As you probably have seen, I’m a HUGE FAN of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I was hoping the second novel I read by her wouldn’t disappoint and it was so good. So good. I couldn’t stop reading. One day it got so good I read while I tanned, read while I laid in a pool float, got out of the pool, hopped in the bathtub and read some more. Then, I finished the book that night. I think I read close to 300 pages in an afternoon/night.
Couldn’t put it down. You won’t be able to either. Long book, but I finished it faster than most books I’ve read.
Summary: The Nightingale takes place in France and begins in 1939. Vianne and Isabelle are sisters, but they barely know each other. After their mother died, their father gave up on being a parent. Vianne is 14 years old when her mother passes, and immediately finds comfort in the arms of Antoine. At 16, she gets pregnant. At 17, she’s married to Antoine. Isabelle, who is a decade younger, is left to fend for herself in the world. She is shipped off to boarding school after boarding school only to get kicked out every time.
Then, WWII begins. Antoine leaves to fight in army and Isabelle returns from boarding school to Paris. Her father immediately ships her off to Vianne’s where tensions run high. Along the way to Vianne’s house, Isabelle meets a boy and falls in love only for him to abandon her when she makes it to her sister’s house.
A Nazi officer moves into Vianne’s home and Isabelle has a lot to say about that. Isabelle wants to do something. She wants to fight for her country, and she won’t stop until she figures out a way to do just that.
Women played a large role in WWII and this book does a great job at showcasing just that. Two female leads that embody strength in their own ways. They fight their battles different, but I’ll stop there so I won’t spoil the story!
Genre: Historical Fiction
For Fans Of: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, and The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.
Where to Order: Parnassus has paperback copies for $18. Click here to order your copy today.
PS, this book is coming to the big screen Christmas day and the Fanning sisters are playing the main characters. I could die of excitement. It’s going to be like Little Women on Christmas Day last year all over again. GIRL POWER AND A GREAT STORY. Okay, I’m done yelling now.
xo,
msv
Mary Spencer Veazey 