| Book Review | The Nightingale.
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"Men tell stories. Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over." - Kristin Hannah.
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Earlier, only those tales of bravery were narrated in which men took the centre stage. Gradually, people took notice of women who stood in the shadows, all the while letting men take their place in history. While men fought physical battles, countless women sacrificed their lives to protect others. Their battles are quiet but invigorating nevertheless. I'm a feminist through and through so when I saw The Nightingale displayed at the store, I knew I had to have it. A tale of two sisters who fought against the Germans back during The Second World War sent my adrenaline pumping. Though this is a historical fiction, the instances and idea of the book holds true. Women have always been strong and quick witted even during the wars when they had to keep up a strong front to save not only their families but also their neighbours.
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Vianne and Isabelle were never close. When their mother died and father returned from the war, their family changed for good. While Vianne found Antoine and had a daughter named Sophie, Isabelle turned wild and rebellious. Their entire lives pass away in seeking their father's affection. With the onset of Germans in France, things take a severe turn. Frenchmen are sent to fight while women and children are forced to open their doors to the cruel German officers. Every year brings death, starvation and loss while the women fight with what they have to protect their families. Vianne houses a kind German officer called Beck with whom she shares an unnamed companionship. Isabelle on the other hand becomes a strong asset in rescuing many British pilots. This story is of courage and hope both crucial qualities that makes a woman.
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Both the sisters couldn't be any more different but the war brings them together like nothing else ever did. Vianne's guilt of not being a good sister gnaws at her while Isabelle constantly tries to seek love from Vianne as well as from the father. Although Vianne doesn't have a fighting streak in her, she is surprised by her own ability of saving people and children from the Germans. The author paints a vivid picture of people's plight when the Nazis invaded their cities, shipping off jews to concentration camps, forcing them to wear bands on their clothes, looting food while leaving the french to starve to death. The acts of courage carried out by the sisters is an example to thousands of similar instances carried out by women during the actual war. The story runs in two years. Past and future. While I knew that one of the sisters was narrating the future, I was pleasantly surprised to see which one did it turn out to be.
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This fictional novel is brilliant and I say this not only because of the clear highlight of feminism but also due to the actuality of the event. War is always a horrifying topic to talk about but it creates a proper impression when narrated well. Kristin does a splendid job in this book and considering this was my first book of her, I was blown away. It's a beautiful dedication to all the women fighters out there who once faced or still face many problems but give it their best to overcome it. My only concern was the repetitiveness/length of the book but I'm willing to overlook it. I highly recommend it.
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Rating - 4.7/5.