“The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Nightingale is the story of two sisters living in war-torn, German-occupied France. The choices they have to make and the things they have to see and survive are truly heartbreaking but they can't stop and dwell on those feelings. We often hear about the things that men have to go through during a war but the battle that the women have to live through is just as real and they need to make choices that affect not just themselves, but their children as well. I sometimes have a hard time with the Historical Fiction genre because I feel like I'm reading a history book rather than a novel but this was not the case here. Kristin Hannah does a fantastic job of immersing you in the time period so you feel like you're there living it, not here learning about it. This is a great book club pick as well - there are lots of controversial "What would YOU do" discussions to be had.

UPDATE: I had to bump this one up to the full 5 stars. You know how sometimes you read a book and it takes awhile to process it? This book was not a light read by any stretch. There's a lot of dark in the world and I try to avoid it during my leisure/reading time so I was in a bit of a fight with this one when I finished it. For me, what makes a 5 star book is one that really has a lasting impact which is hard to gauge when you've just put it down. It sticks with me and makes me want to re-read it (or re-listen to it especially after I've heard the Audible version of this is even better than the paper version with the narrator having the perfect French accent). Don't miss this one!