W. O. W. This is a remarkable book. I was prepared to be underwhelmed by The Nightingale, given how much everyone else raved about it. And so I thought, as has happened so many times before, "this really can't be as good as people say, right?" Haha wrong, so so sooo wrong. This took my mediocre, eye-level expectations and raised them sky-high, out of sight. This is a book that tempts me to revisit my Goodreads Read shelf and knock down almost every other book I've given 5 stars to, because those will not measure up anymore. Moving and devastating, compelling and terrifying, this book just made me *feel.*

I absolutely loved the setup of this book; from the very start, by setting up the mystery of which sister is speaking in the present, Kristin Hannah pulls you in. But the present-day narrative never distracted from the heart of the story taking place during WW11, just added to the desperation of the sisters' plight.

Ah, the sisters. Isabelle and Vianne were both at times frustrating, but consistently relatable even in their completely opposite responses to the realities and struggles of war. But both of their journeys were beautiful and heartbreaking and I just did not want to ever stop reading about them. They were so raw and so real, and at every turn I found myself wondering how I would react, if I would be brave enough or strong enough to endure and make decisions as they did. But mostly, I found myself simultaneously fearing the worst and hoping for better, as the characters' true selves surprised and sometimes even delighted me. The human spirit is really something, and human connection is really everything.

Thank you for this amazing read. 12 stars out of 5.