What readers think of The Nightingale, plus links to write your own review.

THE NIGHTINGALE is a fine example of a beautifully written and extensively researched historical novel. Kristen Hannah has brought the characters to life in this page turner. Set in war torn France at the onset of World War II, it is an epic story of one family's enduring love and unimaginable acts of bravery in a tumultuous period. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and to others who enjoy a book that promises to captivate!

Kristin Hannah's latest book The Nightingale is the story of two sisters and how each reacts to the challenges of living in France under Nazi occupation.

The sisters grew up in the years after the Great War and both saw and felt the destructive effects of that war on their family and those left behind. Their father returned from World War I a very different man than the one who left and then shortly thereafter their mother died. Their father could not or would not care for his daughters and they were pawned off on relatives, schools and others, growing up with little familial love and connection.

While the book is focused on the lives and different personalities of the two sisters and how each in their own way responds to the horrors of war, the question at the very heart of the book is - when would I risk my life -- and most important, my child's life - to save a stranger?

Hannah says that In love we find out who we want to be, in war we find out who we are. And sometimes, perhaps, what we would do to survive. This book is and exploration of that thought.

Hannah was particularly good at introducing lesser known historical events from the war, i.e. the exodus from Paris, the Vichy collaboration with the Nazi's, the betrayal of the Parisians by the French Police, the events at the Velodrome d/Hiver, retaliation against French resistance, and the dangers of the Pyrenees escape routes. I would heartily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Hold the phone, cancel appointments and have some tissues handy for a well-researched novel of the very disturbing years (1940-1945)of Nazi occupied France. A story that will stay with you long after you have finished. It is not only about the occupation but about the brave women who risked their lives and lives of their families to save strangers. I strongly recommend the Nightingale to all readers. We as a society, must never forget the sacrifices people make in order to save a way of life and ideals that form such strong characters.

The book begins in 1995 and then jumps back to 1939 to tell of happenings in France prior to and during World War II. Sisters Isabelle and Viann have many anxious moments, problems, etc. and the author keeps the reader engaged as their stories unfold and other characters are brought into the novel. The book tells of feelings and situations, such as despair, ugliness, survival, death, pain, loss, fear, anger, love, shame, horror, secrets, murder, hopelessness, bravery, hunger, tragedy, endurance, memories, heroism, miracles, joy, regret, grief, heartache, sadness. I'm amazed at how much a person can endure and still survive Good read.

This book falls under what I call "Holocaust Light", but the more involved I got in the story the more I enjoyed it. Taking place in France under Germany's occupation it was a different view of the time during World War 2. Bravery, daring as well as desolation were all a part of the story. The character development was generally good except that it was frustrating to have part of the story narrated by one of the key protagonists 50 years later now living in America but to never be told how she had ended up there and what had happened in the intervening years. Over all, well done.

Set during the German occupation of France during WWII, The Nightingale, is about two young sisters who put their lives in constant danger dealing with the Nazis.

Isabelle, the younger sister, impetuous and daring, joins the Resistance at the age of 19. In the meantime, Viann, her older sister, remains at home while her husband goes off to war.. How these two brave women go about in their own way to help the "cause" is awe-inspiring.
Hannah's skillful writing, her awesome characterizations make for a great read.

This is a very special book!

Wow! Rearrange your schedule before you pick this book up because it will not be contained in a gentle read each evening. It demands your attention.

It's a tale within a tale: 1995 -an old, dying woman finally returning to Paris; 1940's – two sisters (Viann and Isabelle) reacting to occupied France in different ways. Which sister is the one journeying home? In heart rendering detail we learn of France's fate during World War II, true friendship, parental love and sacrifice, and the potential for strength of character that lies within each of us.

In these days of beheadings and innocents caught up in war zones, this is an essential book to read. Kristen Hannah's Nightingale transcends the pages of historical fiction and poses the question, "When evil is everywhere around you, what would you do?" Like the strips of fabric tied to the tree in the garden reminding Viann of loss, this book will float in my subconscious forever. Bravo, Kristen Hannah!

As with most of her best-selling novels, Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale focuses on the intricacies of family relationships. Here, she has set her fast paced tale during the very bleak years of the Nazi Occupation of France (1940-45). Little surprise then that the plucky, head-strong sister joins the Resistance, while the conservative one takes longer to find her niche in the fight. Conforming to genre norms, the plucky one is fearless, her love interest has gray-green eyes, and eventually all family misunderstandings are are exposed and forgiven. Well-researched and smoothly written, Nightingale is a great companion for a rainy mid-winter afternoon.