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A review by maryanneross
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
5.0
How can I begin to talk about this book? It's a women's story of love and war. How often do we think of war as simply a men's story? The Nightingale tells of 2 very brave sisters and the part they played in the French Resistance during WW II. Parallels can be drawn among The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief, and Unbroken. But Kristin Hannah narrates a different story. While I've read many books about Europe and the US during WW II and post WW II, I learned a different history lesson while reading Hannah.
Like The Book Thief, it tells of the people left behind. It tells how war has a deep influence on all, not just the soldiers. It tells that while the Nazis were "cleansing the population" so that their world could be a better place, their world was decaying.
The Nightingale is also a political story of proud resistors. What would you do? What would I do? Often I admit to myself that I would be one of the quiet majority who would go along with the world around me because I would want to stay safe, stay alive. But perhaps when resistance comes early, our decisions would be easier. I can't help but think about the comparisons which have been made between Nazi Europe and our own current political situation in the US. Of course resistance comes at a price. In The Nightingale, Isabelle is passionate about her country, her France. Am I passionate enough about my US? This is a question that I asked myself repeatedly while reading The Nightingale.
I highly recommend this book for history buffs, voracious readers, and political enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read about brave women, strong women. Finally, I recommend this book for those who believe that learning from the past is protection for our future.
Like The Book Thief, it tells of the people left behind. It tells how war has a deep influence on all, not just the soldiers. It tells that while the Nazis were "cleansing the population" so that their world could be a better place, their world was decaying.
The Nightingale is also a political story of proud resistors. What would you do? What would I do? Often I admit to myself that I would be one of the quiet majority who would go along with the world around me because I would want to stay safe, stay alive. But perhaps when resistance comes early, our decisions would be easier. I can't help but think about the comparisons which have been made between Nazi Europe and our own current political situation in the US. Of course resistance comes at a price. In The Nightingale, Isabelle is passionate about her country, her France. Am I passionate enough about my US? This is a question that I asked myself repeatedly while reading The Nightingale.
I highly recommend this book for history buffs, voracious readers, and political enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read about brave women, strong women. Finally, I recommend this book for those who believe that learning from the past is protection for our future.