The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Beans)

This is a book set in France in world war 2 and follows the story of 2 sisters. The French side of the war is one I’m unfamiliar with but was incredibly compelling. This is historical fiction, but I’m sure could be based on very real events.

This was a pretty big book, and the first half felt really meandering and slow. Looking back I think the author did a great job of buildup and helping us to better know the characters, but it’s a lot to read to get to what I thought was the better half.

The second half was incredible and gripping and had me awestruck. War is a very far away concept and not something I think of a lot, but this book did a great job of helping one see the everyday atrocities of war, on top of the horrible things we are more familiar with. The cold, the hunger, the distrust, the emptiness, all of it was on display in this book in a way that felt so tangible and horrendous.

I think the real beauty of this book is how she wraps it up. Not with a neat bow, but with reunions and hope and admission and forgiveness and hurt. Life is a fickle thing and relationships are the one thing we have to hold on to.