The Nightingale

nightingale

Hannah, Kristin. The Nightingale. New York; St. Martin’s Press, 2015. Print. 978-0312577223. 448 p. $27.99. Gr. 11+.

Kristin Hannah’s newest historical fiction novel is an excellent addition to the numerous titles that focus on WWII. Her story centers around the lives of two sisters living in France, Vianne and Isabelle. Their father fought in the Great War, and after the death of their mother, fully succumbs to his PTSD and sends both girls to Carriveau, a small village in southern France. Vianne marries young, but impetuous Isabelle is sent to one boarding school after another. The novel begins with Vianne’s husband Antoine leaving to fight with the French army, and Isabelle arriving in Paris after being asked to leave her latest boarding school. When Germans invade France, Isabelle’s father forces her to leave Paris, and on the march to Carriveau she meets and falls in love with Gaetan, a man who introduces her to the idea of the Resistance. When a German officer eventually takes up residence in Vianne’s home, Isabelle realizes that she cannot stay with her sister, and ends up leaving and joining the Resistance in Paris, leading downed Allied airmen across treacherous mountains to safety in Spain. Meanwhile, Vianne deals with the deportation of her Jewish best friend and living with a German soldier in her home. The characters of Vianne and Isabelle are expertly drawn, and the reader feels what each individual woman is going through and develops an appreciation for and better understanding of the roles of women during wartime. The novel is interspersed with short descriptions of one of the sisters as an elderly woman preparing to return to Paris for a reunion of survivors. The story is fast paced, well-written, and all-around an excellent historical fiction. Recommend this title to students interested in the Holocaust and female involvement in WWII.

Historical (WWII France)  Lindsey Myers, Peters Township High School

I randomly picked up this title, and I cannot believe that I had not discovered Kristin Hannah before. I absolutely love her style of storytelling, and wished that I had started this book in the summer so that I could sit and read for hours just to finish it!  Historical fiction is my go-to summer genre, since they are usually more lengthy than general YA fiction. Though this title is not being marketed for Young Adults, Isabelle is only 18, and I believe that her story will definitely appeal to young adults. They will identify with Isabelle’s adolescent angst and need for love and attention, but also will learn from her as she adapts and rises to various challenges that occur in her life. While I was reading this, our 10th grade Honors English classes came in to select historical fiction novels to read for an independent reading project. I book talked this book, and one girl immediately picked it up with excitement. I am eager to hear her thoughts, especially since I enjoyed it so much myself! This novel makes me want to read more first-hand accounts of non-Jewish female resistance fighters during WWII.

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