“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.”


It is really no secret that one book can impact different people in different ways. What is a masterpiece to one might be a mediocre pass time to another, and that is the wonder of subjectivity. We perceive things differently and the same thing will not necessarily impact two different people in a similar way.

However, one thing I do believe is that some topics are subject matters that everyone must delve into, and the theme of this book is in my opinion an essential one everyone has to expose themselves to. The story revolves around two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, who must each survive the devastating tragedies of World War 2 in their own way. Vianne is a gentle girl who shines in her role as a caretaker, while Isabelle is bold and daring, impulsively plunging into whatever battle she wishes to fight.



“I am a mother and mothers don’t have the luxury of falling apart in front of their children, even when they are afraid, even when their children are adults.”

Terrible circumstances have a way of bringing out who we really are, beneath all the facades we choose to build to maintain a social image or even an image we wish to have ourselves believe. This book does not fall short in putting its characters through very difficult situations, having them pass through very trying times and staying true to the nature of the events happening, a happy ending is never guaranteed.

So many times, we see young and hopeful people be beaten down, broken, jaded, and have the light snuffed out of their eyes, figuratively and literally , and the reality of life sinks in. Yes, life can be a pleasant stroll in the garden, hearing the birds chirping around us in the trees, seeing bright blue skies and beams of sunlight smiling down on us from the heavens, but life can equally be a cold, jagged, cruel place, where the wind breaks through our bones, where disease gradually tears down our bodies, where we see our loved ones tortured, violated and murdered in front of our eyes, while we stand there powerless, filled with rage and sadness we find no means of expressing. This book shows us both of these aspects, and the stark contrast is a perfect representation of our time here.



World War 2 was a terrible time, as all wars are, and so many innocent lives are unfairly defiled with cruelty, only to fulfill the ambitions of power hungry people. It is a cruel reality that makes my blood boil, and this is perhaps why I felt myself very impacted by this book. The aspects of war we never see, the unspoken sacrifices women make, during times like these, is a good eye-opener for us to appreciate our female friends, our sisters, our mothers, our grandmothers, all these warriors who make such a great impact in history but are often times neglected and unacknowledged.

The unique struggle women face during the war was the highlight in this story, and one might be tempted to think that the hero is always that impulsive and daring woman who throws herself into the trenches and stands alongside the men, but that is really not the only type of woman who is the hero, even though she definitely also deserves the title. Women who stay at home, tend to their children and their households and have more nurturing personalities are also heroes in their own way, with all the unspoken sacrifices they make, which require a level of emotional resilience that is enough to wear down gigantic mountains; these women are heroes just as much as the former type and as well as all the men who fight in the front lines.


“I know now what matters, and it is not what I have lost. It is my memories. Wounds heal. Love lasts. We remain.”




The impact of war on children was also a concept that was explored beautifully in this book, the way such tragedies shape the innocent minds of these young angels.

“Tante Isabelle says it’s better to be bold than meek. She says if you jump off a cliff at least you’ll fly before you fall.”



The exploration of The Holocaust and the unbelievable amount of cruelty that took place during that time is a very strong point here as well, and it is essential for us to read such stories, no matter how painful and bleak they are, because it is through the mistakes humanity has made in the past that we learn the value of kindness, compassion and love, as everlasting weapons against cruelty and an insatiable lust for power.

For all of these reasons, I believe this book is a must read, regardless of some issues one might find in aspects like the pacing or the quality of the immersion of this work. To be fair, the very typical French cliches were abound here, and some of the details of very difficult operations were glossed over.

The pacing might have been slow at some points, however, that stays true to the life of war. Sometimes, the monotonous days that keep dragging on without end and the tedious repetitiveness of life are very real aspects people face during this time.

A point often mentioned, the "cliche" instant love declaration made by Isabelle at the beginning of the story, is not so unrealistic to me at all, since it stays true to the nature of her character, a fiery, impulsive girl who wears her heart on her sleeve, so I will not count that as a negative in my review.

I understand that there might be other historical fiction works which are more detailed and immersive than this one, but the essence of this story and the emotional punches it delivers definitely makes it a favourite of mine. I do not like the book because of the romance in it, since I find it to be very basic, but because of the deeper realities explored during war.

I recommend this book, regardless of how many stars you would rate it, the themes explored are profound and very important. It did personally touch me, and sent a wave of emotion flowing through my heart, and it felt complete and right.

“Men tell stories,” I say. It is the truest, simplest answer to his question. “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. Your sister was as desperate to forget it as I was. Maybe that was another mistake I made—letting her forget. Maybe we should have talked about it.”




5 stars to The Nightingale.