In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France–a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime. – Goodreads
I know what you are thinking…not another WWII novel! But save your eye roll and hear me out! The Nightingale is an epic, breathtaking journey of two sisters that absolutely captivates from the first page. Both women are quickly confronted by the war and even though they could not be more different, they each respond to their situation with courage and resiliency. In the face of extreme danger, they end up putting everything on the line to save others, showing how heroism can come in many forms.
I have to say that it was so refreshing to have women at the forefront of a war based novel, seeing their perspectives and personal struggles. And even though it is the work of fiction, history tells us that there were many real women who risked their lives doing the very same things that Isabel and Vianne did. Kristin Hannah actually based her novel on Andrée de Jongh, a woman who helped establish the Comet Escape Line, a network of people who risked their lives to help Allied servicemen escape over the Pyrenees to Spain. 
So as we approach Remembrance Day this November, this inspired read will be in my heart along with all the women who risked their lives, not just during WWII, but in every war, past or present, to save others. I could not recommend this read more. It is incredibly well written, heart wrenching and one of the most powerful reads I have had in the past few years. A story of survival, redemption, and love that will surely linger long after you’ve finished those last pages.
Have you read The Nightingale? I’d love to hear your thoughts! xo