Hardcover

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale

Praise

“I loved Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. She has captured a particular slice of French life during World War II with wonderful details and drama. But what I loved most was the relationship between two sisters and Hannah’s exploration of what we do in moments of great challenge.”
— Lisa See, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

“In this epic novel, set in France in World War II, two sisters who live in a small village find themselves estranged when they disagree about the imminent threat of occupation. Separated by principles and temperament, each must find her own way forward as she faces moral questions and life-or-death choices. Haunting, action-packed, and compelling.”
—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“The Nightingale is a beautifully written and richly evocative examination of life, love, and the ravages of war, and the different ways people react to unthinkable situations–not to mention the terrible and mounting toll of keeping secrets. This powerhouse of a story is equally packed with action and emotion, and is sure to be another major hit. I loved it!”
— Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

“Hannah’s latest is a page-turner that will no doubt have readers reaching for tissues. This moving, emotional tribute to the brave women who fought behind enemy lines during the war is bound to gain the already immensely popular Hannah an even wider audience. [The Nightingale] is positioned to take the book world by storm.”
Booklist

“My wife came home as I was on the final few pages…she wondered why I was sobbing.  What a read. She immediately took it from me. Powerful and interesting on many levels as only great historical fiction can be.”
— David K. Cully, EVP, Baker & Taylor

“I inhaled The Nightingale in two days. I have read a lot of WWII sotries and I think Kristin really did the impossible….made a realistic, compelling and moving story about a very difficult subject without getting too graphic. I just loved every page. AND I LOVE THE COVER ART…JUST LOVE IT!”
— Charlotte Glover, Parnassas Books and Gifts (Ketchikan, AK)

“I loved it. I passed it on to a coworker and she loved it as well, and now the book has made its way to a third coworker. I had never read anything by Kristin Hannah, but I thought it was so well written with great characters and emotions—I teared up several times. I knew next to nothing about the French Resistance, so this was a great book to introduce me to that aspect of history, and the sisters were just so great—both resisting the Nazis in their own way, and both being equally brave. Wow – it was great!”
— Jeni Anderson, St. Catherine University Bookstore (MN)

“Good story, well told. The author did an excellent job of creating a family story against the backdrop of the war and it’s devastating effects of the French population. The sisters and fathers struggle to find the meaning of love and what they know about themselves, and each other is powerful. They all learn that fear is not an option in their resistance to the Germans but rather the overcoming of that fear and taking risks for each other and their friends and countrymen. The story also serves to celebrate the contribution of the many nameless women who risked their lives for their country and their families. These women have not received their due credit.”
— Bob Angell, Spring Street Books (Newport, RI)

“Loved every minute of it!”
— Barbara Kelly, Kelly’s Books to Go (South Portland, ME)

“Wonderful”
— Chery Kravetz, Classic Bookshop (West Palm Beach, FL)

“I got it, read it, loved it and passed it on to my wife and her sister. You forgot to include the box of Kleenex with the book. Very emotional and a twist or two at the end. We 21st century American cannot imagine the permanent trauma of that occupation. “
— Tom Vail, Corner Bookstore (Winder, GA)

“My heart is still full of the anguish and loss that the story brought back to me. The horrors of war, unfortunately, are never ending, but it is good to be reminded of the extreme sacrifices that people will make for each other. It was a riveting read.”
— Monica Holmes, Hicklebee’s Books (Los Gatos, CA)

“I loved it! I truly believe it is the best of all of her books—and I have enjoyed each and every one of them! Her handling of a touch subject matter was powerful…it was hard not to be moved to tears”
— Lydia Hart, Westwinds Bookshop (Duxbury, MA)

“Kristin Hannah is a superb storyteller. Set in France during World War II, she begins her tale with a family rift and gradually builds to a climax in the context of the horrors of war and the bravery and heroism of ordinary women who risk their lives to fight the Nazis. It has been a long time since a book has had such an emotional impact on me. Authors frequently don’t know how to end a story. Hannah does not have this failing. All ends are tied together, and the reader closes the book satisfied. Bravo, Kristin Hannah!”
— Marilyn MacIvor, The Bookstore Plus (Lake Placid, NY)

“Wow! I loved it! I loved that the main characters were both strong women, but one of them didn’t know her strength until later in life. I appreciated the historical context and learned much about WWII that I did not know, about the brave French people who risked everything to save others from death. When I read fiction, I don’t want to be bogged down by paragraphs heavy with historical fact and that is what I liked about Ms. Hannah’s style. I was immersed in the life and culture of the time. I did not need description and facts, I was living it! I also liked the twist at the end. For the entire book, I thought the present day old woman was Isabelle, when in fact it turned out to be Viann. When I finished the book, I felt satisfied, like all the pieces fell into place. Now I can’t wait to get my hands on other books by Kristin Hannah. I also can’t wait to recommend “The Nightingale” to customers once it is released next year! I think this will be a popular book club pick and I’ve already suggested it to my co-worker who runs our monthly popular fiction book club meeting.”
— Audrey Stanwood, Bestsellers Café (Medford, MA)

“I liked it a lot!”
— Virginia O’Neal, Cotton Row Bookstore (Cleveland, MS)

“I was sobbing when I went to bed. What an incredibly powerful story, what a vivid story. I was in France feeling and smelling everything. I have already put my vote in for the Indy Next Pick, I did that before I even finished the book, it is that good. I was at PNBA last week and there was a pile of ARC’s but it was the generic white cover and Kristin Hannah’s name was so small that no one was paying attention. I started handing them to everyone who came along. Later in the afternoon I walked by and other people were handing it out saying “I heard this is a really good book”, some rumors are good rumors.”
— Debbie Burke, Jan’s Paperbacks (Aloha, OR)

“I have never read Kristin Hannah before, but I had to read this one and what a powerful story!  Her question ‘When would I, as a wife and mother, risk my life…and most important, my child’s life…to save a stranger?’ is similar to one that I have asked myself when thinking of the horrors that occur in war. Ms. Hannah’s story was hauntingly powerful, it took me a couple of hours to finally stop crying when I had finished the book.  It is a tremendous story, Ms. Hannah’s writing is eloquent and draws a reader into the story completely.”
— Jody Robinson, Jan’s Paperbacks (Aloha, OR)

“I loved the book! The heartbreaking and brutal WWII story of Viann & Isabelle, sisters. Their work with the French resistance- their loves, loses and triumphs. I could not put it down.”
— Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo, WA)

“Two sisters – one a rule follower and one a rebel.  Set in France during WWII, the sisters do what they feel they must and in the end pick up their lives and go on.  But oh, what happened during the war will keep you turning the pages.”
— Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop (Southern Pines, NC)

“I cried when I finished the book, dreamed about it all night and thought about it all the next day. If you’ve read Sarah’s Key, you need to read Nightingale.”
— Jennifer Hale, Stowe Books (Stowe, VT)

“I would not have previously referred to myself as a fan of historical fiction, but I do think that Kristin Hannah’s newest novel has converted me! I don’t believe that the words I need to describe this truly amazing book exist in my vocabulary.The Nightingale is a beautiful story of the French Resistance during WWII. This is a book that you can climb inside and breathe. It demands to be devoured, felt and lovingly shared from the very first pages. As with all of the characters in The Nightingale, Viann and Isabelle are as real and special to me as any other characters that I have ever encountered. The relationship between these sisters is honest and heart-breaking. Each character and every relationship is a journey in awareness while being beautifully crafted and completely authentic. Hannah offers an awesome (yet devastating) perspective that will haunt me – possibly forever.”
— Cherise Bailey, The Bookstore Plus (Lake Placid, NY)

“I read The Nightingale in one sitting, completely transported to wartime France, completely forgetting where I was. A historical novel—built on Kristin Hannah’s proven skill with story, complex and enduring family ties, and passion—it’s a departure from her previous bestsellers, and one that will captivate readers and create an even larger audience for her.”
— Marilyn Dahl, Editor, Shelf-Awareness

“Wow! The Nightingale was all I could’ve hoped for! I’ve been ‘consuming’ WWII books since I read Exodus by Leon Uris under my covers with a flashlight. Kristin’s book will rank up there with those that I remember and think about again and again. She has put a fresh twist on this subject.”
— Nancy Simpson-Brice, The Book Vault (Oskaloosa, Iowa)

“I read The Nightingale and loved it”
— Faith Basten, Lake Country Booksellers (White Bear Lake, MN)

“I felt that I was there, I cared about the characters, and I was surprised and touched by end ending. Awesome.”
— Marion Hersey, Paperback Exchange (Minneapolis, MN)

“I was surprised by how much I really loved The Nightingale. I do find myself drawn to WWII books but I have read so many of them, and there certainly are a lot out there, I can be a tough critic. I really got into this book with just a few pages mainly because the main characters were so well developed and likeable and their relationships are so believable. I found myself really caring about what was happening to them and really routing for them. I gave it to my sister to read when I was done. She blew through it in only a couple of days too and was equally enthusiastic about it. This has been one of my favorite books I’ve read in the last several months.”
— Annei Laird, The Town Book Store (Westfield, NY)

“I stayed up until 2:30 last night to finish The Nightingale. I love, love, loved it…Favorite book I’ve read so far this year. I can’t wait for it to release so I can tell all my friends to read it.”
— Michelle Rothman, Amazon

The Nightingale is a taut and suspenseful novel that gives one a sense of the impact of World War II on the women of France as they participated in the French Resistance, housed German soldiers, and cared for their families under the life-threating conditions.
— Lee Becker, Cherry Street Books (Alexandria, MN)

“What. A. Book. I sat down at cocktail time last night, pulled this ARC out of my bag, and read until the last page—skipping dinner with my family and a decent night’s sleep.”
— Kimberly Daniels Taws, Country Bookshop (Southern Pines, North Carolina)

“I LOVED it!  I had to put it down no less than 3 times because the words were blurry from tears and there may have been a few sobs at the end. Absolutely fantastic novel! I’m just sad that it isn’t being published until Feb so I have to wait to recommend it to everyone.”
— Kristin Pidgeon, Penguin Bookshop (Sewickley, PA)

“Riveting! I started reading it one night after supper…and could not put it down. Not only is it an emotionally inspiring story with well-drawn characters whom you grow to care about deeply, but it is also historically informative….Read this book.”
— Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of Holocaust Teacher Institute
“Never did I realize I would have been so moved by a novel…I found myself holding my breath,  gasping, shaking my head and crying… Kristin has captured humanity and strength of individuals in the worst conditions that I was simply left with a feeling o wonder.”
— Emily Hoeschen, Sister Wolf Books (Dorset, Minnesota)

“Kristin Hannah has just hit the ball out of the park….Despite the monstrosities of WWII, [she] finds compassion and human resistance amongst the bravery and survival of those caught in the battles.”
— Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books (Mystic, Connecticut)