The Nightingale

What makes a person a hero? Do they jump right into a situation or evaluate and make a conscious choice to help others?

In “The Nightingale,” by Kristin Hannah, two sisters face World War II in Nazi-occupied France, with very different ideas of how to make it through the war. The oldest sister, Vianne is married with a young daughter, Sophie, when her husband leaves to fight against Germany. Isabelle, the younger sister, is sent to live with Vianne. They both view their circumstances differently – one wants to fight, the other to endure without making waves.

Throughout the story, both sisters make choices that send them on a collision course with the Nazis. Vianne believes that everything will be fine as long as she just does what she’s asked. However, when a Nazi officer is stationed at her home, her belief that she can simply follow orders starts to crumble as she witnesses the wrongs and eventually the atrocities of her captors. She does what she can to insure the welfare of her daughter and their home. Vianne slowly becomes a hero out of necessity and moral conviction.

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