The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Synopsis:
France, 1939
In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.
Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.
My Review:
“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.”
I’ve read a fair amount of historical fiction about WWII. I worried that this book would be filled with stories I’ve already heard from , but it was not the case at all. We often hear about what men do in the war, how they fight, their bravery and sacrifices. However, this is the story of the women left behind and the choices they make.
The Nightingale is extremely moving, beautiful and searing. The setting is France under German occupation in World War II. Little by little the Nazis tighten their grip. Initial politeness turns to barbarity. Nazi collaborators live comfortably and have plenty to eat. The rest of the population is close to starvation. Jews are fired from their jobs and then rounded up for deportation to concentration camps in Germany.
The story focuses on alternating between two French sisters, who have a tense relationship which stems from childhood issues. Vianne and Isabelle are quite different from one another, and this offers readers the chance to follow both women on very different courses through the war. It describes the unimaginable hardships they endure in excruciating detail, making this reader cringe in fear and revulsion while at the same time, ensuring that said reader will not stop reading.
The pace of the book was relatively slow, but I think supported the concept that the occupation of France was not quick. It was long and drawn out, and the stress and reality of war broke many people. The slow pace also helped to develop the main characters, and several supporting players. It kept pulling me back in for more.
Ms. Hannah’s skill as a narrator is flawless. She took me to Paris, and through her eyes, I felt I was experiencing everything that Isabelle and Vianne were experiencing, I felt anger, love, happiness, sadness, and incredulity. Hannah did an amazing job in her research and applying her knowledge to the story and characters.
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