'The Nightingale' by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah (3.5)

There is definitely no lack of novels set during World War II, so you ask yourself ‘why read another?’ I usually look for a topic of nuance not covered in earlier books. This particular book is quite similar to ‘All The Light We Cannot See’ as it is set in France during the Nazi occupation. My feelings are also similar: the plot was compelling and interesting, but something was missing. I can point to two things – first the major reveal (the identity of the narrator) seemed obvious and annoying. Second, the behavior of several characters was hard to believe. When you start to disbelieve and dislike major characters (who are supposed to be sympathetic), you tend to become less engaged in their outcome. In this case one of the characters, Isabelle, is very strong and the reader wants her to ‘win’ regardless of her faults. Unfortunately, with her sister, Vianne, one is less sympathetic and I found I didn’t care at all what happened to her. Given our recent trip to the Pyrenees, I really enjoyed reading about the Resistance taking people from France into Spain. We visited a refugi 2 miles from the French border that housed many escapees during the war.