Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Die Nachtigall

An absolutely incredible book from beginning to end. I was extremely emotional; I often felt what the main characters did along with them. While I could never possibly understand what they were going through to its core, I hurt when they hurt, I was apprehensive throughout the book as they were, etc. I have always been fascinated with historical fiction books though I’ve found myself drawn mostly to WWII books. That said, I absolutely loved this book and how considerately detailed it was given the heavy and heartbreaking topics that Kristin Hannah had to describe.

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silverhill's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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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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lemonyanemone's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I am devastated.

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romeyhomey's review against another edition

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dark inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a beautiful read and I couldn't let go of the book in the last chapters.
I know it's a work of fiction, but when it depicts something so absolutely heartbreaking, at times almost unbearable to read, I don't want to give out an opinion - I feel like it doesn't really matter.

The last six words of the book are absolutely beautiful, as is the rest of it of course - although beautiful is not the word I'd choose. It'll stay in my head and in my heart a while.

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