The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Hannah has successfully portrayed the horrific occupation of France by Germany in WWII.   She does this through the use of a dysfunctional family and their experiences in the war.  

Isabelle was a self-centered teen who would fit right in with the Valley Girls.   She through herself into situations with little or no fore thought.   She was constantly striving to be loved by her father.

Vianne was Isabelle’s older sister.  The difference in age of several years when young seems unbridgeable and inconsequential later in life.  Vianne, too, sought her father’s love.

The book primarily shows the growth and depredation the two girls experience through the war.  

The overview of history and how France was self-deluded into ignoring the Germans is often seen but Hannah makes you live if through the experiences of her characters.

The depths of soul that Isabelle and Vianne plumb are awe inspiring.

This was a thought-provoking book. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.