"The Nightingale" - Kristin Hannah

Hello fellow bibliophiles!

I sit here in preparation to write my next review with tears still in my eyes, trying to fully process the story I have just finished. I started this book in plans to read for a few hours on my relaxing Sunday afternoon when then next thing I know 6 hours have passed and I have read over half of the book. Needless to say I got up from my chair long enough to make a fresh pot of coffee and then sat back down to finish.

I easily gave this book a rating of 5 out of 5 on Goodreads. Unbelievable is the only word that comes to mind right now. I am not sure if I can give this book the justice it deserves from a review; there are no words that can fully justify a story as unbelievable as this one. Please, understand that what I have wrote below does not even scratch the surface of the story and I fully encourage you all to read it.

 "In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are."

                                                                            -The Nightingale

Those words rang true throughout the entirety of the story which begins in the present, Oregon 1995, told by an unidentified narrator who begins by setting up the mystery of that which is her life story. We quickly are transported back to France 1939 at the start of World War II where we learn about two sisters who take decidedly different paths of resistance throughout the duration of war. One who yearns to protect her family and home at all costs while the other risks everything, including her life, to save the strangers around her; each one battling what is right or wrong but necessary for survival. While the story bounces back and forth between the two sisters and their journeys, the reader is also brought back to the present at times in which the story is being remembered. Kristin Hannah writes in an unbelievable and moving manner. She easily places you within the story, hoping and praying for the characters. I often found myself covering the next page to prevent myself from jumping ahead or covering my face in disbelief at what was happening at that point in time. The reader is constantly kept on their toes in anticipation of what is to come next.

While the story may be fiction, Hannah does an incredible job at including many historical facts about the resistance in France and other aspects of the Germany Occupation during WW2. Hannah's writing and storytelling bring light to the daily choices people in Europe were faced with throughout the war and the toll it took on them not only at that current time but also years later down the road. The book is enthralling and constantly leaves you yearning for more. Hence I finished the book in once sitting. There was no preventing the tears that came throughout the final chapter. Books like this do not come along often. Whatever you do over the next few weeks, I hope reading this book is one of them. You won't regret it. 

As always, feel free to share your comments, suggestions, and recommendations! I would love to hear what you thing of the book! 

Happy reading fools :)