Vivienne "Viann" Mauriac is guest of honor at a reception
in Paris
honoring The Nightingale, a woman who, through her
bravery, made many
trips across the Pyrenees mountains savings over a hundred
soldiers from
America and Britain from sure death by the Nazis.
Always a rebellious
young woman seeking a purpose in her life, Viann's sister,
Isabelle
Rossignol was THE NIGHTINGALE. Speaking before an
overflowing hall of
people about Isabelle and the way life was in Paris in the
40's during the
French invasion by Germany, the now old woman relives the
horrors of
that lifetime. Attending the meeting with Viann, Julien
sees this brave
woman as someone other than just the mother who has cared
for him
throughout his life.
It's 1939 France and the beginning of Vivienne (Viann)
Mauriac 's
nightmare. Living in her family home in the village of
Carriveau, her
husband Antoine and daughter Sophie, then eight years old,
deny that
Germany can ever occupy France. The horrors begin when
the men are
called to war and Viann, along with all the other women,
are left to face
the Nazi's invasion into their homes and lives.
Witnessing the suffering
and abuse keeps fear in their hearts every day they
struggle to survive at
the hands of their captors. While Viann is doing what is
forced upon her
to keep her and Sophie alive, starvation is reality for
everyone in the
village. Unrealized horrors of murder of women and
children, rape and
starvation, are set upon them while Isabelle is secretly
supporting her
country behind the scenes.
The brave and determined young woman
suffers at the hands of the Germans and takes everything
they deal her
without ever losing her courage and commitment to her
country and
family. Viann knows nothing of her sister's bravery,
until it is nearly too
late to repair their differences. With Viann's house
occupied by a German
officer, she is forced to adhere to the enemy's demands to
save her
daughter's life. Viann is also a brave woman, secretly
doing her own part
for her beloved country.
THE NIGHTINGALE is one of the most nostalgic tearjerkers I
have ever read.
The deep-rooted and emotionally tragic story of the events
surrounding
WWII and the invasion by Germany is something that will
stay with the
reader the rest of their life. The persecution of the
Jews is such an
injustice it makes your heart bleed to read of what they
suffered at the
hands of the Germans. Few books have driven home the
absolute
atrocities brought on by war and the individual impact on
women and
their lives. Men have always been noted for their
bravery, but the women
bore their own sacrifices, seldom given credit for.
THE NIGHTINGALE will be sure to
strike your heart and compassion for these brave women
willing to do
anything in an effort to protect their own. Kristin
Hannah never ceases to
amaze me with her heartrending stories. She is, and
always will be, one
of my very favorite authors.
In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are. FRANCE, 1939 In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can … completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others. With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy