The Nightingale
by
Kristin Hannah
Synopsis
This
epic novel tells the story of the women of World War II and the battles they
fought at home and behind the scenes. The compelling story centers around sisters
Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol and their struggles for survival amidst
the devastating effects of war. Older
sister Vianne is a teacher who lives with her husband Antoine and daughter Sophie
in the French Countryside when Antoine is called to join the war. When the Nazis invade France, Antoine is
captured as a prisoner of war and Vianne is forced to survive on her own and
protect Sophie for more than five years, all while Nazi soldiers billet in her
home. Meanwhile, the younger, impetuous Isabelle
joins the resistance movement, facing her own perils and falling in love along
the way. As the often-quoted line from
the book states, “In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who
we are.”
Elements of Historical Fiction
-
Frame/Setting:
Hannah devotes large sections of the novel to create vivid pictures
where the story takes place. We get
detailed descriptions of Vianne and Antoine’s home in Carriveau known as Le
Jardin, the Parisian apartment of the girl’s father, the escape route Isabelle
traverses at the Nightingale, and the concentration camps at the end of the story. Framing elements include a large focus on
food and cooking as well as details about life in Paris. As the war progresses, the imagery becomes
more and more bleak throughout the book.
While I cannot vouch for their historical accuracy, Hannah includes a list
of recommended reading to accompany the list that shows her intention on telling
a story that is historically accurate.
-
Tone: As with many historical fiction
novels about war, the tone of The Nightingale is grim and bleak throughout the
majority of the story. There is much
suffering and the story and its details convey the pain that the characters are
experiencing.
-
Story
Line: The story line
focuses on the effects of World War II on the people, especially the women, of
France. The story starts with Vianne’s husband
being called to duty to defend France’s border against the Germans and ends
shortly after the liberation of France and the Concentration Camps by the Allied
Forces and the end of the war.
-
Characterization: Sisters Vianne and Isabelle are
fully developed, realistic characters although completely fictional. Hannah creates a heart-breaking back story for
the sisters where their mother dies at a young age and their father, a veteran
of World War I who is heavily affected by his time in battle, is consumed by
the grief after the loss of his wife and sends his daughters off to be raised
in a boarding home. This trauma shapes the girls’ individual stories and adds to
the complicated relationship between the sisters. Nevertheless, the sisters are strong female
co-leads in a story that demonstrates the power and resilience of women in the
war. Hannah also creates two vastly different
Nazi soldiers who live with Vianne in her home and these soldiers give readers
pictures of the different types of men fighting for the Germans.
-
Language/Style: The story primarily takes place
in France and there were some French words and phrases included at times;
however, the language choices were not significant. The story is full of rich details.
-
Pacing: This was a larger book (over
550 pages) which is common for historical fiction novels. As is common, the book starts slowly as
Hannah spends a lot of time on the setting and framing of the story. Sections
of the book also moved more slowly as detail about events or new people or places
were added to create additional layers in the story. As the war draws to a close, the story picks
up pace as the reader is engrossed in the events leading to the Germans retreat
and the fate of the characters.
Read-a-likes
Stolen
Beauty by Laurie
Lico Albanese
The
Room on Rue Amelie by
Kristin Harmel
The Words
I Never Wrote by
Jane Thynne
Did you like the book? It's one of my absolute favorite books. I had never read a book that focused on Occupied France and I thought that was interesting. I spent much of the book thinking that Isabelle was the strong sister, but at one point I realized just how wrong I was. Both were very strong women, just in different ways. I did cry at the end, though. Like, sobbed. Uncontrollably. Many people think that's not a good thing when reading a book, but I very much disagree. I want a book to cause such strong emotions.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I very much liked it. It is a funny time to read a book like this though. As a mom, I found myself relating a little too closely with Vianne and her struggles to feed her kids during wartime, despite the fact that I have plenty of food here and money to go buy more if needed. Ironically, I didn't cry at when when reading it and I am definitely a crier when reading. I really was surprised at that. I think it's the stress of the times right now and it probably caused me to read it from a more emotionally detached place. But I definitely enjoyed it and understand why so many people love it. I think I'll have to reread this one in a few years.
DeletePart of the reason I picked this book was that my paternal grandfather was in the second wave of US soldiers to land in Normandy on the day after D-Day and he spent a chunk of the war in France and always told us stories growing up. He's been gone over a decade now and I wanted to read more about the war in France to put some context with his stories.
Interesting book looks like a good read. World War II is such a great setting for historical fiction
ReplyDeleteThe audiobook of this is FANTASTIC! Great summary and elements. You really fleshed out a lot of this book. Full points!
ReplyDelete