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silverhill's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Child death, Deportation, Gore, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, War, Medical content, Torture, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, and Genocide
Moderate: Vomit, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
astoriareader's review against another edition
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Genocide, Hate crime, Rape, War, Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Murder, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abandonment, Torture, Miscarriage, Sexism, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Cancer, Infertility, and Pregnancy
lemonyanemone's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Cancer, Hate crime, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Infertility, Pregnancy, Torture, War, Sexism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, and Antisemitism
nikimorr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I wanted to stick this book out because I appreciated the story and wanted to see it end. I preferred the story from Vianne’s point of view as a woman just trying to survive in the war - I found it most interesting and relatable. I liked exploring how Vianne as a a citizen of occupied France lived, not just how the heroes and heroines lived. The dynamic with Vianne and Herr Beck was particularly fascinating - the enemy (a nazi) not being a horrible person/maybe even worth liking is a gray area I love to explore. The last 150 pages were by far the best of the book, and it all came together very beautifully. I loved the ending for “Papa” and for Isabelle in particular. I always appreciate endings for characters that aren’t entirely perfect and happy but still feel right.
I had a suspicion of who the “present day” character was - which proved to be correct - which I’m sure was an emotional plot twist for many readers.
Graphic: Child death, Antisemitism, War, Violence, Torture, Genocide, Deportation, Death of parent, Death, Rape, Miscarriage, Grief, Infertility, and Colonisation
nattattack_12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Infertility, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Cancer, Antisemitism, Torture, Hate crime, Gore, War, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Rape, Gun violence, and Genocide
chasekj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Sexual violence, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Vomit, Grief, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Torture, War, Antisemitism, Blood, Cancer, Xenophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape
syd991's review against another edition
- 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
This book is extraordinary. Although I found some parts a bit slower, the vast majority of this book kept me turning the page. I simply don’t have the words to describe the sadness, beauty, and thoughtful story told in this novel.
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Gore, Death, Genocide, Grief, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Cursing
lainey_sherman3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Deportation, Gun violence, War, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Rape
Minor: Cancer
marine2907's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, Cancer, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Deportation, Cursing, Grief, Medical content, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Torture, and War
lindseygcarden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, War, and Religious bigotry