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The Nightingale

Kristin Hannah

Start date: September 1, 2019

Finish date: September 30, 2019

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Jan 13, 2016 Marie (UK) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge

enjoyed the book. It was well written. like an incoming tide of the ordinary and the extraordinary, Tension built and dissipated over the course of the book. The characters were very well defined and engendered strong and sometime changing feelings. It was a thought- provoking work of fiction. Had it not been for people like Isabelle and Vianne, Micheline, Gaetan ... the world would be a very different place. every age has its heroes and heroines and I think Kristin Hannah brought this one to l ...more

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Jan 05, 2018 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, world-war-ii, france

This book is hard for me to review. It falls right into the genre of books I love. I would love to give it a high score, but I think this falls right at about 3.5 for me. I also unintentionally just read 2 books set in France during WWII, but I think the other one was significantly better.

Vianne and Isabelle are sisters, separated by a significant age gap. Their childhood was rough.

WWII begins and France is occupied by the Germans. Both Vianne and Isabelle suffer and survive through the occupat ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 Keri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: listened

Another amazing book by Kristin Hannah. I’ve come to expect nothing less from her. She really knows how to pull on your heartstrings, then rip your heart out and put it back together again in pieces.
This book showed a side of the women during the war living in German occupied France, specifically following sisters Vianne and Isabelle. They are two very different women, both with stories of what they did to protect those they love and help themselves and others survive. It was heartwarming at tim ...more

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Jun 16, 2021 Susan rated it it was amazing

I started this book and was like "it's meh" and my mom said I had to keep reading. She swore I wouldn't be sorry and to keep going. The old me would have just stopped to come back to it some other time. I can't just DNF a book. I've only done it one time and it was a reread. Other then that I have always pushed through and read every single book I start. I have a lot of books on my currently reading list and I do plan on finishing those books one day. Everyone assured me this book was worth read I started this book and was like "it's meh" and my mom said I had to keep reading. She swore I wouldn't be sorry and to keep going. The old me would have just stopped to come back to it some other time. I can't just DNF a book. I've only done it one time and it was a reread. Other then that I have always pushed through and read every single book I start. I have a lot of books on my currently reading list and I do plan on finishing those books one day. Everyone assured me this book was worth reading. Well!!! I am so glad I pushed through and kept at it. I make it sound like it took me most of the book when really I was like 60 pages in and wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I think the whole historical part of the book. I read about 20 more pages and I was hooked. In all fairness the book was great from the beginning. I had a Booktuber in my head and I thought I felt the same thing nut I ended up really loving this historical fiction book. I need to rethink my thoughts on this genre. I bet there are so many more out there I would love so monthly I am going to add a few to my TBR to see if I like the genre.

Vianne and Isabelle are two women that have very different views of the war on France when the Nazi's took over and they react in two totally different ways. One tried to protect her daughter and wait for her husband to come home and chooses to comply with what the Germans have asked. To do anything different could cause you to be killed or beaten. The things Vianne has to endure to make sure her children remain untouched and protected no woman should have to do but war makes her do what she never thought she would have too. It was the only way to make sure she and the kids never were touched or harmed, Isabelle was a young teenager that was always into a lot of trouble at school and never followed rules. When the war came to France and a German came to live in Vianne's house and there was nothing they could do to stop him from living there, Isabelle was furious and often couldn't stop the words that came from her mouth. She was sure she was going to be shot. Isabelle went on to do great things in the war but then so did Vianne.

This was such a great story and also so hard at times to read. I really want to read more on WWII because I never read books set in that time. I think it's about time I do.

Even if you are like me and you aren't a huge fan of historical fiction you need to give it a try and if you do start with this book. You will not be let down by this book. HIGHLY recommend reading this book! ...more

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Aug 24, 2015 Miriam Murcutt rated it liked it

A novel about the nature of love and war as it’s waged both between countries and within families. The writing jarred sometimes in its efforts to sound authentic, and the World War II action and setting felt pretty well worn. However, a curiosity about the fate of some of the characters carried me along to the end of the story.

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