Set in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War, this novel tells of life in war time, love, and the misfortunes suffered by two young sisters with widely differing characters. Events lead them, by very different routes, to become courageous heroines. One of them organizes an escape-route for Allied pilots shot down over France; the other saves Jewish children from being sent to death-camps.
The tense, dramatic plot includes the harshness of Nazi reprisals, extermination camps, racial hatred and the sufferings of civilians in an occupied country. The novel defends life and highlights the importance of forgiveness as a remedy for hatred and revenge. There are crudely brutal scenes and a scene of sexual violence, but the overall tone is one of hope.
F. C. (Spain, 2016)
The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters in France under the Nazi occupation – their family problems, struggles to survive and save others from the cruelty of the Nazis, and to resist the occupiers. Well-structured and compelling, though somewhat unrealistic at times. The heroines are Catholics and the author shows respect for Catholicism. In a few pages the author describes the feelings and sensations aroused by male attraction. She also justifies an extra-marital relationship on the grounds of strength of feeling and difficult surroundings.
At the same time she presents marital fidelity, even though it demands a struggle, in a positive light. She also underlines the value of human life, even life conceived in rape; and shows how a child enriches a family. She shows how it is possible to restore a damaged friendship, and the sacrifices involved in being loyal, as well as the fullness bestowed by forgiveness. The characters are well drawn; some of the German soldiers are shown to have good values while others are cruel and inhuman. The book contains certain crude passages.
L. P. Z. (Peru, 2016)