Best Book of March 2025: The Nightingale
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah book review and recommendation with NO SPOILERS
Date: 3-01-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 10/10
Book Cover Rating: 10/10
(My personal opinion)
Title: The Nightingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
Pages: 564
Genre: Historical Fiction
Subplots: Romance, War
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published: 2015
Number of Editions: 229
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audio
Awards Won: Audie Award for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction and Nominee for Best of the Best, Dublin Literary Award Nominee, and more.
Goodreads Rating: 4.64/5
# of Goodreads Ratings: 1,718,182
Amazon Rating: 4.7/5
# of Amazon Ratings: 348,843
Movie/TV Show?? : Movie!!
Book Type: Standard
POV Type: Multi, Third Person
Pacing: Average
Generally: A moving, emotional rollercoaster about two sisters during war.
Blurb:
Isabelle and Vianne haven’t been anything like close sisters for years. Isabelle, the risk taking, spontaneous sister. Vianne, the careful, family oriented sister. Vianne is married and has a daughter. In their small French town she and her family are happy. Peaceful. Until, Vianne’s husband leaves for war, the Nazis invade, and a Nazi officer requisitions a room in her house. The lack of food and safety certainly don’t help anything either. In just a short period of time her whole life has been flipped upside down.
Isabelle’s is a different story. She has always been jumping from one boarding school to another; so stability isn’t something she has ever been used to. When the Nazis first invade she is furious. That anger turns to motivation. Motivation to take a stand and protect the France she loves.
How much will these sisters be willing to risk in order to return France to its previous state of freedom? Will they be tied down with responsibility and obligations, or will they take a stand? No matter what they do, can they really even make a difference? Or are both of their lives and relationships as they knew it permanently ruined?
My Review
Going Into It:
Going into this book I was so EXCITED because I’ve heard so many good reviews of it!!
Main Characters:
Vianne Mauriac- Vianne is a French woman. Her husband fights in the war and she has a young daughter. Vianne tends to be overly cautious and likes to please others, but will do anything to protect her daughter.
Isabelle Rossignol- Isabelle is Vianne’s younger sister. Isabelle is reckless and passionate, but mostly because she had to be growing up. No one has ever cared too much about her, and she feels very alone.
WOW WOW WOW!! I LOVED these characters and cared about them with EVERYTHING inside me!! There was still room for massive character growth, even though I’ve loved them throughout the whole book.
Character Rating: 10/10
Setting:
This book takes place for the majority in France, but also bits in Spain and the USA.
Beautiful, descriptive, enchanting, desolate, and MORE!! I don’t even have the words to fully describe how great this was!! It switched back and forth from current time to the past, and I LOVED that so much!!
Setting Rating: 10/10
Plot:
😭😭😭😭😭😭So sad and sweet and AMAZING all at once!! I LOVED every part of this plot!! It was unique, had great pacing, and makes you SO attached to every part of this book.
Plot Rating: 10/10
Writing:
Literally PERFECT. Enough said. I could not admire and love Kristin Hannah and her beautiful writing more.
Writing Rating: 10/10
Ending:
😭😭😭😭So sweet and sad!! I loved this ending and how it wrapped up the whole story. I loved how the past connected so well with the present too!!
Ending Rating: 10/10
The Overall:
I could not recommend this more, and LOVED this book with every part of me!! 😭😭It was so sad, but also sweet, and made me more invested in a book than I ever have been before. The writing was literally PERFECT. I’ve given books perfect 5 stars before, but this book was SO MUCH better than any of them.
Overall Book Rating: 10/10
I would un-doubtably recommend this book
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Kristin was previously a lawyer.
She has now written over 20 bestselling books.
Her books have received some of the most coveted awards in the literary world.
For more information, view Kristin Hannah’s website: kristinhannah.com
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