“In the quiet, rural village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband as he heads for the Front. The invading Nazi soldiers have arrived in droves with their trucks and tanks. Planes are filling the skies, dropping bombs on the innocent. When a German captain requisitions her home, Vianne is forced to make one impossible sacrifice after another to keep her family alive.
Her rebellious sister Isabelle is searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians flee the city, Isabella meets and falls in love with Gaetan, a committed partisan. When war separates them, Isabelle joins the Resistance, risking her life time and again to save others.
The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters, separated by years and experience; by ideals, courage, passion and circumstance - each one embarking on their own dangerous path towards survival, love and freedom in an occupied, war-torn country. Heartbreakingly beautiful, it is a novel that celebrates the resilience of the female spirit.”
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. Anyone who knows me knows that, for the past 11 years my favourite book has not changed (The Catcher in the Rye). Key word: was. This fact never wavered, until recently when I partook in a buddy read of The Nightingale with my friend on bookstagram. I went in knowing this book would most probably break my heart, but I never expected it to make its way into my heart to quite the extent it did.
I have included the synopsis from the back of the book and I will endeavour to further sell it to you. This will be completely spoiler free so please read on to find out exactly why I am now in love with this book.
From the first page, Kristen’s immaculate writing style gripped me. Her words flow from the page, poetic yet raw, heartbreaking yet heartfelt, dramatic yet serene. I was immediately gripped by the build of the story and the growth of the characters. It didn’t feel like I was simply reading about the two sisters' stories, it almost felt like I was there with them. The way this book has been written makes it impossible for you to not be drawn in and attached. I didn’t just read about their happiness and sorrow, I felt it.
As mentioned in the synopsis above, Vianne has to share her home with a Nazi soldier. More often than not, fictional war books portray, and rightly so, Nazi soldiers as being monsters. However through Beck, we saw human, loving qualities in him. He was kind and more often than not went out of his way to help and guide Vianne. I definitely felt fondness and sympathy towards him, which I believe was definitely Kristen Hannah’s intention.
In contrast with Beck, we also read and witness the true brutality of the Nazi party. There are definitely some triggering parts (please check below for all trigger warnings) which was a true reflection of what we expect and have come to know about Nazi Germany and its soldiers. It was difficult to read in parts, and I found myself wincing quite a lot. This only functions to add a sense of realness and truth to the otherwise fictional story, and really made me feel more engrossed.
The sense of heartbreak was constant within this harrowing read. We witnessed the sisters' losses. Vianne pining for her husband, the terror the people of Carriveau felt, the inhumane persecution and constant dismay. I won’t say this was by any means an easy read, but it certainly is an important one. There are a lot of fictional reads based on WW2 but this one just seems to hit differently, in the best way, as if there was a new level of horror and heartbreak.
Above all, this book teaches the importance of family and love, and that above all things, they will always exist. Through the pain each character went through we saw the constant message of hope; a poignant message that not only relates to times then, but also times now. Vivanne and Isabelle showed inner strength and went on to fight every single day.
I absolutely recommend this book to every single person. Yes, your heart will break, but this book will change you. You will fall in love with the sisters - with their fight, with their struggles - and you will be in awe of their strength. You will become fully immersed from the first page.
It’s an emotional read that I don’t have enough words to say just how much I adore it. It’s a haunting read that will always have a warm place in my heart, one that will live with me forever. If you have read this book then I would really love to know how you found it. If you have this on your TBR or simply want to pick it up, then please do!
As previously mentioned, the TW’s:
Antisemitism
Rape
Pregnancy (from rape)
Miscarriage
Cancer
Death
Grief
Murder
Torture
War and Concentration Camps
Sarah
Writrer
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