Vianne is a happily married housewife, mother and teacher whose life and love is turned upside down when her husband – a postman – is sent away to fight and the Nazis take over her small town. It doesn’t hit you from the start with the drama and violence war stories can do, but introduces two sisters living their lives at a time when everything is changing around them.
The book starts off a little slow in a small town in France, as the war is just beginning to take hold. I’m glad I finally got around to this one. And the result is actually a beautifully evocative depiction of war from a slightly different point of view. It’s not a debut – the author is actually an established author in ‘chick lit’ – but this was her first time turning her hand to the hard-hitting topic of war. I’ve read my fair share of WWII novels, but I don’t read as much historical fiction these days, I’m not really into ‘sagas’ and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this. Vivid and exquisite in its illumination of a time and place that was filled with great monstrosities, but also great humanity and strength, Kristin Hannah's novel will provoke thought and discussion that will have readers talking long after they turn the last page.I know I’m a long time behind the times with this book which was a bit of a sensation when it was released. With life as they know it changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Viann and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.
As the war progresses, it's not only the sisters' relationship that is tested, but also their strength and their individual senses of right and wrong. When World War II strikes and Antoine is sent off to fight, Viann and Isabelle's father sends Isabelle to help her older sister cope. Younger, bolder sister Isabelle lives in Paris while Viann lives a quiet and content life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. Viann and Isabelle have always been close despite their differences. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic novel of love and war, spanning from the 1940s to the present day, and the secret lives of those who live in a small French town.
0 kommentar(er)
