The book you read when you want to be inspired by women in war

In 1939 France, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he is sent to the front lines of the European theater as Germany begins its advance on France. She, along with much of France, doesn’t believe the Nazis will invade, but they do. As the Nazis continue to occupy and destroy France and reach the height of their power over Europe, Vianne must live with a German captain or lose everything. Without food or money, and in constant danger, she is forced to make impossible choices to keep her family alive. Vianne’s younger sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious 18-year-old searching for her passion. After fleeing Paris and entering the unknowns of war, she falls in love with a man she meets. She is constantly told that she is too young to know better or to help France defeat the Nazis, but she joins the French Resistance anyway. The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, tells the story of two sisters separated by age, experience, ideals, and passion, and how they overcome the hardships of German-occupied, war-torn France in their own way.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, especially WWII-based novels. I somehow always end up reading about women during WWII, and I love it. Although the stories are fiction, they are always based on actual events and people; reading about the struggles and hardships that women had to go through and how they prevailed is one of the most inspiring things to me. The events and the overarching themes of love, strength, hope, and courage that occur throughout The Nightingale are truly breathtaking, heartbreaking, and inspiring. It genuinely amazes me how so many women lost their husbands, their friends, their children, and themselves, only to continue to try to protect their families and fight back. The Nightingale, specifically, is based on the heroism of a young Belgian woman who created an escape route out of Nazi-occupied France, as well as other women who saved Jewish children and many other people from being executed by the Nazis. It is so crazy to me that people actually had to endure these things, and the fact that they had the courage to stand up strikes me every time. This book is written much like a movie script; so much happens throughout the course of the novel and the timeline moves very fast. I liked that aspect of Hannah’s writing because, although the book was long, it remained engaging and there was always one thing happening after the other. Overall, this book reminded me of how powerful and strong women can be; I highly recommend it.