A review by safekeeper
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

adventurous dark hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

After my second Kristin Hannah novel, the first one being The Great Alone, I am now on a mission to read as much as I can of her bibliography, because this one impressed me nearly as much as the first (I loved The Great Alone so much that it's hard to top it in my eyes). This book's 4.49 rating is well-deserved.

The Nightingale tells the story of the occupation of France during World War II through the eyes of women, one of whom becomes a partisan while the other has to remain at home with her children, trying to find a balance between doing what she can for her community, and protecting herself and her children from the Nazis.

The Nightingale is well-written, exciting, and tugs at your heart strings, while giving you insight into everyday life for French civilians during the war and the hard choices and sacrifices regular civilians have to make to survive. Also,

bonus points for a realistic depiction of the after-effects of sexual assault. This is glossed over in way too many books.

  My only tiny gripe with the book is the sudden perspective changes in the middle of chapters, which can be a tiny bit disorienting.

All in all, I recommend this book strongly. Looking forward to reading my next Kristin Hannah novel.