The Nightingale A Novel

The first pages were a bit boring but the hole story is so well written and heart touching! I absolutely love this book which is so sad tough:( This book really teaches you what we take for granted but we should think that not everything we consider,,basic" is something rare in times of War. BIG recommendation!

Incredible book, history, love, emotions, exciting till the end! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This was the first of Kristen Hannah's books that I read, and it only left me hungry for more! It's a very brutal and honest story, but if you like books about WW2 this has to be one of the best. Kristin Hannah is an expert in creating interesting and strong, but also relatable characters, even though you might not always agree with their decisions. This book is one of my personal favourites that I'll definitely keep on my book shelf!

Let’s get one thing straight: this book wrecked me. I didn’t expect to be curled up on the couch sobbing at the ending, whispering “are you kidding me” into the pages. Thank God I wasn’t in public—I would’ve looked absolutely unhinged. But here’s the thing… while the emotional punch landed hard (like, sucker punch to the gut hard), I really struggled with the writing style. It’s stripped down, full of short, clipped sentences that felt more informative than immersive. It kept me at a distance in moments where I wanted to be drowning in emotion. And that’s not necessarily a flaw—it’s a stylistic choice. But for me? It made it tough to fully fall in. That said, the plot delivers. Set in France during WWII, it follows two sisters—Vianne and Isabelle—as they survive, resist, and sacrifice in ways that broke my heart ten times over. The twist? I didn’t see it coming. Not even a hint. When it hit, I had to put the book down and just sit there. It was that powerful. So yeah… do I love the prose? No. Did it emotionally annihilate me anyway? Absolutely. It’s the kind of story that creeps up on you, slow and steady, until you’re drowning in it. Would I recommend it? If you can push through the style, yes. For the story. For the heartbreak. For that gut-wrenching, beautiful ending that still sits in my chest like a ghost.

I thought I’d love this book since so many people praised it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a particularly special read for me. One of the main characters really annoyed me, and I DNFed it at around 150 pages. I hope others enjoy it more.