empfehlen. Sehr berührend.

Beautiful!! I got so invested in the story and characters that made me weep!! I really enjoyed and recommend this book!

The ending truly got me and now I'm craving for another book. 10/10, don't read the end in a public space, tears will flow.

A brilliant read, even had me crying at the realistic rendering of the war story.

Uma ótima história sobre a II Guerra Mundial.