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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Nightingale

Author: Kristin Hannah

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II

First Publication: 2015

Language:  English

Major Characters: Vianne (Rossignol) Mauriac, Isabelle Rossignol, Julien Rossignol, Wolfgang Beck, Sturmbannführer Von Richter, Gaëtan Dubois, Rachel de Champlain, Sophie Mauriac, Ariel (Ari) de Champlain, Antoine Mauriac

Theme: The changing nature of love in wartime; ways of expressing (or failing to express) love; loyalty; gender inequality and cultural expectations; complicity with evil; the humanity of enemies; what makes a life worth living

Setting: Carriveau, France; Paris, France; Oregon, USA; various French towns; Spain; Germany

Narrator:  Third Person from  Vianne’s and Isabelle’s point of view

Book Summary: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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.

Book Review - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a historical fiction, set in German-occupied France during WWII . Spanning the years of the war, this riveting story follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, as they struggle to survive and persevere through the Nazi invasion. Their parallel stories are as different as their personalities, but are just as suspenseful, complicated, and emotional. As the reader, you get to see the war that was taking place on the home front from each sister’s unique vantage point. It is a heart wrenching, beautiful and tragic story.

As the older sister, Vianne feels responsible for keeping her younger sister, Isabelle, safe. When the occupation begins, Isabelle is sent to stay with Vianne in the country, being cast out of Paris by her father. Vianne’s husband, Antoine, has been called to report to the Army, leaving Vianne and their young daughter, Sophie, behind. As the Germans invade Paris, Isabelle begins the trek to her sister’s home, witnessing the atrocities committed by the invading troops firsthand.

“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.”

By the time that Isabelle arrives on Vianne’s doorstep, she is determined to join the resistance and make a difference. Young and impulsive, Vianne is certain that her younger sister will get herself, if not all of them, killed. Their relationship is tenuous, at best, and Vianne struggles to get through to her strong-minded sibling.

Vianne is naive, having not witnessed the actions of the invading Nazis, as her sister had. She believes that if they keep their heads down and don’t draw attention to themselves, they’ll be okay. She follows the rules and tries to reign in Isabelle’s defiant behaviors before it is too late.

However, as time passes and the occupation grows increasingly difficult, the sisters go their separate ways. Each of them sets out on a different course, trying to survive the best way they know how. Despite the distance between them, each sister ends up fighting the Nazi invasion in different ways. The bold and daring Isabelle actively assists allied airmen in their escapes, while the mild-mannered Vianne begins helping hide away Jewish children.

“Men tell stories. Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over.”

While there was romance in The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, it took a back stage to the war story. However, this gripping story held my attention from start to finish. This is a beautifully written, inspiring story. I loved every minute of it!

Although The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is considered fiction, it is firmly planted in well-researched truth. Isabelle’s character is based on the late Andrée de Jongh (1916-2007) , an amazing woman who repeatedly risked her life helping British and American servicemen escape on foot from Nazi-occupied Belgium and France.

Sadly, Andrée de Jongh is only one of the many quiet heroes that our future generations will likely never know if not for inspired authors like Kristin Hannah.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah offers a story of women surviving in unthinkable circumstances – the underestimated gender finding a way to take action. It shows readers that at times protectiveness requires dangerous risks, fear often proceeds acts of bravery, and those who may appear weak can indeed possess incredible strength. I didn’t want this book to end because it’s not just about the ravages of war, it’s also about love, life, and rebellious courage.

“Some stories don’t have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.”

These women, who had everything (and everyone) to lose, put it all on the line to help others. I have been spared from the direct horrors of war, but I asked the same question that Ms. Hannah herself asked in an interview about her book,  “I found myself consumed with a single, overwhelming question, as relevant today as it was seventy years ago: When would I, as a wife and mother, risk my life — and more important, my child’s life — to save a stranger? ”

Most of us wouldn’t. But which is worst: The fear of the risk or the fear of letting children grow up in a world where good people do nothing to stop evil?

The author’s writing skills are powerful as she captures the heart-breaking devastation that the Nazis inflicted onto their community. It was so hard to read about the Jewish women and children rounded up and deported. With a high dose of adrenaline, fear, and courage and told beautifully and respectful, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a must read for anyone who likes Historical fiction books.

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BookBrowse Reviews The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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  • Historical Fiction
  • 1940s & '50s
  • Generational Sagas
  • Dealing with Loss
  • Adult-YA Crossover Fiction
  • Jewish Authors
  • Strong Women
  • War Related
  • Top 20 Best Books of 2015

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review of the book nightingale

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The Nightingale captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war.

Winner of the 2015 BookBrowse Fiction Award BookBrowse readers were challenged and moved by Kristin Hannah's unique World War II novel, The Nightingale . Each and every one of our member reviewers rated it 4 or a 5 stars. What makes the story of two sisters in Occupied France so different from other World War II novels? Why did our reviewers feel so connected to it? Kristin Hannah has reached a new level with this strong and enduring cast of characters and themes. I would challenge anyone to read The Nightingale and not feel deeply moved by its message. I felt proud of these women, struggling to survive in times of war and wondered what I would do to save my family, my freedoms and all that I hold dear. Beyond that question looms another: "Do I have that deep core of bravery so desperately needed in the darkest of hours?" Relevant today and always, this story will stay with me a long time. It has my strongest recommendation (Virginia W). The Nightingale is easily the best book I have read in a very long time. I became a woman in occupied France and steeled myself as each new horrible circumstance confronted me (Nancy L). This is a story of love and sacrifice during the horror of the German occupation of France. It is a story of love - particular of family - and how sad and beautiful it can be (Marjorie W). This is a very special book! (Cam G) Our readers felt that Kristin Hannah's focus on women during World War II was unique: The Nightingale is about two sisters who lived in France during World War II, and weaves back and forth through time, with most of the emphasis in the '40s during the war. I have read many World War II books but few that place special emphasis on the heroism and courage of women fighting the war in their own ways (Colleen L). Kristin Hannah is known for her contemporary fiction so I was blown away by this meticulously researched work of historical fiction set in France during WWII. It speaks to the strengths of women who were willing to put their lives on the line because it was the right thing to do (Lisa G). Hold the phone, cancel appointments and have some tissues handy for a well-researched novel of the very disturbing years of Nazi occupied France. It is not only about the occupation, but about the brave women who risked their lives and lives of their families to save strangers (Kathy G). And her take on the Holocaust novel genre is unique as well: I was skeptical that The Nightingale was yet another novel about the Holocaust, but do yourself a favor and read this one. The characters are so richly developed that the reader can't help but keep turning the pages! (Diane D) A wonderfully told story, totally engaging - and the saddest part is that even if it is fiction, we know too well the awful truth of what happened, and that the author has embedded that truth in this novel (Arden A). Hannah was particularly good at introducing lesser known historical events from World War II: the exodus from Paris, the Vichy collaboration with the Nazi's, the betrayal of the Parisians by the French Police, the events at the Velodrome d'Hiver (see " beyond the book "), retaliation against French resistance, and the dangers of the Pyrenees escape routes (Sherilyn R). Our readers found the story to be relevant to today: In these days of beheadings and innocents caught up in war zones, this is an essential book to read. Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale transcends the pages of historical fiction and poses the question, "When evil is everywhere around you, what would you do?" (Gwen C) A well-written book that helps us remember this period of history and all the extremes people went through. It is important to remember the contributions of the women of that time. Reflecting on my life makes me realize how much I have taken for granted (Sandra C). A thank you to Kristin Hannah for this awesome book written not a moment too soon - as so few people who will recognize the truth in it are left. May this story keep their experiences alive even longer. Memories matter. Love lasts. We remain. What a brilliant message (Lesley F). And they wholeheartedly recommend The Nightingale : I would heartily recommend this novel to anyone who loves historical fiction. It is well-researched and presents a solid look at the French Resistance (Colleen L). I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and to others who enjoy a book that promises to captivate! (Frances B) I have read many books about World War II - fiction and non-fiction - but never anything like this. The sense of place, the relationships between the women, their children and the German soldiers in the town make this a story you will remember for a long time. I recommend it for a different perspective on the toll of war (Eve A). I recommend The Nightingale if you like sister stories, France, romance and history (Barbara Z). Everyone – everyone – needs to read this book, to get into the parts of the characters, and try to feel just an iota of what they felt during this time in their lives (Annie P).

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The Nightingale: A Novel

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Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale: A Novel Paperback – April 25, 2017

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A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.

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 World War II 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.

Goodreads Best Historical Novel of the Year • People's Choice Favorite Fiction Winner • #1 Indie Next Selection • A Buzzfeed and The Week Best Book of the Year

Praise for The Nightingale:

"Haunting, action-packed, and compelling." ―Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Absolutely riveting!...Read this book." ―Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of the University of Miami Holocaust Teacher Institute

"Beautifully written and richly evocative." ―Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A hauntingly rich WWII novel about courage, brutality, love, survival―and the essence of what makes us human.” --Family Circle

“A heart-pounding story.” ―USA Today

"An enormous story. Richly satisfying. loved it," ―Anne Rice

"A respectful and absorbing page-turner." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Tender, compelling...a satisfying slice of life in Nazi-occupied France." ―Jewish Book Council

“Expect to devour The Nightingale in as few sittings as possible; the high-stakes plot and lovable characters won’t allow any rest until all of their fates are known.” ―Shelf Awareness

"I loved The Nightingale." ―Lisa See, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Powerful...an unforgettable portrait of love and war." ―People

Praise for The Nightingale : "Haunting, action-packed, and compelling. " ―Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author " Absolutely riveting! ...Read this book." ―Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of the University of Miami Holocaust Teacher Institute "Beautifully written and richly evocative. " ―Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author “A hauntingly rich WWII novel about courage, brutality, love, survival―and the essence of what makes us human.” ― Family Circle “A heart-pounding story.” ― USA Today "An enormous story. Richly satisfying. I loved it. " ―Anne Rice "A respectful and absorbing page-turner." ― Kirkus Reviews " Tender, compelling ...a satisfying slice of life in Nazi-occupied France." ―Jewish Book Council “Expect to devour The Nightingale in as few sittings as possible; the high-stakes plot and lovable characters won’t allow any rest until all of their fates are known.” ― Shelf Awareness "I loved The Nightingale ." ―Lisa See, #1 New York Times bestselling author "Powerful... an unforgettable portrait of love and war. " ―People

About the Author

  • Print length 608 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher St. Martin's Griffin
  • Publication date April 25, 2017
  • Dimensions 5.5 x 1.5 x 8.19 inches
  • ISBN-10 1250080401
  • ISBN-13 978-1250080400
  • Lexile measure HL740L
  • See all details

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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (April 25, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250080401
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250080400
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL740L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.21 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.5 x 8.19 inches
  • #9 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
  • #14 in Mothers & Children Fiction
  • #20 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction

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About the author

review of the book nightingale

Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.

The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

www.kristinhannah.com

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Kristin Hannah has explored war and its consequences before, in her 2012 novel HOME FRONT. In that case, the war in question was in Iraq in 2005, and the book explored the evolving relationship between a helicopter pilot and her increasingly distant husband who is left behind to care for their family. In THE NIGHTINGALE, Hannah once again explores the domestic side of war. This time, though, she turns her attention farther back in the past --- to World War II --- and to the courage and strength of French women trying to keep their lives together in the face of Nazi occupation.

Hannah has written poignantly about sisters in novels like TRUE COLORS, and she again explores the complicated bond between them in THE NIGHTINGALE. Vianne is a decade older than her sister, Isabelle. After their mother died when both were quite young and their grief-stricken, shell-shocked father abandoned them, Vianne took on the maternal role for Isabelle. But when Vianne falls in love as a teenager, gets pregnant and then miscarries, her own grief causes her to withdraw from Isabelle, who now feels doubly abandoned.

"The novel is suspenseful and romantic at the same time, and offers readers a very personal portrait of life in wartime and of the kind of bravery harbored by even seemingly ordinary people."

When the novel opens in 1940 (after a brief present-day glimpse of an old woman trying to reconnect with remnants of her past), Vianne and Isabelle are estranged. Vianne has suffered several miscarriages during her marriage with Antoine, but they do have a daughter, Sophie. Vianne is a teacher at the local school in their small town in France's Loire Valley. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Isabelle is about to be kicked out of yet another boarding school; her irrepressible nature and lack of respect for authority has been part of her personality from an early age. And as the Nazis approach Paris, her unwillingness to accept the occupation may lead her into dangerous territory.

After Isabelle comes to live with Vianne and Sophie, who are struggling to manage the household after Antoine is sent to fight, she bristles against the presence of the Nazi soldiers who have occupied the town. Almost without intending to do so, she winds up taking on increasingly risky missions as a member of the resistance movement. Meanwhile, Vianne, who has reluctantly billeted a German soldier in her home, has her own quieter but no less courageous role to play.

Readers unfamiliar with the role France played in World War II may be surprised to read of the atrocities great and small perpetuated by the Nazi occupiers on the French people. Even those who know that story will be drawn in by Hannah's absorbing storytelling and her strength at writing about relationships. The novel is suspenseful and romantic at the same time, and offers readers a very personal portrait of life in wartime and of the kind of bravery harbored by even seemingly ordinary people. In a letter from the author included in the book, she states, "I did everything I could not to write this novel," citing the emotional difficulty of writing about these subjects. Readers will consider themselves fortunate that Hannah did feel compelled to pen THE NIGHTINGALE after all.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl on February 6, 2015

review of the book nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

  • Publication Date: April 25, 2017
  • Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction , Women's Fiction
  • Paperback: 608 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
  • ISBN-10: 1250080401
  • ISBN-13: 9781250080400

review of the book nightingale

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

  • Publication Date: April 25, 2017
  • Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction , Women's Fiction
  • Paperback: 608 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
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review of the book nightingale

Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

December 6, 2016 By Jessica Filed Under: Book Review 3 Comments

The Nightingale

Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her. As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

The Nightingale opens with this amazing first line:

“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.” -Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale pg 1

This story is about what it’s like to be a woman during war. The author says on her website that “In war, women’s stories are all too often forgotten or overlooked.” I had never thought about how true that really was until I read this book. Vianne and Isabelle are two sisters that we follow through World War II. One stays home and takes care of her kids and one helps in the war effort. Their story showed me that this statement is not true:

“And it’s a fact that women are useless in war. Your job is to wait for our return.” -Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale pg 26

What a beautiful reminder not to overlook women and their strength. Even as a woman, I’m guilty of doing that sometimes.

Since this is an historical-fiction story, I felt like there should have been an afterword talking about what was historical and what wasn’t. But don’t worry I’ve googled it all for you :) The Nightingale is inspired by a real person, Andree de Jongh. Don’t go read her biography before reading this book unless you want to be spoiled. Andree de Jongh and her corresponding character in the book were themselves inspired by a real nurse named Edith Cavell who served during World War I. You should read about her too :)

I love pictures and the author has some beautiful pictures of places that inspired the locations in her book.

I’m a geek for any reference to art or culture, so when I saw a reference to “drab-eyed, dark-clothed people who looked like they belonged in an Edvard Munch painting.” (pg 239) I had to look it up. He’s most famous for doing The Scream .

You’ll love the writing in this book. It’s beautiful. I highlighted so many good quotes that I can’t share them all. This might be my favorite one:

“Lately, though, I find myself thinking about the war and my past, about the people I lost. Lost. it makes it sound as if I misplaced my loved ones;” -Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale pg 1

The Nightingale deserves all the hype and awards it’s gotten. You should read it.

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About Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah Author

Kristin   Hannah  is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster,  The Nightingale,  Winter Garden ,  Night Road,  and  Firefly Lane .

Her novel,  The Nightingale,  has been published in over 39 languages and is currently in movie development at Tri Star Pictures. Her novel,  Home Front  has been optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated  The Help ) with Chris Columbus attached to direct.

Kristin  is a former-lawyer-turned writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii with her husband. She began her writing career as a young mother and has never looked back. Her novel,  Firefly Lane , became a runaway bestseller in 2009, a touchstone novel that brought women together, and  The Nightingale , in 2015 was voted a best book of the year by Amazon, Buzzfeed, iTunes,  Library Journal ,  Paste ,  The   Wall Street Journal  and  The Week .  Additionally, the novel won the coveted Goodreads and People’s Choice Awards. The audiobook of  The Nightingale  won the Audiobook of the Year Award in the fiction category.

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December 6, 2016 at 8:36 am

I adored this book. I cried and cried at the end. Love a book that can move my emotions like this one. Great review! I love the quotes you pulled. Rebecca @ The Portsmouth Review Follow me on Bloglovin’

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January 18, 2017 at 2:26 pm

Beautiful book. It hit the heart. Great review Ms. Jessica. I really enjoyed the layout of the blog piece as well, and simply wanted to say thank you for the review you wrote. It made my purchase easy.

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March 31, 2018 at 9:13 pm

I totally enjoyed this book. I was in tears sometimes, other times sitting on the edge of my chair. Well deserved accolades. I highly recommend this book to all especially women, because oftentimeswomen’s role is often overlooked. At the end I wanted Isabelle to be alive and attending the reunion in Paris. I liked Avianne as well but I liked the spunk in Isabelle, and wanted her to be there to the end.

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The Nightingale

75 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-7

Chapters 8-13

Chapters 14-18

Chapters 19-23

Chapters 24-28

Chapters 29-34

Chapters 35-39

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Summary and Study Guide

The Nightingale is a bestselling historical fiction novel written by Kristin Hannah and published in 2015. The story, which takes places in France during World War II, was inspired by the life and memoirs of Andrée de Jongh, a Belgian woman who survived the war and organized the Comet Line, an underground effort that allowed countless downed Allied pilots to escape Nazi capture and make their way to safety. Exploring themes such as family loyalty, the power of the human spirit, and the will to survive, The Nightingale debuted to overall critical acclaim.

The novel tells the story of two sisters, Isabelle Rossignol and Vianne Mauriac , as they struggle to survive the Nazi occupation of France. Vianne’s story begins in August 1939, just before France declared war on Germany. Vianne was effectively orphaned at age 14 when her mother died and her father—still traumatized by his experiences in World War I—sent her and her younger sister to live with hired help. As a result, Vianne clings tightly to the family and peaceful existence she has established in the countryside town of Carriveau. However, when her husband Antoine is conscripted, Vianne is left alone with their 8-year-old daughter Sophie.

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Meanwhile, Vianne’s rebellious 18-year-old sister Isabelle is away at finishing school. She gets expelled in the summer of 1940 and travels to Paris to rejoin her father, Julien. Shortly after she arrives, however, they receive word that the German army is approaching Paris, and Julien instructs his daughter to go to Vianne in Carriveau. On her way, Isabelle meets a young communist named Gaëtan, who tells her he plans on joining the fight against the Nazis and invites Isabelle to come with him. Isabelle eagerly accepts, but when she confesses her love for him, he leaves her near her sister’s house, telling her she is “not ready” (79).

The Germans soon occupy Carriveau, with one officer—Captain Wolfgang Beck—billeting in Vianne’s house. Vianne largely tolerates the German presence, fearing for the safety of Sophie and feeling overwhelmed without Antoine, whom she now learns is in a POW camp. When Beck asks, she even provides him with a list of the communist and Jewish teachers at the school where she works, leading to the firing of her neighbor and best friend, Rachel. Isabelle, on the other hand, resents the occupation and is eventually caught defacing a Nazi poster. The people who catch her, however, are members of a resistance movement, and they put her to work distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets.

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In the spring of 1941, the group asks Isabelle to deliver a letter to a contact in Paris and then stay there as a courier. Isabelle agrees, and her father—who is now working for the German high command—grudgingly allows her to stay in his apartment. As she returns home one day, she comes across a British pilot who has been shot down. Knowing that the resistance is working on a plan to help downed Allied airmen escape the country, she brings the pilot to a meeting. She also proposes using the Pyrenees as an escape route, explaining that a family friend comes from a family of goat herds who cross the mountains routinely. Ignoring the dangers, Isabelle volunteers to lead the group herself. Around the same time, she reencounters Gaëtan—now an important member of the resistance network in Paris—and learns that her father works for the group as well, using his position to forge documents.

Carrying false papers identifying her as “Juliette Gervaise,” Isabelle leads a group of four pilots to a town on the border of France and Spain. Here, she contacts her mother’s friend—Micheline Babineau—and arranges for a guide to lead them across the mountains. After several grueling days, they make it to the British consulate in Spain, where Isabelle explains what she accomplished, asks the British government to help her going forward, and receives a code name: “the Nightingale.”

Meanwhile, the situation in Carriveau worsens. In June 1941, Vianne is fired from her job when she questions why another teacher is being arrested, and she spends all the money she had in savings. The following winter, she grows sick after giving most of the available food to her daughter, and she agrees to accept help from Captain Beck only for Sophie’s sake. By the summer of 1942, the Germans are sending foreign-born Jewish citizens to concentration camps, and Beck—who has grown close to Vianne and expresses misgivings about the Nazis’ plans—warns Vianne the day before the deportation in Carriveau is scheduled to take place.

Vianne accompanies Rachel and her children to the border with Vichy France, hoping the family can sneak into the Free Zone. Rachel’s daughter Sarah is shot in the attempt, however, and Rachel is caught the next day and deported. She begs Vianne to take her toddler son, Ari, and Vianne agrees; Beck then helps her procure false papers claiming Ari is Daniel Mauriac, the orphaned son of her husband Antoine’s cousin.

Elsewhere, Isabelle continues to lead groups of airmen across the Pyrenees. In the autumn of 1942, she travels to Carriveau for a meeting, but while there, she, Gaëtan, and a member of the local resistance find a wounded American pilot and hide him in Vianne’s barn. The pilot dies, but before Isabelle can leave, Beck (who has been searching for the pilot) searches the barn. There is a struggle, during which Beck and Isabelle shoot one another, and Vianne strikes Beck with a shovel. Beck dies, and Gaëtan disposes of both his body and the pilot’s. He then takes Isabelle to a safe house to recover, and the two finally consummate their relationship.

Back in Carriveau, an SS officer named Von Richter questions Vianne about Beck’s disappearance before announcing that he will be billeting with her. As the Germans ramp up their efforts to deport the town’s Jews, Vianne begins to work with the local resistance to hide Jewish children in a convent orphanage. When Von Richter learns that Ari is not Vianne’s biological child, she is forced to sleep with him in exchange for his silence.

In May 1944, Isabelle is arrested, tortured, and questioned about the identity of “the Nightingale.” Her father hears of her imprisonment and turns himself in, claiming to be the Nightingale in the hopes of saving Isabelle’s life. He is subsequently executed, and Isabelle and Madame Babineau (who was arrested in the same raid) are sent to Ravensbrück—a concentration camp for women.

As the tide of war shifts against the Nazis, Von Richter grows more abusive towards Vianne; by the time the Germans leave Carriveau in the fall of 1944, Vianne is pregnant. Antoine returns home roughly a month later, and Vianne does not tell him about Von Richter, pretending, instead, that the baby is premature.

Early the following spring, Micheline and Isabelle—now sick with pneumonia and typhus—are sent on a forced march to another camp. Meanwhile, Vianne and Antoine try to learn the fates of Isabelle, Rachel, and Rachel’s husband Marc. They learn that Rachel and Marc are dead, and Vianne provides aid workers with a list of the 19 children she hid. It does not occur to her, however, that she might be forced to give up Ari, and she is devastated when two men arrive to take Ari to relatives in America. Later that spring, Isabelle finally returns to Carriveau. She is ultimately too weak to recover, however, and dies shortly after being reunited with Gaëtan.

Vianne’s and Isabelle’s stories are interspersed with scenes from 1995, as an elderly woman living in America debates whether to return to Paris for an event commemorating WWII passeurs (human smugglers). It eventually becomes clear that this woman is Vianne, and that Julien—the son who ultimately accompanies her to Paris—is her child by Von Richter. Julien knows virtually nothing of his family history until the memorial, after which Vianne is approached by both Gaëtan and Ari. Vianne promises to tell Julien about her and her sister’s experiences during the war, but she privately resolves to keep the truth about his parentage a secret.

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review of the book nightingale

Review of “The Nightingale”

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review of the book nightingale

The Nightingale  is an affirmation of the power of all the forms of love to survive and thrive in the worst conditions imaginable.

The bonds of friendship are a potent force. In her small French hometown, Vianne and her best friend Rachel encourage and help one another to keep supporting their families, whether that is with words or by sharing the last morsels of food. When Jewish Rachel is taken away to a concentration camp, Vianne risks her own life to save Rachel’s son.

The love between sisters also survives the horror of war. Vianne and Isabelle had a tumultuous relationship growing up, but during the war each strives to protect the other as best they can. Vianne attacks a German soldier to save Isabelle. Isabelle distances herself from her sister’s family to protect them from the repercussions of her underground work. At the end of the war, Vianne searches tirelessly for her lost sister and brings her home.

The Nightingale  depicts the love between parents and children as particularly beautiful and powerful. Vianne and Isabelle’s father Julien eventually gives his life to save Isabelle’s. Vianne repeatedly reflects that the only reason she continues struggling to survive is out of love for her children. Vianne’s husband Antoine writes to her from POW camp that she must remain strong for their children.

Love between man and woman also gets its due, mostly through Vianne’s clinging to Antoine’s memory through the years of war, and determination to rebuild their relationship afterwards. Isabelle’s relationship with Gaetan also illustrates the power of love to endure torture, sickness, and imprisonment.

The Nightingale  is a paean to sacrifice, a tribute to the countless simple folk who made unimaginable sacrifices to help save lives during World War II.

At first, parents sacrifice for their children, townsfolk for their neighbors. But soon, the war make each person question what they truly believe about the sanctity of human life and how much they will risk to preserve it. First, Vianne saves and hides her Jewish friend’s son Ariel. Later, she helps save the lives of 18 other Jewish children, hiding them in an orphanage and forging identity papers for them. Her actions are all a heroic sacrifice, since they seriously endanger her life and her children’s lives. When asked how she could risk so much, Vianne tellingly says she does it for her daughter Sophie: what would she be teaching her daughter if she did not help save lives?

Her sister takes an even more risky path to help save lives. Isabelle envisions a way to help the English and American airmen escape from occupied France into neutral Spain. Although she realizes that she will almost certainly be captured eventually, tortured, and killed, she begins the “Nightingale Route.” She leads over 27 groups of airmen across the Pyrenees Mountains to safety before her capture.

One of the most beautiful sacrifices in the novel is after Isabelle is captured, when her father chooses to enter SS headquarters and confess to begin the ringleader of the “Nightingale Route” so that her life will be spared.

The Nightingale offers a strongly pro-life message about the blessing of children.

Returned POW Antoine says it most plainly: “This child… is a miracle.” All the main characters believe and live this truth throughout the novel: children are a miracle. They are the reason to keep going during the darkest years of the war. They are the cause for hope in a shattered world at the end of the war. Their existence is the healing as rebuilding begins.

The Nightingale  is surprisingly clean with few exceptions.

As with any novel that attempts to accurately capture the atmosphere of occupied France,  The Nightingale  has its share of brutal violence. Vianne sees pregnant women shot, and experiences beatings and rapes herself. Isabelle is tortured and endures concentration camp life. The focus is not on the violence, though, but on the will to endure and survive the sisters exhibit.

There is little to no language. The only instances are the rare curse  in French or German.

As far as sexual content, there is only one rape scene described, and it is short and easily skimmed over by sensitive readers. There are references to a husband and wife making love, but no descriptions. The most problematic content from a Catholic perspective is that Isabelle and Gaetan do sleep together despite being unmarried. Again, there is nothing graphic described, but parents should be aware if considering letting their teens read this book. I personally think it is too intense for any but very mature older teens.

The Nightingale  is a sobering yet gripping novel which I highly recommend for Catholic adults.

This book leaves you reeling, yet inspired. It’s an important book because World War II needs to be remembered. The unspeakable evils committed and the heroic virtue shown both need to be kept in memory. Laugh, cry, enjoy this fantastic novel.

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Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

review of the book nightingale

I stayed up late to finish The Nightingale  by Kristin Hannah. I couldn’t put the book down until I knew the ending and now I can’t stop thinking about this phenomenal book. I’m in awe of the range of Kristin Hannah’s storytelling with her vivid descriptions. This is a powerful, beautiful and heartbreaking read.

Sometimes when I read fiction, I remind myself that whatever tragedy happens in the book, it’s still fiction. But while  The Nightingale is a fictional description, it’s still based on a very real, horrible war. And Kristin Hannah doesn’t shy away from descriptions of the hellish war and its devastating impact.

The story revolves around two sisters who are vastly different: Vianne and Isabelle. They are estranged from each other and both are on very divergent paths. Vianne is a loving wife and mother who works as a school teacher and always follows the rules. Isabelle is a rebellious eighteen-year-old who feels she must join the French resistance against the Germans. While they’re both as different as can be, they both take their own active role in resisting the Nazis.

Let’s take a closer look at each sister:

Isabelle is steadfast in her beliefs and she would not yield for anyone. She’s also dealing with her internal struggle of abandonment, first by her father who left the girls behind after their mother died and then with Vianne who found stability with her husband and sent Isabelle away to boarding school.

Isabelle is a beautiful, young woman, which means that men underestimate her time and time again. In fact, when she takes on the biggest risk of her life — guiding airman out of France — she’s able to use her gender and looks to her advantage. No one expects a young woman to actually become a resistance fighter. People doubt a women’s ability to take on a daring mission, which in turns, allows Isabelle to evade any suspicion. She adopts the codename the nightingale and the enemies assume the codename is for a man.

Isabelle is dynamic, courageous and so strong and I rooted for her every step of the way. And in fact, Hannah says that she based Isabelle on a real person: a 19-year-old Belgium woman who help create an escape route out of Nazi-occupied France. Incredible.

While Isabelle’s story, for the most part, is an epic adventure, Vianne’s is consistent terror. After the capture of her husband, Nazis take over her town. Her number one priority is protecting her daughter Sophie at all costs.

When a Nazi officer moves into her home (Captain Beck), I feared what was going to happen to her. However, he is respectful to her and their relationship took a different turn than I expected, almost romantic at times. She lives passively with him, even when he forces her to reveal the names of Jewish and Communist teachers at her school, which includes her best friend next door.

I was frustrated with Vianne’s complicity but also felt for her as she was in an impossible situation. Vianne does find her inner strength (literally) and eventually takes the big role of forging false identity papers for Jewish children so they can be kept safe. Vianne found her inner hero after all but she had to go through some absolute horrors to achieve it.

Society expectations (and misperceptions) of women is a big theme of the novel. Other major themes include the bond and messiness of sisterhood, love and sacrifice, the resilience of the human nature and the fragility of life. I question character choices, I cheered when they succeeded, I felt devastated when they didn’t — I grew attached to these characters.

Is The Nightingale a good book club book? Absolutely. 

There is so much to dissect with this novel. I’ll have my book club questions up soon and you might need two sessions dedicated to this one.

The Nightingale is an important read so make sure and add this to your TBR list.

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‘The Nightingale’ Is Reese’s Book Club Pick

BY Michael Schaub • March 7, 2023

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Reese Witherspoon has selected Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale  as the latest pick for her popular book club.

Hannah’s novel, published in 2015 by St. Martin’s, follows two sisters living in France during the country’s Nazi occupation. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a respectful and absorbing page-turner.”

review of the book nightingale

“This important story illuminates a part of history that’s often overlooked: the women’s war,” Witherspoon wrote. “It’s a harrowing tale of two sisters, survival, love and female resilience throughout Nazi-occupied France.”

In a video accompanying the post, Witherspoon said the novel was a “different, interesting choice” for the book club, noting that it was published several years ago.

“We were just talking here at Hello Sunshine about so much stuff [that] is going on in the world, including war and the state of the world, and how it’s impacting women and children, and the rise of antisemitism in general,” she said. “So we started talking about this book again, and the conversations that are being had right this minute that this novel addresses with a real sense of urgency and reality.”

Also on Instagram, Hannah shared the news of her book’s selection, writing, “She makes the book sound so good, even I want to read it again! Thanks again to Reese and the fabulous team at @reesesbookclub for choosing the novel to celebrate #womenhistorymonth. And thanks to all of them for encouraging reading. #history can teach us so much.”

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.

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Kristin Hannah Reinvented Herself. She Thinks America Can Do the Same.

In “The Four Winds,” the author of “The Nightingale” and “The Great Alone” takes readers back to another era of environmental disaster, economic collapse and fresh starts.

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review of the book nightingale

By Elisabeth Egan

Growing up in California and the Pacific Northwest, Kristin Hannah never wanted to become a novelist. It was a career for dreamers, she thought, kids who took creative writing classes and scribbled stories from the time they were 6.

“I just wasn’t that person,” she said in a video interview from her home outside Seattle. “Until I was in my third year of law school and my mother was dying of breast cancer. Every day I would visit her and complain about my classes. One afternoon, my mother said, ‘Don’t worry, you’re going to be a writer.’”

This was news to Hannah. The two decided to write a romance novel set in 18th-century Scotland. “That was her choice,” Hannah said. “I would have written horror. But it gave us something to talk about.”

In 1985, the day she wrote the first nine pages — her inaugural foray into fiction — she received a call from her father, telling her she needed to get to the hospital. There, before her mother died, Hannah, then 24, had a chance to whisper, “I started.”

But she put the book on hold and resumed her original plan, practicing law at a Seattle firm — until, she said, “a few years later, I went into labor at 14 weeks and was bedridden until my son was born. I realized that I probably wouldn’t have more children and I wanted to be home for the first few years. So I thought, I’ll try writing a book.”

But not the one she started with her mother. “That was a terrible, terrible book,” Hannah said. “It’s now in a box that says ‘Do Not Publish Even After Death.’”

She published her debut novel, “A Handful of Heaven,” in 1991. It was a historical romance set in Alaska — a place she returned to almost three decades later in “ The Great Alone ,” which sold two million copies in the United States.

Hannah experienced an even bigger breakout hit with “The Nightingale,” her 2015 historical novel, which sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. Her books have now been translated into 43 languages, her name is an anchor tenant on best-seller lists, and you would be hard-pressed to find a book club that has not discussed one of her novels. Of her mother’s long-ago prediction, Hannah said, “I tell you, this woman is somewhere with a martini and a cigarette telling all her friends, ‘I told you so.’”

Hannah, 60, lives with her husband; her son is now grown. Gone are the days when she had to squeeze in bursts of writing around naps and school hours. She works from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days, writing drafts in longhand on yellow legal pads. “I can write in my backyard, by the fire, on the beach, on an airplane,” Hannah said. “It helps to be disciplined, but I also believe creativity follows discipline.”

Her 24th book, “The Four Winds,” which comes out on Tuesday, seems eerily prescient in 2021, with its Depression-era tale of blighted land, xenophobia, fear of contagion — and determination to join forces and rebuild. Its message is galvanizing and hopeful: We are a nation of scrappy survivors. We’ve been in dire straits before; we will be again. Hold your people close. Her publisher, St. Martin’s Press, is planning an initial printing of 1 million copies.

“I wanted to tell a quintessentially American story,” Hannah said. “The Dust Bowl was the greatest ecological disaster in American history and that, combined with the partisan divide of the Great Depression, really spoke to me.”

The protagonist of “The Four Winds” is Elsa Martinelli, a single mother of two who, in 1935, leaves a parched family farm in Lonesome Tree, Texas, for California. She is unmoved by brochures promising milk and honey in the “Land of Opportunity.” She needs steady work and fresh air for her son, who is recovering from “dust pneumonia,” a then-common ailment on the Great Plains. (Readers who feel inconvenienced by cloth masks may feel differently after spending time with characters who wear gas masks in their homes.)

In the San Joaquin Valley, the Martinellis trade one set of terrible circumstances for another. Work is scarce. Locals are cruelly suspicious of newcomers, who they believe carry disease. Nobody will rent to “Okies,” as migrants were known — regardless of whether they were from Oklahoma — so the family settles into a squalid camp on the banks of an irrigation ditch.

How Elsa claws her way out is the crux of “The Four Winds.” Friendship is a lifeline, as it is for many women in Hannah’s books, including the pair in “ Firefly Lane .” On Wednesday, Netflix begins streaming its television adaptation of that book, starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

“I deeply value my female friendships. That’s something that has been reinforced in this pandemic,” Hannah said. “So it made sense to me that Elsa finds a mother and a girlfriend. Those relationships give her the power to stand up for herself.”

One of Hannah’s closest friends is her writing partner of more than 30 years — the novelist Megan Chance, whom she met early in her career at a lunch hosted by a local writers’ group.

“We were both in the bathroom at the same time. We traded phone numbers at the sink and decided to read each others’ manuscripts,” Chance said in a phone interview. “It was this instantaneous connection, the most weirdly fated meeting I’ve ever had.”

They started talking on the phone every day, honing their work according to writing advice from authors such as Dwight Swain, Jack Bickham and Robert McKee . “Our process changes every couple of years depending on what we’re writing and what’s going on in our lives,” Hannah said, “but generally I’ll give Megan 150 or 200 pages, and that’s the beginning.”

“I think our critiques would devastate other people,” joked Chance, whose latest novel is “A Splendid Ruin.” “But there’s also this trust. We know each others’ histories. When Kristin calls me and says ‘I’m feeling this way,’ I go, ‘You always feel that way.’ And she’ll go, ‘I do?’ Kristin knows story better than any person I’ve ever known. She has it in her bones.”

In 1993, Hannah had another fortuitous encounter — this time at a hotel bar during a romance writers’ convention, where she met her now-longtime editor, Jennifer Enderlin, who is the president and publisher of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

In a phone interview, Enderlin traced Hannah’s many reinventions throughout her career — from mass-market romance writer to hardcover author to book-club best seller to spinner of historical sagas. “With ‘The Nightingale,’ she went from being considered ‘women’s fiction’ to being considered a literary novelist,” Enderlin said. “She has an instinct for why something worked; she’s analytical and intuitive at the same time.”

As she worked on “The Four Winds,” Hannah was inspired by Dorothea Lange’s photographs , especially “Woman of the High Plains” — “You can see how tired, afraid and heroic she is all at once” — and by the writings of Sanora Babb , an aspiring journalist who documented life in migrant camps for the Farm Security Administration only to have her own novel in progress scooped by “ The Grapes of Wrath .”

“She took copious notes on conversations with residents, what they cared about and what they were having trouble with,” Hannah said before describing how Babb’s boss funneled these observations to John Steinbeck. “Amazing, right?”

She smiled ruefully. “I’m devoted to putting women in the forefront of historical stories. To telling women’s stories.”

“The Four Winds” includes a few lines from Babb’s novel, “Whose Names Are Unknown,” which was finally published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 2004: “One thing was left, as clear and perfect as a drop of rain — the desperate need to stand together … They would rise and fall and, in their falling, rise again.”

Follow New York Times Books on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram , sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar . And listen to us on the Book Review podcast .

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The Nightingale book review

Posted August 5, 2022 by Jordann @thebookbloglife in 3 star , book reviews / 0 Comments

The Nightingale book review

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 good-bye 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, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, 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 World War II 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.

I have had this book on my list for such a long time and it took me a little while to get into. I’m still not convinced that it was worth the time. I have such mixed feelings about The Nightingale as a whole, part of me really appreciates the story and the characters. However I’m still not sure it was worth the time and effort it took to read it. There were definitely moments where it felt like a long slog to read. I think the pay off at the end didn’t make up for it unfortunately.

review of the book nightingale

Characters in The Nightingale

The Nightingale follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, who are trying to survive in occupied France during WWII. I really wanted to love the pair of them and see some kind of relationship or understanding grow. Which I thought was the point of the book. However there was so much going on around them that their relationship seems to get left behind. Plus other things seem to take precedent. I did enjoy how much back story we got. It didn’t feel as though their lives were only just beginning with the start of the war which can be an issue with other similar books.

By the ending the things I wanted to happen hadn’t and there were moments that were just skipped. Although what happens is supposed to be sad and heartbreaking and it could definitely be viewed that way, there wasn’t enough of a connection for me to actually sob. Which is what I expected to happen. I just think there was so much potential with all of the characters lost by having such a rushed ending. There could have been a lot more said and done if there had been more time.

review of the book nightingale

The Bad Bits

I’ve touched on the fact that The Nightingale wasn’t the easiest book to get through. In fact it struggled to hold my attention and there were bits where I thought I was going to DNF. I had seen so much hype surrounding this book and I thought it was going to be an easy win for me. But actually I found that a lot of it was info dumps and dense writing. Nothing actually really happens throughout and although that can work if the characters hold the story together this one it fell flat. If there had been more time spent building a relateable character base the monotony wouldn’t have felt out of place.

The Good Bits in The Nightingale

The Nightingale did however fill a gap I had been searching for which was a WWII story told from a new perspective. I adore historical fiction from this era but I struggle with some of tropes and the endlessly repeated storylines. The Nightingale felt like a breath of fresh air. The one thing I adored was the new look and the different ways the characters dealt with the war around them. It was fantastic to see how a totally new group of people were impacted. I really appreciated how detailed the storyline was and just how much history was packed into the story.

What’s next?

I will continue to try and find the perfect WWII read. Hopefully find some new favourites in the long run. However, I might give it a rest for the next couple of books and see if that makes any difference to my enjoyment level. Definitely hope to find something great soon.

Chat With Me About Books

If you have any WWII recommendations, then please let me know! I’m sure I have space on the never-ending list of books I have to read!

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Book Review & Recommendation Website

The Nightingale Book Review – 2021

Genre : Historical Fiction

Author : Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale Book Summary

The Nightingale Book is an amazingly beautiful novel about women in the French Resistance. It is about 2 sisters Vianne and Isabelle who face challenging situations during World War II era, yet emerge as a hero.

The Nightingale (2015 novel) is based in France. The story is inspired by the life of Andree de Jongh, a young Belgian woman who helped soldiers & airmen escape from Belgium which was occupied by Nazi during World War II time.

So many women showed great courage during World War II. These brave women put themselves through nerve recking situations to save others. In return, they had to pay a horrible, incomprehensible amount for their heroism.

Like so many women during wartime, they were largely forgotten at the end of the war. Nightingale is a tribute to these lost war women heroes.

The Nightingale Book Review

The book the nightingale is really jarring to read, you would be spending a great amount of time reading the description of what hardships the characters go through, which will not necessary be a pleasant experience for many.

Through all of their awful encounters, I felt like I was with these characters and I just wanted to protect them from all of it. The people, the sisters in particular, were utterly inspiring. In this awful era, they displayed tremendous courage and I enjoyed seeing how women contributed to the war. This was just a story that resonated with me, truly. In my heart, it has a special place.

Overall the author of the nightingale Kristin Hannah’s writing is so powerful that, the book takes you back in time and you would feel as if you are present during World War II time, and are witnessing this yourself.

The Nightingale Kristin Hannah’s writing is very deep and descriptive. It has the power to take you back in time and make you deeply engrossed in the book. I didn’t seem to mind that the story was slow as I really enjoy novels with strong characters.

The Nightingale Kristin Hannah writes so descriptively that I felt as if I’m breathing the air in France. The book really painted France’s atmosphere in my mind. Every line was rich in detail, and you could tell thorough research of that time had been done

The Nightingale novel made me get engrossed in the story very quickly and it is difficult to not complete the book, once you start reading it.

This is also one of the very few books, which made me so exhausted with the torture the characters go through, that I felt the need to close nightingale the book, take a moment, breathe and again get back to the book.

The nightingale book has pages and pages of description which is not for the faint heart, yet can be an eye opener for those who have never read a book on the word war II era.

The two sisters experience almost anything possibly associated with World War II in France over the course of the book.

Kristin Hannah states in interviews that the story was inspired by real-life resistance efforts of Andree de Jongh, a young Belgian woman who helped Allied airmen escape from Nazi occupied Belgium during World War II. Andree had organized and led the Comet line which helped soldiers escape Belgium.

The Nightingale Kristin Hannah states in her interviews that the heroism of the women of the French Resistance captured her imagination.

For these lost women heroes, there were no parades, very few medals, and almost no mention. Nightingale the book is an attempt to give a salute to these unsung women war heroes.

Should you read The Nightingale ?

I would highly recommend this book to all those who would like to read a good gripping novel and are ready for a life changing experience.

Novel Nightingale has the power to move you, it can change you in ways that you would be happy that we are not living in war time . It will make you feel gratitude towards the little things in life and you would not take your life for granted after you read this book.

The book nightingale is not a romantic novel. The description of romance between the characters is short and doesn’t really tell a love story. If both romances had been better established and the characterisation had been greater, it would have made me completely be in awe of the novel.

The Nightingale Book Review by Readers

Reviews of the nightingale by kristin hannah are very positive. most people, have got so engrossed in the story that they have cried with the ending..

Below are some reviews of the nightingale novel by the readers

  •                                                   Kristin Hannah The Nightingale Reviews

Kristin Hannah The Nightingale Reviews are extremely positive.

The Nightingale Parents Guide

The focus of The Nightingale is not on violence but on the zeal to survive despite being put under strenuous situations.

The book contains some references to love making scenes between husband and wife. It also has a rape scene. But these scenes are not descriptive and can be easily skimmed through by the reader.

The Nightingale is recommended for children above 10 years of age.

Frequently Asked Questions on The Nightingale Book

Is the nightingale book based on a true story.

No, Nightingale is a Historical Fictional Novel and is not based on a true story. Though it is inspired by events and women during the world war II  ra, this is not a based on true story book.

The Nightingale is inspired by the life of Andree de jongh. Her experiences during world war II are specified in the book. Andree de Jongh is known for organising & leading the Comet Line to help soldiers and airmen escape Belgium which was occupied by Nazis during World War II time. She escorted 118 people, including more than 80 airmen, from Belgium to neutral Spain between August 1941 and December 1942, from where they were transported to the United Kingdom.

Is Carriveau France a real town?

Where can i buy nightingale.

Amazon the Nightingale is available there.

What is the book The Nightingale about

How many chapters in the nightingale, who wrote the book nightingale, what reading level is the nightingale, is the nightingale by kristin hannah going to a movie , the nightingale kristin hannah best books.

Undoubtedly, if you think about the best Kristin Hannah book – The Nightingale is a clear winner. The Nightingale, Home Front & Great Alone are known as Kristin Hannah best books, these 3 novels were also made into movies. Netflix released the series “FireFly Lane” this month (i.e Feb 2021) which is again based on Hannah’s novel FireFly Lane.

Kristin Hannah Books in Order

Here is the Kristin Hannah Book List for your reference . Check out the below list to learn about Books by Kristin Hannah in order of year. If you liked “The Nightingale”, we are sure you would like her other books as well.

Books like the Nightingale – 2021 Recommendations

Loved the Nightingale ? Here’s are some other historical novels we recommend, by authors similar to Kristin Hannah

Have you read The Nightingale ? Tell us about your Nightingale review in the comments section below

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Nightingale's Survival Aspects Are Familiar, But Its Strange Worlds Hold A Lot Of Promise

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A series of Victorian, magic-inspired alternate dimensions await to be explored in Nightingale, and their unexpected landscapes and creatures have me intrigued.

By Phil Hornshaw on February 13, 2024 at 11:54AM PST

Our band of Victorian survivalists opened a portal to a swamp filled with vicious creatures, and then we went hunting. A magic spell created by one of our group pointed the way across the festering, waist-deep waters, which carried some unknown disease if you lingered in them for too long. Man-sized rats and frogs appeared at the fringes to slow our progress, but eventually, we found our prey: a fire-breathing beast called a Humbaba, big as a building, that lumbered across the landscape.

It took six of us, a whole lot of magic-infused rifle ammo, and a few deaths along the way, but before long, we toppled the beast. We skinned it and carried away its flesh to fill our stew pots and aid our crafting plans.

This is Nightingale , a survival game from developer Inflexion Games that goes into early access on February 20 on PC. We recently spent about six hours playing Nightingale in a preview event with developers, trying both the early game in a single-player experience and venturing out in co-op. It's a game about alternate dimensions: Rather than dropping you onto a massive map that spreads out over great distances and includes multiple locations and biomes, Nightingale is made up of smaller, procedurally generated "realms," each dominated by a single biome. You access these realms through magical portals, defining your destination by using special Tarot-like cards you can find or craft throughout your journey.

Where other games focus on generating a single map that you'll probably play on for most of your time with the game, whether you're alone or with friends, the idea behind Nightingale is that you have control of where you want to go and what will be waiting for you when you arrive. The cards you play at a portal define the biome of the new area, a major characteristic of what you'll find populating it (such as aggressive animals or NPCs you can talk to and trade with), and a minor aspect (like increasing the crafting supplies you find or setting the area's time of day). Each realm is procedurally generated depending on your parameters, allowing you to create adventures of exploration that let you try to achieve your goals. You can even use special machines to change the minor aspects of the realm while you're playing in it.

As is typical for the survival game genre, you have the usual progression up a crafting tech tree and the construction of a permanent settlement that can be your base of operations. Early on, you'll create your own personal Abeyance realm, where you can set up an "estate" to build up and expand over time. Inflexion mentioned that those realms are hosted on dedicated servers, so you can play together with friends and share an estate without requiring whoever "owns" that Abeyance realm to be online when you're playing.

Here, you'll do the usual tree-chopping and rock-gathering familiar to most survival games, building a new house to sleep in and constructing crafting tables that you can use to improve your tools and gear. There's a lot to do in your starter realm, and the idea of the portals is that, as you're hunting different materials, you'll travel to new realms to find what you need and bring that stuff back to further your development.

No Caption Provided

Generally, though, the survival elements of Nightingale seem pretty standard. Expect lots of trees to chop, boars to skin, and wolves to chase you around as you flee back to your house with darkness falling.

You also have to keep yourself well-fed and rested in order to stay alive. On that front, Nightingale mixes in a lot of common elements from other survival games. For example, eating anything will fill your hunger meter, but cooking and eating certain foods will increase your overall health or stamina for a set amount of time, which can be a major advantage.

Your overarching goal, however, is to find the city of Nightingale, and that endeavor leads to fun and exciting adventures through the realms. The underlying premise is of an alternate history that saw humanity discover and begin relations with the Fae--magical fairy folk, essentially, such as Puck from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"--and incorporate magic into its pursuits alongside science.

People have been exploring the Fae's portals and the realms connected by them ever since, but at the start of the game, you find yourself stranded in those realms after fleeing a deadly fog that poured out of one such portal and engulfed the Earth in 1889. You and other refugees are hoping to find your way to Nightingale, where you can live in safety, but until then, you'll spend a lot of time trying not to die.

No Caption Provided

Neil Thompson, director of art and head of audio at Inflexion, said the Victorian setting was an outgrowth of the original portal-hopping concept. Thompson said he and CEO Aaryn Flynn were inspired by Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. They liked the book's conception of magic being a force that existed in the world, but one that was treated as an understandable academic pursuit that anyone could learn. The novel also deals with the idea that humanity pierces the "veil" between the human world and the fairy world and the consequences that result.

"When we started thinking about that, we were thinking, well, we don't want to put it in the same time period, which is the Napoleonic era, not just because we didn't want to copy word for word what they were doing, but also because it's not necessarily the most interesting time in terms of technology that could be used in a gaming experience. So weaponry is not that great--it's not much fun to reload a musket because it takes hours," Thompson explained. "But push it forward to the Victorian period--which is known for exploration and adventure, technological advancement, academic and artistic pursuits--and then it starts to get much more interesting because you can introduce machinery that can plausibly be used to interface with magical items. You can have guns that are six-shooters and Winchesters that are fast-loading. So for that more action-oriented player, you can get something a bit more contemporary. And just the whole Victorian period is so rich culturally and visually it just seemed to really [be a] natural fit."

Nightingale supports up to six people in cooperative play, and that section of the game was the highlight of our preview. Inflexion jumped us ahead in the progression to the mid-game, where you'd be after about 30 hours, Flynn told us. Your strength is determined by your gear, all of which carries a numerical score to let you know how strong you are and what threats you can handle.

No Caption Provided

Where the early part of the game gives you the usual survival genre equipment, like knives and axes, advancing up the tech tree will eventually get you the ability to make rifles, revolvers, and shotguns. We also had ammo infused with fire, ice, electricity, and poison and could pull magical spells from our enchanted gear to cast during fights to increase defense or heal teammates. There's a fairly deep combat system in Nightingale that mixes up-close melee battles and first-person-shooter elements that felt punchy and satisfying throughout.

There also seems to be a lot of interesting stuff to find out in the realms and even on your home turf. There are Sites of Power, mini-dungeons you can fight through to claim new cards for your portal; I found one in a destroyed pirate ship atop a mountain, which led down into a spiraling cave and culminated in a boss fight against magical robots.

Our group also explored a desert world full of loot-filled vaults, each guarded by a handful of threatening creatures. What was most interesting, though, was that the vaults also featured some light puzzle-solving in order to advance through them. One puzzle had us activating switches in a specific order dictated by chimes that rang out through the space; when we hit the wrong one, a bunch of enemies spawned to punish us. In another, we had to find a hidden switch high above the area, which required some deft climbing to reach.

Nightingale also includes some light story elements and questing--Thompson said the game originally began its life as an MMORPG, and some of that DNA still exists within it. You'll hear a lot from Pan, who leads you through the tutorial, and Inflexion mentioned you'll meet a host of other familiar historical figures and literary characters, including Mr. Hyde and Victor Frankenstein. More characters and quests related to them will be added as time goes on, too.

No Caption Provided

"Certainly as a survival crafting game, we're lighter on narrative--we're not trying to make a cinematic RPG or anything," Flynn said. "But we can't help but think there are cool characters out in these Realms that will offer players some fun and some interesting opportunities to adventure. And so those NPCs should be starting points for adventures, places to vault off and go. And we think they all blend into the world and they fit into the IP really well, and so we just want to bring more of those characters to life and into the world as the game evolves."

You'll eventually reach a social space dubbed The Watch, which is reminiscent of Destiny 2's Tower, where you can congregate with friends alongside vendors and NPCs. Flynn described the journey to the Watch as the game's first "act" and said you'll likely find characters there who will be fleshed out more over time. Flynn mentioned that Inflexion intends to add more beyond that, including "seasonal" stories later in Nightingale's life, so the Watch is likely to be a central point for characters to gather and those stories to start. But don't expect those quests to be expansive RPG-like narratives--more like starting points for your own experiences.

"Importantly for us, it's not that it's a narrative-led game where it has a start and an end," Thompson said. "It's more providing a really interesting premise and a depth of lore that maybe isn't as prevalent in traditional survival crafting games, so that players can play their own stories. And they can role-play their own adventures in the world that we've created."

Inflexion said they expect Nightingale to be in early access for around a year. It sounds like reaching the Watch and the end of the first act will be your primary goal in early access, with more content to come to the game later.

No Caption Provided

Head of production Leah Summers said that Inflexion's development has included working with players and conducting a lot of playtests to determine what resonates. The studio wants to use early access in a similar way to make sure it's driving Nightingale in the direction players want.

"As we go into early access, I think we see Nightingale as a really great stepping stone platform foundation to this awesome survival experience as a place," Summers said. "We all talked a lot about [how] its just enjoying building or going adventuring with friends or taking on big monsters or fishing, all that kind of good stuff. So I think the important part through early access is it gives us that opportunity to figure out, 'What is a great direction for Nightingale?' What are people loving about it?' And we're set up to be very flexible in terms of our development and our priorities to be responsive to that. And yeah, we just think Nightingale's a great foundation to start from with people."

As with our great hunt of that huge monster, it's the adventuring elements that seem like the most fun in Nightingale. Building up a Victorian estate that mixes Tudor and pagoda architecture is fine, but it's the weird things out in the realms that were compelling during our time in Nightingale. Elements like the destroyed pirate ship, the Industrial Revolution machines dropped into swamps or forests, and the hidden caves and ruins all give color to Nightingale.

If you enjoy the usual survival genre stuff, Nightingale has it, but where the game seems like it might stand apart from the pack is in venturing out to see what is waiting for you among the realms. I'm most fascinated to see what you can conjure up with your cards and what fearsome threats lie hidden. From the sounds of things, Inflexion Games only intends to expand the depth of Nightingale over time with more cards, more biomes, and more characters, so there should be plenty to discover.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email [email protected]

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philhornshaw

Phil Hornshaw

Phil Hornshaw is a former senior writer at GameSpot and worked as a journalist for newspapers and websites for more than a decade, covering video games, technology, and entertainment for nearly that long. A freelancer before he joined the GameSpot team as an editor out of Los Angeles, his work appeared at Playboy, IGN, Kotaku, Complex, Polygon, TheWrap, Digital Trends, The Escapist, GameFront, and The Huffington Post. Outside the realm of games, he's the co-author of So You Created a Wormhole: The Time Traveler's Guide to Time Travel and The Space Hero's Guide to Glory. If he's not writing about video games, he's probably doing a deep dive into game lore.

  • @philhornshaw

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review of the book nightingale

Screen Rant

Nightingale hands-on preview: "exciting opportunities for expansion".

Screen Rant went hands-on with Nightingale, a survival crafting game with Victorian fantasy inspirations and some unique ways to explore new worlds.

  • Nightingale is a new survival crafting game with a unique Victorian gaslamp fantasy twist and a focus on player-driven procedural generation.
  • The game features cooperative PvE multiplayer and allows players to explore different Fae Realms.
  • While Nightingale has room for improvement, early access development looks promising and the game has exciting potential for expansion.

2024's slate of game releases so far has skewed in the survival crafting direction, with Palworld and Enshrouded both quickly attracting large and dedicated communities. The newest early access title that's set to join these ranks is Nightingale , a Victorian gaslamp fantasy twist on the concept developed by Inflexion Games. This time, the big selling point comes from putting procedural generation in the hands of the players through a unique realm traversal system that aims to keep the gameplay and environment fresh.

Screen Rant had the opportunity to check out this mechanic and more in a virtual hands-on preview of Nightingale , which helped showcase both what the game does differently and which aspects of the survival crafting experience fall in line with genre standards. This includes the cooperative PvE multiplayer, which is likely to be a primary draw for many players. The preview build isn't completely up-to-date with the version set to launch on February 20, but it provided a substantial look at the features currently included in the game.

Getting Started In Nightingale

Puck, a Fae in Nightingale with the appearance of a human figure in an elaborate goat mask.

The historical inspiration of Nightingale made itself clear at the very start of the preview, with character creation that dolls up waxy, malleable models in frock coats and offers backgrounds like Academic and Ne'er-do-well. The fantastical elements muscle their way into the picture soon after through an otherworldly creature named Puck, who shows up to guide the player through the basics of crafting, fighting, and crossing the Fae Realms. With flavorfully indulgent dialogue and the right amount of mystique, Puck makes a strong first impression on behalf of the unique character and flavor of the game.

It doesn't take long, however, for Nightingale to settle into a more commonplace early game. Starting out from the bottom in the Fae Realms is much like it is anywhere else, requiring players to build up an inventory of the survival basics and get to work on a makeshift camp. For anyone with survival crafting experience, it should all be very familiar. Some recipes to flesh out crafting can be found through exploration, but acquiring key ones relies on checking in with NPCs, who can be found in both the Abeyance Realm that serves as a home base and in more exotic climes.

The reliance on NPCs can feel a bit restricting when getting things rolling in the Abeyance Realm, as striking out in a random direction will only result in eventually trudging back toward the designated center of commerce. In the scope of the larger game, it should ultimately do the opposite. Nightingale is all about exploring different Fae Realms, and the distribution of NPCs across them makes an embrace of this adventure necessary to prosper.

Exciting Exploration In Hostile Worlds

The secret to Nightingale 's Realmwalking lies in Realm Cards , with Biome and Major options that can be combined to characterize the basic attributes of a Realm before shaking up unique effects with Minor cards. Within the scope of the preview, generating realms went off without a hitch, and environmental detail and vivid lighting that punch above the survival crafting standard offer some real pleasures when exploring them. There's also a helping of environmental effects and hazards, with the scorching rays of the sun or random downpours of hail forcing players to find shelter.

Hostile creatures, of course, pose another threat. The combat feels like fairly typical first-person fare (there's also a third-person toggle, although it's more supplementary), but the ability to dash with one-handed weapons and glide with umbrellas offers some interesting options for movement. With higher-level equipment, which was offered during the multiplayer segment of the preview, options expand from crude tools to a full array of firearms and melee weapons that can incur elemental damage and status effects.

Where Nightingale Has Room To Improve

The sun peeking through an un-activated realm portal in Nightingale.

The impression that Nightingale takes a while to truly come into its own extends to more than just combat. Building goes from wooden slat tilesets to an array of attractive, period-inspired options; exploration takes on more experimental possibilities; and the lore seems primed to become more interesting after meeting more NPCs and gaining access to some central areas. Most of Nightingale 's unique selling points can't quite work their way into low-level gameplay , and that could make it hard for the game to get its hooks in.

The preview build also featured its share of distinct rough points. An NPC follower came across as a bit too lifeless when teleporting to keep up, and he knocked down a shelter wall when getting a bit too excited about felling trees. The UI approach to wrangling offhand items feels limited and cumbersome. Dungeon-crawling aspects are perhaps too obviously generated (and a fishing spot inside of one tragically failed to accept casts). Nothing game-breaking made an appearance, however, and it's worth reiterating that the preview build isn't what players will be receiving at launch.

Early access development could be what makes or breaks Nightingale , and things do look optimistic on that front. The developers repeatedly stressed the importance of delivering value to the players, and they've already promised some quality-of-life improvements. The game is also chock-full of features with exciting opportunities for expansion, like the endless potential of Realm Cards. Nightingale 's preview suggests a solid survival crafting experience that sometimes feels a bit too by-the-numbers, but only time will tell if it can lean into its best attributes to deliver something more.

Screen Rant was provided with a PC digital code for the purpose of this preview.

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COMMENTS

  1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    1,300,512 ratings103,436 reviews Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Historical Fiction (2015) 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 good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front.

  2. THE NIGHTINGALE

    THE NIGHTINGALE | Kirkus Reviews Reviews FICTION THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2015 Still, a respectful and absorbing page-turner. bookshelf shop now Hannah's new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

  3. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Summary and reviews

    Reviews of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Critics' Opinion: Readers' Opinion: First Published: Feb 2015, 448 pages Paperback: Apr 2017, 592 pages Genres Rate this book Write a Review Book Reviewed by:

  4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    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.

  5. The Nightingale (Hannah novel)

    Synopsis The book uses the frame story literary device; the frame is presented in first-person narration as the remembrances of an elderly woman in 1995, whose name is initially not revealed to the reader. It is only known that she has a son named Julien and that she lives off the coast of Oregon.

  6. Review of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    The Nightingale captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war.. Winner of the 2015 BookBrowse Fiction Award BookBrowse readers were challenged and moved by Kristin Hannah's unique World War II novel, The Nightingale.Each and every one of our member reviewers rated it 4 or a 5 stars.

  7. Book Review of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (with Quotes)

    This book review of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (one of the best historical fiction authors) gives you the details of this beloved World War II novel. And because this is a book pairings blog, I have also provided some recommended book pairings for further learning. #1 New York Times bestseller Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year

  8. Book Review

    Buy THE NIGHTINGALE (Hardcover) 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 ...

  9. Amazon.com: The Nightingale: A Novel: 9781250080400: Hannah, Kristin: Books

    The Nightingale: A Novel. Paperback - April 25, 2017. A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation. France, 1939 - In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to ...

  10. Book Marks reviews of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    The novel's soaring finale proves that love conquers even Nazis. In The Nightingale, Hannah once again explores the domestic side of war. This time, though, she turns her attention farther back in the past — to World War II — and to the courage and strength of French women trying to keep their lives together in the face of Nazi occupation ...

  11. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    The Nightingale. by Kristin Hannah. Kristin Hannah has explored war and its consequences before, in her 2012 novel HOME FRONT. In that case, the war in question was in Iraq in 2005, and the book explored the evolving relationship between a helicopter pilot and her increasingly distant husband who is left behind to care for their family.

  12. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    1. THE NIGHTINGALE opens with an intriguing statement that lays out one of the major themes of the book: "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." What do you think the narrator means by this? Is love the ideal and war the reality?

  13. Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    About Kristin Hannah. Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.. Her novel, The Nightingale, has been published in over 39 languages and is currently in movie development at Tri Star Pictures.Her novel, Home Front has been optioned for film by 1492 Films ...

  14. The Nightingale Summary and Study Guide

    Overview The Nightingale is a bestselling historical fiction novel written by Kristin Hannah and published in 2015.

  15. Review of "The Nightingale"

    The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a truly compelling historical fiction novel: inspiring, humbling, thought-provoking, and devastating in turn. The story follows two French sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, from the time the first rumbles of World War II begin to affect France to immediately after the end of the war.

  16. Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

    Join the Book Club Chat Newsletter. Sometimes when I read fiction, I remind myself that whatever tragedy happens in the book, it's still fiction. But while The Nightingale is a fictional description, it's still based on a very real, horrible war. And Kristin Hannah doesn't shy away from descriptions of the hellish war and its devastating ...

  17. 'The Nightingale' Is Reese's Book Club Pick

    Reese Witherspoon has selected Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale as the latest pick for her popular book club. Hannah's novel, published in 2015 by St. Martin's, follows two sisters living in France during the country's Nazi occupation. A critic for Kirkus called the book "a respectful and absorbing page-turner.".

  18. The Nightingale Book Review

    narrator, Polly Stone, setting, France, 1940s. Book Rating: 5/5 "In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.". This book has a presence. A heartbreaking yet inspirational novel, The Nightingale was such an emotional read for me. I listened to the audio during my daily walks and I remember sobbing while walking past ...

  19. Kristin Hannah Reinvented Herself. She Thinks America Can Do the Same

    100 Notable Books Advertisement Kristin Hannah Reinvented Herself. She Thinks America Can Do the Same. In "The Four Winds," the author of "The Nightingale" and "The Great Alone" takes readers...

  20. The Nightingale Book Review

    And if you haven't read the book yet, I hope this review piques your interest and you choose to embark on this poignant journey crafted by Kristin Hannah. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and engaging in a stimulating discussion. Our Rating. My personal rating of "The Nightingale" is a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.

  21. The Nightingale book review

    The Nightingale book review. In love we find out who we want to be.In war we find out who we are. In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye 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 ...

  22. The Nightingale Book Review

    The Nightingale Book Summary. The Nightingale Book is an amazingly beautiful novel about women in the French Resistance. It is about 2 sisters Vianne and Isabelle who face challenging situations during World War II era, yet emerge as a hero. The Nightingale (2015 novel) is based in France. The story is inspired by the life of Andree de Jongh, a ...

  23. Nightingale's Survival Aspects Are Familiar, But Its Strange Worlds

    Nightingale supports up to six people in cooperative play, and that section of the game was the highlight of our preview. Inflexion jumped us ahead in the progression to the mid-game, where you'd ...

  24. Nightingale Hands-On Preview: "Exciting Opportunities For Expansion"

    Nightingale is a new survival crafting game with a unique Victorian gaslamp fantasy twist and a focus on player-driven procedural generation.; The game features cooperative PvE multiplayer and allows players to explore different Fae Realms. While Nightingale has room for improvement, early access development looks promising and the game has exciting potential for expansion.

  25. Maximilian Nightingale's review of Where the Wild Things Are

    Surprisingly difficult! This book is written entirely in hiragana, so it's easy sound out and read aloud. As for understanding, there's a surprising number of vocabulary words not in the 30k most common words. It wasn't hard to look up most of them, and some the monster-related vocabulary showed up multiple times, so that was helpful. The "kaijuuodori" (monster dance) near the end was a nice ...

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    36 likes, 9 comments - marjiereads on February 5, 2024: " BOOK REVIEW: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden Pub date: 2/13/24 Rating: 3 ...