Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Nightingale

I feel kind of bad rating this on the lower end because I think it's main crime was just being not really my thing (it was a gift). This book is impressive in it's scope. From the French soldiers going off to war to the aftermath, every moment is so detailed. I would say this book is more about creating a vivid picture of life in WWII France than it is about the plot or characters. (I did feel that the characters, and particularly their relationships to each other, were the weakest part of the book). My guess is that you will like this if you like historical fiction, because it is beautiful, engaging, and well-crafted.

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mandi4886's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A must read

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oliviabrcka's review

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challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The Nightingale follows two French sisters - Vianne and Isabelle - throughout the duration of World War II. Vianne is about 25 years old; she is a wife, a mother, and entirely content in her life. Her husband is deployed to fight for France, and soon, the French surrender. Vianne's only goal is to keep her head down and mind the Germans long enough for the war to end and her husband to come home, but things aren't always that simple. Isabelle is the opposite of her sister. Eighteen years old and hell-bent on avoiding authority and rules, Isabelle sees the effect the war is having on her country and is longing to make a difference. Despite her sister's wishes, she launches herself into helping the French Resistance and soon finds herself more invested than she had initially thought. I finally picked up The Nightingale after seeing in recommended on nearly every Historical Fiction recommendations video on YouTube. People have been raving about this book since it came out and now I can see why. I was a tad worried about this book not living up to the hype but I was not disappointed and I am even more excited to read more of Kristin Hannah's work now!
Overall, Kristin Hannah does an incredible job of weaving these intense, emotional stories in a way that is so raw and beautiful. Her ability to transport the reader to the headspace of her characters in incredible. While reading Vianne's chapters, things feel tense and conservative, but Isabelle's chapters feel more unhinged and outgoing. I find Hannah's writing really accessible. Her stories are typically slower-paced, but they take place over a span of years, and by the end you realize how much the characters have actually gone through in such a short amount of time.
Vianne and Isabelle both share the role of the main protagonist, and their opposite personalities really shine through and make this a much more dynamic story, because there is a rule follower and a rule breaker. Both characters change immensely over the course of the book, in their bravery, selflessness, and resolve. Hannah also has a uncanny ability to write sisters who don't get along, but would do anything for one another, and that is brought to the forefront of The Nightingale as well. The sister bond between Vianne and Isabelle is so prominent despite the fact that they spend a majority of the war separated. I also thought it was interesting to watch the relationship between Vianne and her daughter, Sophie, develop as Sophie becomes older and begins to truly understand the war raging around her.
The Nightingale is set in German-occupied France during World War II. Hannah does an incredible job of showing the quick deterioration of the French countryside. It turns from rich and beautiful, straight out of a fairytale, to dreary and barren. Hannah's writing once again shines through as the overall atmosphere of the book continually adds to the emotion and gravity of the story.
The Nightingale explores themes of family, resilience, selflessness, and bravery during times of great tragedy, as well as remembrance afterwards. We watch the characters constantly be tested in their resolve, their love for one another, and their ability to protect the ones they love, no matter what it takes. We watch them hold the ones they love dear to their hearts, even as they are taken away. Hannah portrays these themes in a heart-wrenching, devastating way, but her themes always shine through. I couldn't help but feel for these characters throughout their story.
I would 100% recommend The Nightingale to anyone interested in a World War II, emotional novel. Although it started a little slow, the gravity of Europe's struggles during World War II is spellbinding and watching these women cope with the world they live in is something that I think everyone needs to understand.

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lazyowl's review against another edition

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dark inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a heart wrenching, at times soul crushing historical fiction set in WWII in France. The story whilst fiction has been derived from historical figures and tells the story of the sacrifices and amazing heroics of women during this period that often went untold.

This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions. I railed at the unfair and horrible acts against the innocent to the truly evil actions of humans against each other. I cried at how much these women endured all whilst trying to protect their families. I felt hope for the women who took risks to selflessly help the vulnerable.

A highly recommended and important read. My words do not do this justice, just go read this book.

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remy_licked_my_book's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is a 4.5 star read for me. Kristin Hannah has historically not been my favourite author so I tried to go into this story with low expectations. It started out and I remember saying to my friend, "I'm not connecting to either main character, I just don't like them". Oh man, was I wrong. This story blossoms into beautiful character development. Vianne, Isabelle, and Sophie all mature and use their resilience to transform into women who take care of themselves. Their bravery and strength are a shadow of the true bravery and strength displayed by any one and everyone affected by WWII. I really enjoyed the ending, I fell in love with the characters all over again and things were tied up very nicely. The back of the book where Kristin Hannah talks about what inspired the book was very interesting, I will definitely be checking out some of the memoirs that this story was based on!

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