Karen’s Pick
March 2015
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Publication Date: February 3, 2015 – St. Martin’s Press
The Nightingale is the story of two sisters, WWII, tragedy, horror, passion and the human condition, It’s 1939, in the French village of Carriveau, and Vianne Mauriac is preparing for her husband to leave her to fight the Germans on the Front. Soon after his departure, the Nazis occupy this quiet countryside and a young German captain moves into the Mauriac home. This forces Vianne and her young daughter Sophie to co-exist with the enemy. As the war escalates, food and money become scarce, and hope dwindles, Vianne’s once joy-filled world becomes bleaker and bleaker. Abruptly, she is forced to make unthinkable moral and ethical decisions that force the reader to ask the question –what would I do in this situation?
Concurrently, Vianne’s sister Isabelle, a burdened and dejected 18-year-old, leaves the Mauriac family home and travels to Paris. She has been searching for a purpose in her young life and when given the opportunity to join the French Resistance, she does so eagerly. She needs to make a difference. As a purpose driven member of the group, Isabelle chooses a life path and makes decisions that push her physically and emotionally beyond comprehension. Isabelle is now forced to define herself and those who once confused her. (The author has stated that her inspiration for Isabelle was the real life story of a woman who led downed Allied soldiers on foot over the Pyrenees.
The sisters’ seemingly different circumstances are skillfully woven together by the author. Hannah’s writing often took me to places that were too hard to imagine yet I could not put the book down. While tragic, this compelling novel celebrates the resilience of spirit and the strength of will. This is made crystal clear in the opening words of the book:
In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.
If you are ready to take a seat on an emotional rollercoaster ride, I very highly recommend The Nightingale.