Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Nightingale

I don't really know how to put my feelings about this novel into words, I think I spent last twenty or so pages bawling my eyes out it was that painful.
The Nightingale is a work of fiction, but it's hard to draw a line between it and reality, knowing just how realistic it is(as far as I know, it is inspired by true story of Andrée de Jongh, as a direct inspiration for Isabelle) and that the society keeps forgetting that women live through the wars too, while trying to either have their families safe in danger of the full blown enemy occupation, or to stick to their beliefs and fight for them. Vianne's and Isabelle's stories are equally as tragic and heartbreaking, while on the flipside, showing how heroic they were.
I think it gave enough details of the horrific events without overtly describing them. It certainly packs a punch in the realism of the war and what it takes from people who are 'lucky' enough to survive it.

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jdjd2025's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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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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eberzy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

Loved this focus on women and their efforts during WW2–a perspective I haven’t read about yet. This was emotional and action-packed. Amazing character arcs. I always love a father redemption story. The flashing forward was a bit confusing to me at the beginning…and maybe not necessary. However, the big reveal in that final chapter was so gripping and perfect.

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