Title: The Nightingale

Author: Kristin Hannah

Release Date: October 8, 2015

Length: 440 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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****My Review****

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Without any doubt, many of you have already read this phenomenal story. I haven’t up till this moment. And to be perfectly honest, I have no idea why I waited so long. Historical fiction is among my favorite genres. And WWII stories are quite often on my reading list.

But I waited anyway to read The Nightingale. Perhaps too much hype somehow serves as a deterrent. Maybe after reading several riveting books on this topic, I didn’t want to be disappointed…
And I almost always wait for the storm of reactions to subside to decide whether it’s time to embark on a certain literary adventure.

I didn’t give Kristin Hannah a chance when it was released, but The Nightingale occupied me as quickly as Germany occupied France during the Second World War. The rich language structures, the compelling story, the eloquent writing style… every single thing in this book somehow suited me.

This may be a historical fiction that takes place during The Second World War, but the story feels so real. Bouncing between the period during WWII and the present day, we follow two sisters in France during the period when Germany is taking over France.

I liked the touch of darkness and resonance of The Nightingale. Those two might describe the development of the novel most accurately. In the whirlwind of the WWII, two sisters, as different as day and night, are the main characters.

Wien, who got married very young, maybe trying to compensate for her mother’s death. Perhaps that decision was influenced by the lack of interest of her father. And there is the other sister Isabelle, rebellious and untamed, like a young and inexperienced mare, who also tries to draw her father’s attention to her.

Maybe Isabelle’s and Vianne’s differences are an excellent approach to best portray the thoughts of most of their fellow countrymen and women.

In 1939 occupation was not something that concerned French households. In fact, French people couldn’t even imagine their freedom being taken away and all the gloomy shades it carries. They were not prepared. Disrupting a learned routine hurts, perhaps more than a physical blow.

Sleep doesn’t bring the same peace, nor does the smell of baked bread taste the same when it meets your mouth. War is a disorder that plays with the mind and does not leave the body in peace. Nothing is the same…

The Nightingale is a story of war and love, resistance and perseverance… It portrays the invincible temperament of the French woman. Maybe of all those women whose beds were disturbed by the harsh human hands. Two lines drawn parallel eventually tend to converge again, right?

Will it be the case with the estranged Wien and Isabel? Will the war, which brings no good to anyone, be the reason they become sisters again, as they never have been before?

You will meet characters who were meant to keep the balance on the side of the villains but will grow to your heart. There will be those who you will despise from the very beginning. You’ll want to bury them only to see them later resurrected through exclamation points.

Hannah is an excellent connoisseur of human psychology, maybe that is the reason why her novels are experiencing global success. Perhaps her mastery of description is traced to her professional pursuit, a legal practitioner. In any case, she is one hell of a storyteller.

And I don’t know what I can write more about this book that hasn’t already been said. I am simply enchanted by this whole literary package. The Nightingale has everything a compelling WWII novel should have: an excellently woven story, realistic characters, and descriptions that transport you to France at that time. Also, I kind of really liked that we follow the whole action exclusively from a female perspective.

One more time, I will say how much I loved the writing style because it made me feel like I was there fighting alongside those characters. I felt their turmoil, I grieved with them, I cried……

Would you like to join a historical fiction roller coaster ride that you won’t be able to forget? Then choose this emotional and at times nerve-wracking story. The Nightingale is a story which will not leave you indifferent. Love mixed with fear, hope overshadowed by suffering and heart-wrenching choices are just some of the elements that won’t let you put this book down…