Review
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah had languished on my kindle for two years. It mocked me each time I turned on the device to delve into something else. Finally, finally I got around to reading it.
The reason I dragged my feet was because after reading one of Kristin Hannah's earlier novel, Winter Garden I was not impressed. The story was lacking, the characters never developed, in short, it was a hot mess.Fortunately, The Nightingale was the exact opposite.
The beginning was a bit slow. The characters took their time to introduce themselves and get to the meat of the story. Once our heroines were in place The Nightingale was difficult to put down. Isabelle and Vianne's tireless efforts never gave me room to breath. I was spellbound.
Kristin Hannah's novel is a story that is easy to get lost in. Isabelle and Vianne were strong female protagonists. Despite being sisters, they were vastly different in personalities as they each resisted politics that loomed ahead.
Isabelle was headstrong, and at times stubborn. Even though I found her frustrating I couldn't help but admire her as she helped the innocent out of France Von Trapp Family style.
However, despite Isabelle having the title of "The Nightingale" I felt the Vianne was the unsung hero in the novel. Her work to save children from a vicious fate aboard a train, and her quick thinking to hide them in plain sight via a forged orphanage was nothing short of brilliant. Vianne went to great lengths to keep these jewish children safe and it goes without saying that she would do anything for her own.
Speaking of which, Vianne's daughter Sophie was a heroic child growing up in a most difficult time. I felt that Sophie's character was the most heartbreaking. The reader sees her grow up and reads how the war has changed her from a care-free youngster to a hardened teenager. She carries just as many secrets as her mother and bares them admirably.
Despite being spellbound, I was a little disappointed by the ending. It was a little too unbelievable. Sadly, I found Vianne and particularly Isabelle's fate to be unsatisfactory and a bit of a let down. As a whole, The Nightingale was a fabulous read and would highly recommend it.
This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews