Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Nightingale opens with this amazing first line: “If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.” - pg 1 This story is about what it’s like to be a woman during war. The author says on her website that “In war, women’s stories are all too often forgotten or overlooked.” I had never thought about how true that really was until I read this book. Vianne and Isabelle are two sisters that we follow through World War II. One stays home and takes care of her kids and one helps in the war effort. Their story showed me that this statement is not true: “And it’s a fact that women are useless in war. Your job is to wait for our return.” - pg 26 What a beautiful reminder not overlook women and their strength. Even as a woman, I'm guilty of doing that sometimes. Since this is an historical-fiction story, I felt like there should have been an afterword talking about what was historical and what wasn’t. But don’t worry I’ve googled it all for you :) The Nightingale is inspired by a real person, Andree de Jongh. Don’t go read her biography before reading this book unless you want to be spoiled. Andree de Jongh and her corresponding character in the book were themselves inspired by a real nurse named Edith Cavell who served during World War I. You should read about her too :) I love pictures and the author has some beautiful pictures of places that inspired the locations in her book. I’m a geek for any reference to art or culture, so when I saw a reference to “drab-eyed, dark-clothed people who looked like they belonged in an Edvard Munch painting.” (pg 239) I had to look it up. He’s most famous for doing The Scream. You’ll love the writing in this book. It’s beautiful. I highlighted so many good quotes that I can’t share them all. This might be my favorite one: “Lately, though, I find myself thinking about the war and my past, about the people I lost. Lost. it makes it sound as if I misplaced my loved ones;” - pg 1 The Nightingale deserves all the hype and awards it's gotten. You should read it.