A review by stephanieam
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

I do not even know where to begin. This book. Wow. It pulled me in from the first page and somehow managed to get better and better as I progressed through it. I love dual perspectives, and I thought it worked particularly well here. It helped to break up a narrative that spanned a long period of time (and ran the risk of being too long) into smaller, more manageable events. In addition, it allowed for more layers and insight. Vianne and Isabelle were so different in their temperaments and priorities and had such divergent life experiences over the course of the war as a result. Both sisters were flawed but still likeable in their own ways, and their individual developments throughout the story were fantastic. This was a book full of interesting and multifaceted characters along with moments that completely defied my expectations. I cried on more than one occasion. Actual tears streaming down my face, nose running, ugly crying. Even at the end, I just sat and stared and cried about everything that happened. A truly beautiful and moving work of historical fiction to say the least. My first Kristin Hannah read, and the bar has been set incredibly high. A few days have passed since I finished this book, and I am still thinking about it.