Kristin Hannah is a novelist with over twenty published books under her belt. Her 2015 novel The Nightingale, has been critically acclaimed in the years following it's publication by Macmillan Publishers. Along with many raving reviews, The Nightingale won best historical fiction on Goodreads in 2015. In 2016 it was a finalist for two Audies awards, both fiction and female narration. These accolades are well earned and if the merit of the book is anything to go by, more recognition will be rolling in as time passes.

The Nightingale follows two french sister through the span of World War 2 in a German-occupied France. As the sisters adjust to being a part of each other's lives, they also learn to deal with parting. The reader can watch the younger sister Isabelle as she runs head first into rebellion and her own search for justice while viewing the older sister Vianne taking care of her own daughter as she awaits news from her husband. As the story unfolds, each woman finds a way to follow her own courage through the trying times of war.

Kristin Hannah finds a way to give voice to the women who fought their way through the war, not with guns or ammunition, but through determination, bravery, and compassion in the most inhumane of times. As readers watch each of the sisters take their own paths, they cannot help but reflect on the nature of right and wrong. This novel calls into question not only the role of women in war, but their role in a society that often favors the malicious.

If you are looking for a stimulating read on the nature of war and how people can resist in the worst of conditions, The Nightingale is a must read. From bread shortages, to freezing winters, peppered with billeting Nazis and absent fathers, this novel tackles huge issues and takes them down with might. The novel also addresses the bond between sisters, and that even once strained, it can be one of the most powerful connections in life.