Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Nightingale

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

302 reviews

astoriareader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

SYNOPSIS:

Two sisters, Isabelle & Vianne, are living in Nazi-occupied France in WWII, and we follow their two different stories & experiences during this time.
There is also some chapters with an unknown narrator in 1995, who appears to be looking back on the time in France.

MY THOUGHTS

This one lived up to the hype.
Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This is my 3rd read by her. Previously, I read The Great Alone and The Women, so this is my 3rd read by her.
Hannah’s writing is vivid and captivating. Even though this is a fairly lengthy book (around 570 pages), I found myself not being able to put it down, and I got through it pretty quickly. By the end of the book, I felt like I had been on the journey with the characters.
Since this involves WWII, the topics are heavy. This isn’t an easy read. It is a harrowing, heartbreaking, and emotional story. Although there are a lot of sensitive topics involved, Hannah did a great job at not going overboard with grotesque descriptions. In fact, the lack of descriptions made it even more horrifying, as your mind can easily close the loop on what is happening.
I loved the complex characters and the family dynamics. Throughout the book, we learn that the sisters are essentially estranged at the beginning of the war. They are very different people, and they have different stories. I enjoyed seeing the two sisters grow, and they learned a lot about themselves & each other. I could feel all the women were sacrificing & putting on the line.
I can only imagine all the research that Hannah had to undertake while writing this, so hats off to her.
Hannah masterfully shows readers a wide range of challenging situations that folks faces during this period of time. Since this involves WWII, I figured there would not be a happy ending. Although it is not a happy ending, it is a satisfying one.
I loved having two strong, capable women as main characters.
This book will stay with me for a long time. It is emotional & powerful, and the characters face unthinkable situations. Although it is historical fiction, it is moving reminder of what real people went through in WWII, and it is a tough pill to swallow.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️historical fiction about 2 sisters in Nazi-occupied France in WWII. Heartbreaking, harrowing, emotional, and powerful.

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kelleymccandless's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The book was fine, but I found it a bit….melodramatic? Like improbably unfortunate even for a novel of its subject matter.

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theycallmerash's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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gymjam_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

An insightful and emotional read into life in France during ww2. Focusing mainly on two sisters, it's a tale of how they endured the horror and did their bit for the war effort in the shadows. They were a drop in an ocean of women who were somewhat invisible yet powerful and invaluable weapons.
There were many times I almost stopped reading as it got too slow but I'm glad I persisted. Even though it's a piece of fiction, it felt very real. I've not really delved into or learnt much about how it was to be in France during that time-frame so it felt like a history lesson wrapped in a believable story. It leaves you feeling reflective, heart-broken and inspired.

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mmhender2's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This was my second time reading this book, and it's as good as I remember. Two sisters in France during WWII take different paths during the war, both doing what it takes to survive. Vianne is the cautious one who does everything to protect and save her daughter. Isabelle is reckless and unafraid. Both take risks to save others. A beautiful story about the power and resilience of women in the face of war.

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