The Nightingale: A Novel

Written by Kristin Hannah

Narrated by Polly Stone

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II 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 Best Historical Novel of the Year • People's Choice Favorite Fiction Winner • #1 Indie Next Selection • A Buzzfeed and The Week Best Book of the Year

Praise for The Nightingale:

"Haunting, action-packed, and compelling." —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Absolutely riveting!...Read this book." —Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of the University of Miami Holocaust Teacher Institute

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Feb 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781427252388

Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah is an award-winning international number one bestseller with more than 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her novels include, most recently, The Women (which topped the Sunday Times bestseller chart), The Four Winds and The Great Alone. The Nightingale is the winner of numerous best fiction awards and is soon to become a major movie, and Kristin’s much-loved earlier novel, Firefly Lane, was a number one blockbuster series on Netflix. Her writing has taken readers across multiple eras and to many places, but the thing that connects all of her work is the focus on what it’s like being a woman in challenging times. Kristin is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.

Reviews for The Nightingale

[miha94ostro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. So beautifully written. Enjoyed every second of it.

[Shannon Lamb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kristin Hannah does it again. What an incredible well written story, that leaves you so attached to all the characters. The book is both a sad and happy ending. I love the trickle in of the future storyline, it was not too much and didnt take you away from the main story. Cannot wait to read my next novel by her!

[Valerie Rousset LeBeau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book, great story and characters. If you like historical fiction based around WW2 you will love this.

[candylanette · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great book! I couldn't stop reading it, it was so good!! This is my first time really understanding what happened during the French invasion, even though these were fictional characters, the timeline was real, and this booked helped me understand. Blessings to all those who survived during that horrible time.

[breangel07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My heart aches. Such a beautiful, heartbreaking story. This book opened my eyes.

[Riley Hungate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Kristin Hannah novel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I chose to give this one a try because of all the reviews showing up on Tiktok, and now I see why so many reviewers were in tears! I thought this was an excellent historical fiction novel, because the real beauty is that while there may have never been two sisters named Viennese and Isabelle fighting in the resistance, there were hundreds of “Viennese and Isabelle”’s during the war, and we get to join them in their stories. At times, my teacher heart was so full, and other times, my big sister heart ached so badly. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, joyous novel, this one is not for you. But if you want to feel something real, then give this one a go- 1000%. ??️

[ramonapeters07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book about the war. She is a great author

[Joyce Harout · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Too long! It's pretty repetitive. The narrator was amazing. Her accents were spot on!

[ahepburn3219 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just wasn’t for me. This is just not a type of book I like.

[Linda Pattison · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hannah is a superb writer and her characters are very well researched and true to life and history. This was a heartbreaking story but knowing some in history actually did give up their lives to change history to the good is wonderful. Thank you.

[stevensmelcer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No words will express the way this story made me feel. The Nightingale left me in tears 30,000 feet in the air while flying to LA. This book was amazingly written, the twists were wonderful and the story is gut wrenching. A beautiful portrayal of our world history. This is a must read.

[Clary V · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and all I can says is WOW! Kristin Hannah did a wonderful job with this story. The deep dive into the lives of both French and Jews during WWII was so well portrayed. Everything in this story, Isabelle, Vianne, and their family's story is both heartbreaking and so inspiring. I will say the first half of the book starts on the slower side but by chapter 20 it picks up and it takes you on a deeply emotional ride. And the narration by Polly Stone was superb.

[Melinda Ruch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a beautiful written book, couldn’t put it down - can’t wait for more

[drapple_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in France during the second world war, The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters who are very different but both heroic in her own way. Vianne, married with a young daughter, experiences the war as a villager whose husband has gone to fight the Germans. Her sister, Isabelle, becomes involved in the French resistance. The story begins with a modern day event of an elderly woman moving out of her home and into assisted living. her son is helping her move and is surprised when she insists on taking an old trunk from the attic. This trunk is full of momentos from the era, things (and events) which her son knows nothing about. The reader does not find out until the end of the book which sister is still alive to tell the tale.Narration switches from Vianne to Isabell. Their perceptions of each other are often vastly distorted. Vianne thinks Isabelle is simply headstrong and rash, never thinking before she acts. Isabelle believes Vianne is simply a coward. The trials they must survive during Nazi occupation are often horrific for both sisters.This book, like All the Light We Cannot See, provides an important viewpoint of the war that is not often discussed: how it affected simple people who had to endure occupation and fighting. I highly recommend this book.

[pattylee-621744 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well done. But bring Kleenex.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written and heart-wrenching, this World War II tale focuses on two sisters in France. They are polar opposites in personality, one cautious, a mother whose husband is fighting the Germans. The other is brash and rebellious. Both are incredibly brave in their own ways. I loved seeing the war from their two very different perspectives. One fought the war through blatant resistance, the other contributed in a more quiet way.

[Rob Keech · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I usually don’t read fiction, but my wife recommended this book to me. I’m so glad she did, it was absolutely amazing! The author paints masterpiece after masterpiece using words, creating a vivid world of passionate and tragic beauty.

[firsttemple · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, tear jerking story of a time of great war.

[cynthiamackey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This one is a real page turner. Couldn’t put it down.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a beautifully written book about two sisters. France, WW2. Vivanne and Isabelle, so different and so much alike, and What they needed to do to survive.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. I will read anything she has written and I usually recommend her first when people ask what they should read. The Nightingale seems to be her first foray into literary fiction. Boy did she not disappoint. I have been very fascinated with World War II. I think because it just shocks me that something like this could have happened. The torture, heartbreak, and bravery just astounds me.

Even though The Nightingale is fiction, I bet there were several French citizen's whose lives mirrored the characters in this book. This is about Vianne and Isabelle, sisters with very different war experiences. Vianne is married with a daughter, Sophie and her husband is off fighting the war. Isabelle is an 18-year-old just wanting her Dad and big sister to love her. They both try to survive the war. Vianne stays in their family home where a Nazi officer Billets with them because their big house is near the airport. Isabelle heads off to make a difference with the war and helps smuggle fallen allied pilots over the Pyrenees. Both of them do very dangerous things.

I cared for both the sisters and worried about them. Kristin really knows how to pull the reader into the story and tug at your heart. If I don't cry reading a Kristin Hannah book then something is wrong. Yes, I cried reading this one. If you like literary fiction about World War II in France, then pick this one up. It will chip a little bit of your heart away.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two sisters--Isabelle and Vianne-- living in France during its Nazi occupation help persons escape over the Pyrenees and rescue young Jewish children. It's also the story of their family, friends, and network. It shows the horrors of the Holocaust. The author also created a modern aspect to the story as one of the sisters prepares to visit France for a 50 year reunion. This element was created mostly to produce an update on what happened to the various characters. The story seemed a bit slow to really develop, but once the story began to draw in the reader, it was absorbing.

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If there were 10 stars, I would have rated it a 10! German occupied France is the setting for this story of the "women's war" and the French Resistance during WWII. Excellent characters and a strong storyline. So many horrors of war, but a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. LOVED IT.

[john_warner-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The German conquest of France in WWII upended the daily lives of the French, including the protagonists of this historical novel, sisters Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol. When the Germans marched into Paris, Isabelle’s father sent her to stay with Vianne in the French countryside. However, when Isabelle’s rebellious nature endangers Vianne’s family, including her young daughter, she returns to Paris to join the French Resistance. A couple of years later the two sister’s paths cross with explosive results. I cheered at the two sisters’ successes and pulled tissues during each one’s trials. Although I have read a number of historical fiction of WWII, I continue to amazed how cruel many of the German army were against the conquered. A poignant novel which promotes reflections regarding the impact of war on the citizenry. A new favorite read for the year.

[taletreader_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kristin Hannah's writing is superb and captivates you from the very beginning. From everything beautiful to everything brutal, you are forced to take it all in. This is a very raw and emotional book; I'm not going to lie--I teared up quite a few times. One night I made the mistake of reading a particularly heartbreaking scene before going to bed. I had trouble sleeping the rest of the night. That just goes to show how powerful this book can be. And it is indeed powerful! I received this book for free from SheSpeaks.

[rmckeown_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hard on the heels of the thrilling novel of World War II and a pair of youngsters caught up in the Nazi invasion of France, I approached Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, The Nightingale, which involves the same subject. This time, however, no young German boys were involved. Anthony Doerr’s novel, All the Light We Cannot See, would be a hard act to follow. Kristin Hannah has placed a close second to Doerr.Kristin Hannah has written a slew of novels and has an impressive list of awards. She lives in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest with her son.The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters. When their mother died, their father shipped them off to boarding school. Vianne, the elder of the two, becomes pregnant and soon marries the father of her daughter, Sophie. Vianne’s father does not approve of the husband or the marriage, so he sends her and Sophie to a summer home in the south of France. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Isabelle, is charming, beautiful, precocious, and very much the rebel. She runs away numerous times, and finally is expelled from the school. She returns to Paris and her father’s bookstore. Then, the Nazis invade France, and chaos takes over. Papa orders her out of the house, gives her money for a travel to Carriveau to join Vianne in what he believes to be relative safety.Vianne’s husband leaves for the front, and is soon a P.O.W. Shortages begin, and then the Germans arrive and occupy the town. Vianne’s house is requisitioned by a German Captain. She must allow him to live in her home, or Captain Beck will seize the house and expel her and Sophie. Then Isabelle shows up. All this occurs in the first 20 pages or so, so the meat of the plot lies sprawled before the reader.While exciting in spots, something about the writing seemed a bit off in places. I detected shades of a romance novel here and there, which is Hannah’s primary genre. However, I never wanted to abandon the novel, even though I believe I subconsciously compared Hannah to Doerr. The novel is heavy on dialogue, and I found myself wishing for more introspection, more description. Here is a sample of Isabelle’s desperate attempt to escape Paris. Hannah writes, “Hours passed. The automobile made its slow, agonizing way south. Isabelle was grateful for the dust. It coated the window and obscured the terrible, depressing scene. // People. Everywhere. In front of them, behind them, beside them, so thick was the crowd that the automobile could only inch forward in fits and starts. It was like driving through a swarm of bees that pulled apart for a second and then swarmed again. The sun was punishingly hot. It turned the smelly automobile interior into an oven and beat down on the women outside who were shuffling toward…what? No one knew what exactly was happening to them or where safety lay ahead. // The car lurched forward and stopped hard. Isabelle hit the seat in front of her. The children immediately began to cry for their mother. // ‘Merde.’ Monsieur Humbert Muttered. // ‘M’sieur Humbert,’ Patricia said primly. ‘The Children.’ // An old woman pounded on the car’s bonnet as she shuffled past. // ‘That’s it, then, Madame Humbert.’ he said. ‘We are out of petrol’” (36).I also encountered a few phrases my creative writing class might recognize as clichés. But despite all the minor drawbacks, it is an exciting story with lots of twists and turns. Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, The Nightingale will certainly hold a reader’s attention all the way to the end. 4-1/2 stars.--Chiron, 9/8/15

[librarian1204 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The setting is France during WWII, seemingly a popular time and place in which to set novels. Two sisters are crippled emotionally by a father, who after surviving WWI, comes home a different man. When his wife dies, he abandons the girls and leaves them virtually on their own. The older sister, Viviane marries and has a daughter. she lives in the family home in Carriveau. The younger sister, Isabelle bounces from boarding school to boarding school unwanted by her father and her sister.Along comes the war and life changes for everyone. Both sisters in the five years of war will deal with life and the horrors of war around them. Each will make decisions for better or worse.Emotionally charged, hard to read at times but even harder put down, this book reminds me of Sarah's Key and the more recent All the Light We Cannot See.

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are so many books written about the Holocaust that I am somewhat burned out on them. But every now and then a new one comes out that just is not like all the rest. This holds true to “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah. Ms. Hannah has the gift of articulating the complexities of families and relationships. The reader can feel the struggles the characters are encountering – the pain of emotions felt and beatings taken, the fear of being found out and of losing the ones you love most in the world, the agonizing hunger felt each day. You are right there standing next to the characters; you are pulled into and become a part of the story. I thought she couldn’t get any better than her book “Home Front”, but this one is just as good, if not better In “The Nightingale” the sisters Viann and Isabelle live in the “Free Zone” in France. But this Free Zone soon becomes Nazi-occupied. It is difficult to read of the burdens the French people had to deal with each day for several years. People did what they had to do to survive. Some people were brave enough and humane enough to make attempts to save the Jews. Others, in self-survival mode, looked the other way. Others sadly joined the Nazis in their atrocities. The story here is very real. It reminded me of the book “A Woman in Berlin” about what the women had to do to survive, and they guilt and self-loathing they felt afterwards. One statement in “The Nightingale’ really hit me – “Men tell stories…Women get on with it…We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over.”The characters are very human with their strengths and their weaknesses. I loved them, I hated them, I feared for them, I rejoiced with them. Now the book is over but the characters live on in my mind.

[brokenteepee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vianne and Isabelle are sisters who are quite opposite in temperament. Their mother died when they were quite young and their father basically abandoned them afterwards in his grief. Vianne adapted a bit better in their new, group home atmosphere but Isabelle felt completely alone. When Vianne got married it almost seemed as if they would be a family again but then Vianne had a miscarriage and she fell into a pit of grief and could not care for Isabelle. At this point Isabelle went from boarding school to boarding school always seeking her father’s approval and never getting it.Vianne lives quietly in the house that once held the home to which her father abandoned her. She and her husband now have a daughter and all is well. But things are changing as Hitler comes to power and starts his march towards France. Vianne’s husband is called up and Isabelle is sent to the countryside – against her will – to be safe from what is happening in Paris. But Isabelle does not want to just exist. She wants to resist. She is young and full of fire.As the situation deteriorates and the war really comes home, even to their quiet little country town a Nazi office billets himself in their house. He is, despite his being part of the occupying army, a decent man and helps Vianne and her little family. Isabelle cannot deal with his being there and finds a way to get to Paris to further help the resistance.As the war continues on the conditions for both women get worse. Vianne has to manage her life living under the nose of a the Nazis and Isabelle takes on increasingly dangerous tasks. Both women need to consider how far they will go to save themselves and others.This was a totally enthralling book and I honestly could not put it down. I read it in one sitting on a rainy Saturday afternoon which seemed somehow fitting for the subject matter. The book starts in the present as Vianne faces moving out of her home to an assisted living facility due to health and she begins to look back on her life. The book tells the story of the horrors of World War II in France through how it impacted these two women. One who stayed in her home yet still faced the dangers of the Nazis and one who resisted them head on. The War extracted a heavy toll from both of them.Ms. Hannah writes to bring her reader into the story so that you feel you are walking along with the refugees or standing in line for rations. As with any book about this period in history there are parts that are not easy to read or to understand really – for who can truly understand the levels of cruelty that man can inflict? I was truly amazed to learn about the aspects of the Resistance told in this book. I spent a bit of time with the google after I finished reading and the book has stayed with me. I suspect it’s one I’ll read again.I received a free copy from SheSpeaksUp

[lori6868 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Touching, emotional, a must read for this genre.