Book The Nightingale Synopsis
I didn't even question how or why they got to Oregon because the book is about two sisters and how each of them took different ways to survive the I didn't even question how or why they got to Oregon because the book is about two sisters and how each of them took different ways to survive the horrors of war. We can guess and guess but I didn't care how they ended up there.
The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Arden, Katherine. The Bear and the Nightingale. Del Rey, an imprint of Random House. New York, NY. First edition. The narrative spans a period of almost two decades in the life and maturation of Vasya, the daughter of an.
I cared that they were strong, value driven, brave women and we need to have more characters like them come alive to inspire us. I've been told by so many people that I need to read this book. It gets so much hype that I thought there was absolutely NO way it would live up to it.
But it did more than that. It surpassed it.My favourite books is a pretty exclusive list and it usually takes me a while to decide whether a book fits that list or not but this was an instant favourite.
I absolutely adored it. Even just thinking about it now I am fighting back tears because this was such a beautiful and vivid story.
I felt like I've been told by so many people that I need to read this book. It gets so much hype that I thought there was absolutely NO way it would live up to it. But it did more than that. It surpassed it.My favourite books is a pretty exclusive list and it usually takes me a while to decide whether a book fits that list or not but this was an instant favourite.
I absolutely adored it. Even just thinking about it now I am fighting back tears because this was such a beautiful and vivid story. I felt like I was with these characters through all of their terrible experiences and I just wanted to shelter them from it all. The women in particular, the sisters, were absolutely inspirational.
They showed incredible strength in this terrible time and I loved seeing how women contributed to the war. This was just a story that really resonated with me. It has a special place in my heart for it was truly, beautiful.If you like WWII historical fiction, or even if you don't, I encourage you to try this book out. I know I'm going to be encouraging basically everyone I know to read it.
So many 4 & 5 star reviews here, but I'm afraid I just thought this WWII historical novel was okay. There are so many novels about this time period and I didn't think this one rose above the heap. The last one to do that for me was Kate Atkinson's Life After Life and this just can't even compare to that or to David Gillham's City of Women.There's some nice detail about the home front in France, which I have read less about than the English home front.
And there are some exciting scenes featu So many 4 & 5 star reviews here, but I'm afraid I just thought this WWII historical novel was okay. There are so many novels about this time period and I didn't think this one rose above the heap. The last one to do that for me was Kate Atkinson's Life After Life and this just can't even compare to that or to David Gillham's City of Women.There's some nice detail about the home front in France, which I have read less about than the English home front. And there are some exciting scenes featuring the French resistance's efforts to get downed pilots out of France.
But there are also some small but annoying anachronisms (antibiotics were not really available until after the war; Germans didn't put up signs saying people would be put in 'concentration camps'). Everything seemed very predictable: a hiding place in the barn is introduced; you just know it's going to figure in hiding Jews later. A kind Nazi is featured, as well as a sadistic one. And the last quarter of the book races through torture and concentration camps and death marches in a way I found tedious and unenlightening.
With which force will you wage war in the far future? Total war warhammer space marines.
Then there is what is supposed to be a twist at the end, but I felt like I saw it coming.So if you really, really love WWII historicals this might be worth your time, but I've read better from Kristin Hannah and much better about WWII. ::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED::: 5 STARS!!:::HOLY WOW!!! This book was absolutely epic! A sweeping, breathtaking journey that captivated me from the first page with the strength and beauty of the writing.
Truly an unforgettable story!The Nightingale has a 4.8/5 rating average on Amazon (which is HUGE!!) and what that basically means is that practically everyone who is reading it is loving it. And I'm now adding my own 5 STAR rating to that list because this book owned my heart. The ending was so::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED::: 5 STARS!!:::HOLY WOW!!! This book was absolutely epic! A sweeping, breathtaking journey that captivated me from the first page with the strength and beauty of the writing. Truly an unforgettable story!The Nightingale has a 4.8/5 rating average on Amazon (which is HUGE!!) and what that basically means is that practically everyone who is reading it is loving it. And I'm now adding my own 5 STAR rating to that list because this book owned my heart.
The ending was so powerful that I read the last 10 pages with tears pouring down my face and days after finishing my read, I still can't stop thinking about it.I will say upfront though that this book was a little different than the kinds I usually read and review though because it wasn't solely focused on a love story, even though there were two love stories within it.While men endure great hardship during war, it affects everyone. This is the often-unspoken story of women's war.
Mothers, daughter, sisters, wives. This is the story of their strength, endurance, sacrifice, and courage during the darkest part of their lives. So many of them didn't just wait for their men to return but took many grave risks to save as many other lives as they could.We begin the story in 1995 with an old woman towards the end of her life, moving out of her house into a retirement home.
Without much of a future ahead of her, she begins to look backward at her past, taking us with her through her life story beginning in France 1939, right before the war changed her peaceful life.The flash back segments of the book are largely focused on two sisters: the older Vianne, the rule follower, and the younger Isabelle, the rebel. Vianne's idealic life in the countryside with her husband, Antoine, who she'd been in love with since she was fourteen and their young daughter, Sophie, was changed when he was to be mobilized and called to duty to fight in WW2. The postman became a soldier overnight, and the man she loved was sent to the front, leaving her behind not knowing what the future would bring.He stood up slowly and took her in his arms. She wanted to bottle how safe she felt in this moment, so she could drink of it later when loneliness and fear left her parched.“I love you,” he said against her lips.“I love you, too,” she said but the words that always seemed so big felt small now. What was love when put up against war.Months into her husband's deployment, with no word still from him and with their already-dire situation getting worse and worse after France surrendered to Germany, Vianne and Sophie's lives are once again changed when a young German officer requisitions their home, making it his own. Faced with one hardship after another, they both do everything they can to survive, and pray for Antoine's safe return.“You needn’t worry, Madame,” he said.
“We have been admonished to act as gentlemen. My mother would demand the same, and, in truth, she scares me more than my general.” It was such an ordinary remark that Vianne was taken aback.She had no idea how to respond to this stranger who dressed like the enemy and looked like a young man she might have met at churchHe remained where he was, a respectful distance from her. “I apologize for any inconvenience, Madame.”'My husband will be home soon.”“We all hope to be home soon.”Miles away, Vianne's younger sister Isabelle attends a sort of finishing school for French woman and hates every single moment of it. Her outspoken and rebellious nature unwilling to bow to their rules.
When the war comes though, she makes her way through the wilderness to Paris.Her beloved city was like a once-beautiful courtesan grown old and thin, weary, abandoned by her lovers. In less than a year, this magnificent city had been stripped of its essence by the endless clatter of German jackboots on the streets and disfigured by swastikas that flew from every monument.Refusing to accept France's surrender, and despite her sister's pleading to stay quiet and safe, she follows her heart and meets a young man named Gaetan. She falls in love with him and his belief that the French can fight the Nazis from within France. But when things take an unexpected turn, she decides to take matters into her own hands, regardless of what anyone tells her she can't do, and joins an underground group, The Resistance, that risks their lives to make a difference and help save as many others as they can.On this cool October morning, her life would change.
From the morning she boarded this train she would no longer be the girl in the bookshopFrom now on, she was Juliette Gervaise, code name the Nightingale.You know that feeling when a book is so absorbing that you just want to cancel all your plans so you can keep reading it. And even when you can't read it, you're thinking about it? Yeah, that was me with this book! Once I started reading, I could barely put it down until I'd reached the last page.As the past and present storylines began to entwine, these shivers ran down me as certain reveals were brought into the light.
Real shivers. Tears would spring to my eyes with even the simplest of things - but ones that had such a hugely powerful impact on the story. A letter from Paris. Tears.“Please Just say strong and be there for me when the time comes for me to leave this cage Because of you, I can survive. I hope that you can find strength in me, too, V. That because of me, you will find a way to be strong.Hold my daughter tightly tonight, and tell her that somewhere far away, her papa is thinking of her. And tell her I will return.I love you.”This book is honest in portraying the events that occurred to these characters, but not overly graphic.
It doesn't need to be. The things that happen, and they way they are told are so powerful that you FEEL them. There are some scenes though that are hard to read because they are quite painful and I'll warn that there may be triggers for some people, but then again, this is a story that takes place during a brutal war. There's everything you can expect from such a story - brutal firefights, prison camps, beatings, near starvation, sacrifice.
But there is also hope, resilience, survival. As I neared the end of the book, during the last few pages, tears began to pour down my face. It was achingly beautiful.Many of you will be wondering if there is a happy ending. I don't want to give things away, but I want you to know that I was completely okay with this ending. It's naturally not all sunshine and roses, how can it be with such a setting? But my gut feeling tells me that even hard-core romance fans will still love this book.
I was moved to tears several times, but in many ways my heart was healed.“I love you, Antoine Mariac, and I expect you to come home to me.”Kristin Hannah's writing is some of the best I've ever read. It's extraordinarily vivid and evocative. This was my first book by her and I felt like I was right there with these characters - not only were their emotions so strongly conveyed, but the picture of their surroundings came to life before my eyes.I have searched for years without luck for a book that could even come close to comparing to my all-time favorite book, The Bronze Horseman.
This book however, is the closest I’ve ever come to one that captured a similar feeling. The story is vastly different — while The Bronze Horseman completely revolved around one love story that was the driving force behind the entire trilogy, The Nightingale was focused on two sisters and their experiences surviving the war - while the sisters each had their own love stories, it was their personal journeys that this book was focused on.
I also found TBH to generally be more emotional than TN. So, it’s not of course a direct parallel. But I will say that if you’re a fan of TBH and if, like me, you’ve been searching for years for a similar book, then you absolutely must read this.This was honestly one of the most powerful stories I've read. It will stay in my heart, I know this for a fact.
More than anything, what I take away from it is gratitude. Gratitude for every single freedom and luxury that I know so many of us naturally take for granted.
They are precious. This book reminded me of that.Rating: 5 STARS!! Standalone novel.For those of you who want to know who lives and who dies. Antoine survives the war and returns home to his beloved wife Vianne and daughter Sophie - who both also made it.
They rebuild their family and eventually begin a new life together in America (although you do not see this in detail, it is implied). Isabelle's rebellious nature and choice to risk her life to save others eventually gets her caught (towards the end of the book). She is beaten almost to death and thrown into a camp. She survives this only barely.
When the war is over, she returns home and is reunited with her love, Gaetan. She dies in his arms without regrets for the choices that led her there. The ending of the book is a hugely emotional reunion in 1995 for the survivors of the war.
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:✦✦✦✦. I'm not sure what I can say about this book that hasn't already been said, but the quality and sheer excellence to this story blew my mind. I'm not typically a fan of historical fiction, which is likely why I've avoided it for so long, but once this was described to me as 'historical fiction light' I felt it was safe to take a gamble on it. When we decided for this to be the Suspenseful Clues and Thrilling Reviews September book choice, I was nervous because WHAT IF I HATED THIS BELOVED BOOK?!C I'm not sure what I can say about this book that hasn't already been said, but the quality and sheer excellence to this story blew my mind. I'm not typically a fan of historical fiction, which is likely why I've avoided it for so long, but once this was described to me as 'historical fiction light' I felt it was safe to take a gamble on it. When we decided for this to be the Suspenseful Clues and Thrilling Reviews September book choice, I was nervous because WHAT IF I HATED THIS BELOVED BOOK?!Clearly this is a WWII saga, but at heart I felt this was a variety of love stories. Sure there was romance, but I'm talking the love for a people, the love for a country, and the love for fighting for all that is good and right.
It'll be awhile before I can pick up another emotional read because I don't know how I'll recover from this one! Please, even if (like me) you steer clear of historical fiction and love stories, do yourself a favor and pick this up. ❤️.Feel free to join in our discussion via the link below! For me this was a fusion of sub-literary chick lit and WWII fiction in that it was too cliche and melodramatic much of the time. I thought the female perspective of occupied France and the tales of the resistance as well as the opposing sisters' perspectives were generally good ideas but the whole thing lacked in the execution.The tone of the book doesn't feel authentic to the time period and there are numerous unbelievable incidents and interactions. The historical facts are covered but the atm For me this was a fusion of sub-literary chick lit and WWII fiction in that it was too cliche and melodramatic much of the time.
I thought the female perspective of occupied France and the tales of the resistance as well as the opposing sisters' perspectives were generally good ideas but the whole thing lacked in the execution.The tone of the book doesn't feel authentic to the time period and there are numerous unbelievable incidents and interactions. The historical facts are covered but the atmosphere and characters feel too modern.
There are just too many dialogue and behavioral anachronisms. It's as if the the history had been researched only superficially and the rest filled in by the author's imagination with caricatures and stereotypes.Sorry but I think Hannah's fans deserve better. I don't even know where to start this review.
I am typing it through teary eyes, so I will keep it simple. (Insert tissues here)My pick for Vianne when this becomes a movie is Naomi Watts or Kate Winslet and for Isabella is Julianne Hough or Amanda Seyfried. Let's see if Hollywood takes my suggestion!This WW2 novel was so beautifully written. This war was a time of bitter hatred and in this story Kristin Hannah brings to life love, survival, bitterness, strength, and persistence.Vianne and Isab I don't even know where to start this review. I am typing it through teary eyes, so I will keep it simple. (Insert tissues here)My pick for Vianne when this becomes a movie is Naomi Watts or Kate Winslet and for Isabella is Julianne Hough or Amanda Seyfried. Let's see if Hollywood takes my suggestion!This WW2 novel was so beautifully written.
This war was a time of bitter hatred and in this story Kristin Hannah brings to life love, survival, bitterness, strength, and persistence.Vianne and Isabelle are the most outstanding characters I've ever read. It would be an honor to know them if they were real. I have so much more I could add but I will not because it would take so much of my review.This is a story that will make you cry and have hope in believing that if you keep stepping forward and never looking back you will make it.I highly recommend this book. It's absolutely wonderful and a gorgeous story. I will cherish it always as it is now one of my top 3 favorites:)I'm looking forward to this movie becoming a film. I will be there opening night:) in the front row!!! 4.5 to 5 stars - This is a very complete book.
I hope that makes sense when I say it. I was satisfied with the entire experience.Emotional and at times nerve-wracking.
Love and hope mixed with fear and suffering. Hard choices that are unavoidable, easy choices that come with great risk. This book is a historical fiction roller coaster ride.Even if you are not into historical fiction or WWII, I think this is worth checking out. Also, I would highly recommend it to those who enjoyed 4.5 to 5 stars - This is a very complete book.
I hope that makes sense when I say it. I was satisfied with the entire experience.Emotional and at times nerve-wracking.
Love and hope mixed with fear and suffering. Hard choices that are unavoidable, easy choices that come with great risk. This book is a historical fiction roller coaster ride.Even if you are not into historical fiction or WWII, I think this is worth checking out. Also, I would highly recommend it to those who enjoyed and/or. This book wrecked me. Let me say that again, It WRECKED me.
I have never cried so hard while reading a book. It was beyond amazing, beyond moving and it’s a story I will never forget.🇫🇷 📖I’m sure you’ve heard of this book. It’s been hyped ever since it came out & will amazing reason. I’ve stayed away from it because of the hype & because I’m not the biggest fan of historical fiction but I was so glad to be proved wrong on both accounts.📖🌌This is a book that will grip you from the minute This book wrecked me. Let me say that again, It WRECKED me.
I have never cried so hard while reading a book. It was beyond amazing, beyond moving and it’s a story I will never forget.🇫🇷 📖I’m sure you’ve heard of this book. It’s been hyped ever since it came out & will amazing reason. I’ve stayed away from it because of the hype & because I’m not the biggest fan of historical fiction but I was so glad to be proved wrong on both accounts.📖🌌This is a book that will grip you from the minute you start it and will not let you go. It makes you feel for every single character and it shows you the journey of 2 sisters who live in France when WWII begins.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it; this book is brutal. It shows you the horrors of war, the scary, horrible things that happen.
These 2 sisters went through the worst things possible. 🏙🇫🇷Suffice to say I loved this book. It’s by far my favorite book of the year ( and if I’m honest I don’t think anything will top it.) and it will be a favorite for life. If your hesitant to pick it up please don’t. It will change your life, it will make you sob, but it will make you hope and make you fall in love.SERIOUSLY READ IT RIGHT NOW!I probably won’t ever shut up about this book, sorry in advance.🌌Just kidding I’m not sorry, it’s amazing and everyone should read it. Kristin Hannah is a pro in the chick-lit genre, and I applaud her efforts to break into historical fiction with The Nightingale. Unfortunately, I cannot say that I loved the result.When I read historical fiction in a war setting, I expect a certain rawness that just wasn't delivered here.
Yes, she included historically accurate descriptions of carnage, but the tone was destroyed with a barrage of trite elements.The two main characters happen to be beautiful, irresistible, young sisters with da Kristin Hannah is a pro in the chick-lit genre, and I applaud her efforts to break into historical fiction with The Nightingale. Unfortunately, I cannot say that I loved the result.When I read historical fiction in a war setting, I expect a certain rawness that just wasn't delivered here. Yes, she included historically accurate descriptions of carnage, but the tone was destroyed with a barrage of trite elements.The two main characters happen to be beautiful, irresistible, young sisters with daddy issues. Isabelle is a rebellious, virgin brat who engages in her first act of passion with a handsome, bad-boyish, older guy who doesn't seem to notice that they are both starving, injured, stinking to high hell, covered in blood, and stuck outside after running for days from enemy planes and bullets.Vianne, the older sister, is equally beautiful and naive, but also disgustingly helpless, fragile and unable to think for herself. I daydreamed of slapping her several times.Character development allowed for some improvement in the women, so they weren't totally unlikable throughout the book. However, they never felt real.
They felt like Hollywood characters: The perfect actresses who play the roles of average people.I think I threw up in my mouth a bit with the addition of a strikingly handsome, kind Nazi acting as some type of Prince Charming on his time off from beating and killing people. Between the lines I read: 'Oh yes, Mr. Nazi, you're irresistible, let's enjoy forbidden moments and fall in love, and hope the reader actually enjoys this bullsh!t.' My complaints aside, I didn't rate this book too poorly because there were good parts. The Nightingale offers historically accurate details, moments of intrigue, and even some glimpses of true female strength. It simply lacked a consistent, believable tone. The unnaturalness and many nuances constantly jarred me away from the WWII setting.
I liked the end most of all, so I suggest finishing the book if you start it.My recommendation: If you're a big chick-lit fan, this book may be for you. On the other hand, if you prefer literary fiction or just want to read a great war novel, look elsewhere.
Its quite silly how i almost always go into a historical fiction book thinking, “why am i reading this? History is sooo boring.”but then i read books like this. Books that remind me there are beautiful, heartbreaking, and important stories that make me a better person for reading them.and its difficult to write a review about story set during such a dark period in time, but this book truly is a must read for everyone. This is the kind of story that will stay with you long after you ha its quite silly how i almost always go into a historical fiction book thinking, “why am i reading this? History is sooo boring.”but then i read books like this.
Books that remind me there are beautiful, heartbreaking, and important stories that make me a better person for reading them.and its difficult to write a review about story set during such a dark period in time, but this book truly is a must read for everyone. This is the kind of story that will stay with you long after you have read the final page.↠ 4.5 stars. A moving, strong and inspiring tale of survival, love, and female heroism during World War II.Memoir and historical fictions are genres that I rarely visit. However, ever since last year after I finished reading the inspiring memoir by Yeonmi Park, I decided to at least read one book that revolves around war or its kind to remind myself to always be grateful. For that, The Nightingale is my pick of the year, and it ended up being one I will remember.“If I have learned anything in this long lif A moving, strong and inspiring tale of survival, love, and female heroism during World War II.Memoir and historical fictions are genres that I rarely visit. However, ever since last year after I finished reading the inspiring memoir by Yeonmi Park, I decided to at least read one book that revolves around war or its kind to remind myself to always be grateful.
For that, The Nightingale is my pick of the year, and it ended up being one I will remember.“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”This line was taken right from the very first page and it encompassed the kind of story you’re getting into here. The plot in The Nightingale follows the tale of two sisters—Vianne and Isabelle—with opposite personality, trying to survive in their own way during World War II.
Let’s get real here, World War II is one of the most adapted war stories of our time. It’s been more than sixty years since it ended and all kind of entertainment media never stopped telling and reminding us of its darkness and horror. However, do they always succeed? Some did, some didn’t. Some stories such as The Schindler’s List and The Book Thief excelled in capturing the tragedy, but some other stories like Call of Duty video game franchise lean more towards “badass people killing people” that ended up changing the conception of World War II as “cool stories”.
Crying in the library.This book is an ode to women.Women.Our spirits.“He loves a version of me that is incomplete. I always thought it was what I wanted: to be loved and admired. Now I think perhaps I'd like to be known.”We all know suffering and have experienced different degrees of it. But, I don’t think there’s any suffering that compares to the suffering of war.And this is not to downplay other painful and, possibly, equally horrendous experiences. But as I’m looking into this book as Crying in the library.This book is an ode to women.Women.Our spirits.“He loves a version of me that is incomplete.
I always thought it was what I wanted: to be loved and admired. Now I think perhaps I'd like to be known.”We all know suffering and have experienced different degrees of it. But, I don’t think there’s any suffering that compares to the suffering of war.And this is not to downplay other painful and, possibly, equally horrendous experiences. But as I’m looking into this book as a reader, I came to know of a pain that would utterly destroy me if I was in this situation, though war shapes you in a way that’s never predictable.Kristin Hannah captured this story so well, painted it’s history so visibly in my head and heart, that it feels alive.
I’m blown away.I can't wait for the movie adaptation.——————————Buddy-readingYou ready to sob?:D. “Some stories don’t have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.”I know what a beloved book this is in the community.
Recently, I did a about the highest rated books on my TBR and The Nightingale was number one with a 4.55 average star rating, with 414,290 Ratings and 44,440 Reviews. Like, those are some powerful stats. But basically, after writing up that post, I knew that I had to read this beloved book and find out my thoughts on it.This is a heartbreak“Some stories don’t have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.”I know what a beloved book this is in the community. Recently, I did a about the highest rated books on my TBR and The Nightingale was number one with a 4.55 average star rating, with 414,290 Ratings and 44,440 Reviews.
Like, those are some powerful stats. But basically, after writing up that post, I knew that I had to read this beloved book and find out my thoughts on it.This is a heartbreaking, historical fiction, WWII story that stars two sisters living in France, when the Germans take over in 1939. But we get to see present day glimpses from 1995, that star an older woman thinking about her life and all the harrowing events that she was forced to live through before immigrating to The United States. But it really develops this complex guessing game where you are not sure which sister is this present day narrator.“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”➽ Vianne - Living in a small town in Carriveau with her daughter and husband, while grieving that she might not be able to have another child. But that fear and sadness take a backseat when her husband is forced to go to war.➽ Isabelle - Living in Paris with her father, since she has gotten kicked out of every finishing school that she’s attended. Their father has always been distant from them, but once the Nazis begin to control Paris, he sends Isabelle away to Vianne’s.And these sisters are so very different in every way.
Where Vianne only wants to protect her family, Isabelle wants to fight the Nazis from within France itself. And I’ll be honest, I feel like Isabelle makes sense to be my favorite sister, but her constant recklessness would put Vianne and her daughter, Sophie, in danger all throughout the book. And it only made me crave Vianne’s chapters and dread Isabelle’s.This was a five star read until Beck’s storyline. No spoilers, but for me Beck was truly the shining light in this book, which I feel awful typing because he was a Nazi. Lord, forgive me.
But his storyline really showed how.normal. people have to suffer the wars that powerful and greedy men create, and how nationalism can be terrifying. I don’t know, I just actually hated how his storyline ended and I didn’t care about this book near as much after it. I couldn’t put this down, I was completely captivated, I couldn’t wait to see what came next! And then the most pointless, stupid, and anticlimactic thing in the world happened and I just didn’t care any longer. And the more time and distance I put between myself and this story, the more I get irritated. (Please don’t think I’m a horrible person.)Overall, this was a haunting but beautiful book about family and the things we are willing to sacrifice in the name of the ones we love.
And how family will always be the people that we choose, not necessarily the blood that runs through our veins. I completely understand why this is such a beloved book in the book community, but maybe it was just a little too hyped for me.
Also, my loss of connection really made the ending not as emotional for me, therefore I don’t think that impacted me as much as many other readers, too. But I still really loved most of this story and I can’t wait to read! Content and trigger warnings for war, loss of a loved one, loss of a child, abandonment, miscarrying, violence, gore, death, anti-Semitism, talk of suicide, cancer, slavery, labor camps, sexual assault, rape, and abuse. This is a very dark book at times, so please use caution before reading.Buddy read with at & at! In love we find out who we want to be.In war we find out who we are.It's Paris 1939 and the Germans occupy parts of France.
The Nightingale Book Synopsis
It is a brutal time. A horrible time. A time of loss. It is also a time when ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things.“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Isabelle. Paris is overrun. The Nazis control the city. What is an eighteen-year-old girl to do about all of that?”Yes, what can be done?
Many books on war focus on the part that men play, the battles, In love we find out who we want to be.In war we find out who we are.It's Paris 1939 and the Germans occupy parts of France. It is a brutal time.
A horrible time. A time of loss.
It is also a time when ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things.“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Isabelle. Paris is overrun.
The Nazis control the city. What is an eighteen-year-old girl to do about all of that?”Yes, what can be done? Many books on war focus on the part that men play, the battles, the war strategies.
This book focuses on the wives, the Mothers, the Daughters, the women left behind and the struggles they face. The main characters in this book are two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle. Vianne is a married Mother is who left behind to care for her daughter when her husband goes off to war. Isabelle is a rebelious 18 year old seeking to find purpose in life. They are polar opposites of each other.
Years and distance separate them but both in their own way fight to stay alive, to keep others alive and to be free.Vianne is forced to take a German Commander into her home for lodging as her husband is being kept in a Nazi prison. Isablee, meets a young partisan who believes that the French people can wage war against the Nazi's from within France. This book shows us how the Nazis took over France and ruled using fear and manipulation. How they turned neighbor against neighbor.Both female characters in this book are sympathetic.
Both take huge risks to protect and save the lives of ed others. This is a Woman's war and both endear the unthinkable, both found their own way of fighting back against evil.
Both women's point of view are told in this novel. Time travels back and forth between the present day and the past. This novel has heart and soul. It has depth. It has well developed characters who make us proud, who break our hearts and who make us cry. I read the final chapters through tears. This book will break your heart but isn't that what war does?
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. In this book, the women are the heroes.Sad?
Yes, this book is sad. But it also shows triumph of the human spirit. It shows us that no matter what, good can and will exist in the world.
In the end Good will triumph over evil but at a cost. This book is also beautifully written, heartfelt, moving, heartbreaking, and informative.Highly recommend.See more of my reviews at. “In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”This is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.
I think most people would agree, the best kind of books are those that evoke strong emotions and make you feel. Among my favorites are books that made me think about life, fall in love or ripped me to pieces and left me in tears. THE NIGHTINGALE managed to do all of those things.I’ve always had a fascination with World War II stories and with anything taking “In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”This is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.
I think most people would agree, the best kind of books are those that evoke strong emotions and make you feel. Among my favorites are books that made me think about life, fall in love or ripped me to pieces and left me in tears. THE NIGHTINGALE managed to do all of those things.I’ve always had a fascination with World War II stories and with anything taking place during this time period, you have to be prepared for a tragic story. Even though this book was beyond sad, I’m not exaggerating when I say I broke down, it was beautifully written and utterly captivating.The Nightingale is a story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, from France, who find themselves in the midst of the Nazi invasion and the struggles of war. With an alternating perspective, tells two very different stories through the sister's eyes.
Two different perspectives that made me ponder what I would have done in their situations. Would I fight against the horror or sit back and follow the rules instead?Vianne, the oldest sister, lives in rural France with her husband and young daughter. When she gets the news that her husband's been called up to fight against the Germans, she’s terrified. She convinces herself the best thing to do, for her and her daughter’s survival, is to keep her head down and follow the rules. Surely, everything will go back to normal when Antoine returns.Isabelle, the younger sister, has always felt alone and unloved. After her mother died, she was abandoned by her father and shipped off to a boarding school by Vianne and Antoine.
She’s become a risk taker and rule breaker, which won’t allow her to sit back and do nothing while the Nazi’s take everything and destroy France.Amongst all the darkness, devastation and loss, there were some bright spots. The biggest being Gaetan. It destroyed me that Isabelle finally found someone that truly understood her and shared her passion. Someone that she desperately wanted to love, but the circumstances made it impossible for them to even try and make a go of it.
Ever the optimist, I found myself hoping against all hope that they could find a way to make it work. Where there's a will there's a way, right?“If we weren’t here - hiding in a safe house - if the world weren’t ripping itself apart, if this was just an ordinary world, would you want there to be an us, Gaetan?”Vianne and Isabelle's story destroyed me. I don’t think that I've ever found myself sobbing the way I did at the end of this book.
It was both the best and worst ending imaginable. This by far is my favorite book this year or maybe ever. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a spectacular piece of historical fiction. Not only does she explore an often-ignored aspect of World War II, she does so by using characters that are deeply flawed but for whom readers soon become highly empathetic. Her careful attention to detail along with a gorgeous turn of phrase creates a gut-wrenching story that haunts readers long after the last sentence. In other words, this is exactly what a historical novel should do.While both sisters were incredi The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a spectacular piece of historical fiction. Not only does she explore an often-ignored aspect of World War II, she does so by using characters that are deeply flawed but for whom readers soon become highly empathetic.
Her careful attention to detail along with a gorgeous turn of phrase creates a gut-wrenching story that haunts readers long after the last sentence. In other words, this is exactly what a historical novel should do.While both sisters were incredibly well-written characters, Isabelle was my favourite because she had me the most worried I’ve ever been for a character in a novel. At times my heart broke for her, and I have no words to explain the courage she displayed. The action and the tension had my anxiety sky high.
That’s not to say my heart wasn’t with Vianne too, because it was, it just took me longer to warm to her character – read this novel for yourself and you’ll see there’s no way you cannot fall in love with both women.This is a story of survival, rebellion, and redemption that recreates the time, place and horrors. Kristin Hannah does ultimately deliver a big emotional moment at the end when the story is wrapped up and the identity of the surviving sister revealed. 3.5 StarsI read this now (rather than maybe sometime in the future) because a goodreads friend (thank you, Jennifer!) mentioned in her recent review that they were making a movie out of this book.I enjoyed this, but it would be inaccurate for me to say I loved it.
I just never really believed in the characters, I never felt they were authentic or “real.” As a result, all of Isabel’s behavior and actions felt created for the purpose of manipulation, and I never really could shake that feeling fo 3.5 StarsI read this now (rather than maybe sometime in the future) because a goodreads friend (thank you, Jennifer!) mentioned in her recent review that they were making a movie out of this book.I enjoyed this, but it would be inaccurate for me to say I loved it. I just never really believed in the characters, I never felt they were authentic or “real.” As a result, all of Isabel’s behavior and actions felt created for the purpose of manipulation, and I never really could shake that feeling for long enough to allow myself to believe in this story. Vienne was much the same, but is more of a background character.Yes, there are moments and parts of this book that felt more genuine than others, and it isn’t that I felt any scenes were impossible or inaccurate. This isn’t a history book, and I wasn’t concerned with historical accuracy as much as it just didn’t work for me as well as it did for others.
It felt a bit like a YA version of something like Nancy Drew. Good enough, but not great, not “All the Light We Cannot See.”For me, where this story really shines is toward the end of the book.The real history haunts us, we read about it, hear stories about it, and we try to push it to the back of our minds, if momentarily, enough so we can go through our days, do the shopping, mow the lawn, go to work. I was moved by reading this, but you can’t help but be moved with even the mention of those days, the horrors, man’s inhumanity to man never gets to the point where one will say “oh, that again.” I’m glad that this reaches an audience, for me, that is enough. MY BLOG:I finished this book in tears. I'm not sure there are many that haven't done the same.
What is there left for me to say that I'm sure so many people have already said about this book. It made me mad, made me sad, made me cry, made me happy.The things these two sisters went through during this horrible time is unbelievable. I know this is a work of fiction but the truth is there in things that have happened. More atrocities than are in this book. But, I'm ta MY BLOG:I finished this book in tears. I'm not sure there are many that haven't done the same.
What is there left for me to say that I'm sure so many people have already said about this book. It made me mad, made me sad, made me cry, made me happy.The things these two sisters went through during this horrible time is unbelievable. I know this is a work of fiction but the truth is there in things that have happened.
More atrocities than are in this book. But, I'm talking about THIS book.All of these people they talk about in this book trying to survive. They are starving, they are killed, they are destroyed. But there are a few brave souls willing to risk their lives to help as many as they can.To me, this book is about struggle, compassion you didn't know you could have, broken hearts and lives. All of these things for some sadistic idiot. I can never understand the things people do to other people, they still do!The story of Vianne and her sister Isabelle is something that gets inside of your heart and makes you route for them and for all they do.
Your on the edge of your seat through a lot of it!I'm just at a loss for words at how much this book touched my heart. I recommend it to anyone who also has a heart.I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and my book group for a copy of this wonderful book. Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year.
Additionally, it was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and Th Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. Additionally, it was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.Kristin's highly anticipated new release, The Great Alone, will be published on February 6, 2018 (St. Martin's Press). The novel, an epic love story and intimate family drama set in Alaska in the turbulent 1970's is a daring, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival and the wildness that lives in both nature and man.
It has been listed as one of the most anticipated novels of the year by The Seattle Times, Bustle.com, PopSugar, Working Mother, Southern Living, and Goodreads.The Nightingale is currently in production at Tri Star, with award-winning director Michelle MacLaren set to direct. Home Front was optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated The Help) with Chris Columbus attached to write, produce, and direct. Movie news on The Great Alone is coming soon.