The Nightingale Book Review

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

2015

Historical fiction

The Nightingale is without doubt one of the best books within the historical fiction genre. One of the reasons I love historical fiction is because it’s a genre that tells the stories of people who are left behind by history, and The Nightingale is no different. The book tells the story of two sisters, Marianne and Vianne and how their lives intertwined and differentiated in occupied France during the Second World War. Their lives are vastly different, but Hannah’s story is incredibly important to showing how much women in France underwent during the war.

One of the things that always stands out to me is how emotional Hannah’s writing style is. Marianne and Vianne both go through such difficult events and Hannah explores the emotional side effects of war. The book takes place from the beginning to the end of the war, giving you so much time to become attached to the characters and their stories. This is my second time reading The Nightingale and I think I cried more than the first time.

 

Rating 5/5: I think The Nightingale is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction. Not only is the story a page turner, but draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the end.