Its been a long time that a book that I read I can say I really enjoyed. One of the major themes in this book "In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are". What does the narrator mean by this? I believe the meaning is that we all look for love and when we find it whatever goes on around us that is our world.But as war strikes the people go off to war, the enemy evades your space, as of the Germans they took whatever they wanted with the French and Jewish people. We need to be stronger than we ever had.
As for Vianne, she did what she had to for her and her daughter. Keep her home so when her husband Antoine came home there would be somewhere they can be. Even if the war did terrible things to people, hurtful, painful. A pain that will change you for the rest of her life. Isabelle, Vianne's sister saw war differently. She fought for the country in her way. Action was her motive, making a difference to the men so they can give France back to the Partisans. The pride what she did also matured her. She knew what she wanted to do. And that was her way of finding love. A love that she needed from sister and father. To be acknowledged that Isabelle was worthful.
I was surprised at who the narrator was. In the beginning I thought it might of been Isabelle. Since it talked how Isabelle was a screw up. And how she looked for so long that that she was wrathful and loved. But sadly when her mother died her sister and father were at odds with themselves. Isabelle was sort of forgotten and on her own. But at the end of the story you could tell that it was not Isabelle. But Isabelle got the love and recognition that she always wanted, from the people she helped, to her sister Vianne.
The characters had secret identities which gave them the opportunity to move in and out of situations that need be in order to help the cause (French Revolutions) and to be determine who their self is. Example The Nightingale, was appropriate for Isabelle was a beauty with some determination moving along into the night. But Ari and Julien had no choice they needed their names change for their own lives. In hopes that they find/ found peace with their family.
I admire both Vianne and Isabelle. In their own way they both stepped up. Isabelle angry at the Germans how they treated the French and the Jewish people. She decided action was the best and found she was good at rescuing the men who will push the Germans out. Vianne she actually started to get on my nerves. Always about her with Isabelle not giving a chance to believe her sister wouldn't be that flaky. But Vianne stepped up to bring Jewish children to the aid of the orphanage. Although trying to save her friend's child, her hand was forced. But at the end she understood how not worthless Isabelle was. How she and her father were risking their lives.
Isabelle was always told that the place of war was not the job of women. Of course Isabelle challenged that. As Vianne didn't know what to do. If she only opened her eyes sooner and found out that they couldn't trust Germans. I believe much so the roles are different now. Far and in between do you hear long ago that women did their part in war overseas. And here in America again they did their part. But today they are out there in the frontline. Women have proven that they are more valuable, they are grounded and bring a new look to the situation.
Vianne gave a list of people to Beck who was the Nazi that lived there with her in wartime. I could not do what she did. Especially when she did ask questions and his answers weren't adding up. Seemed suspicious. That made me angry that she did not pick up on that.
Captain Beck maybe I believe was a sympathetic character. Only because he was torn between his job and how he felt about the war. I think neither way that he should/not get what he got at the end. Of course Isabelle was going to take action. And Vianne as much as she said about Isabelle she was her sister.
I do think women who come from different places can form a silent bond. They themselves are going through what you might be. And it is to support themselves. Gives each other courage. People should not be judgmental for you do not know what is so different.
Antonie said "We chose to see miracles". I think he wanted to believe his wife. And with war being over that it's time to understand the sadness, the happiness that can be. To me it looked like he knew about Julien and wanted good to be in their lives again. Look to the bright future.
There is really not a right answer when Ari was taken away. I understood how Vianne felt. She raised and protected Ari/Daniel most of is life. And to find that there was family of his was hard to give him up. But on the other hand he needed to be with his family. He needed to be raised in the Jewish faith. For that is who he is. I'm glad that Vianne got to meet Ari and he gave back the photo of she and his mother, Rachel.
I would have made the same decision that Vianne made about Juilen knowing his biological father. There was no need for him to know how mean of a father he did have. And I would hope that he would believe his mother what had happened to her. Sadly what the Nazi's have done killed, violated human beings Julien is better off not knowing and living a better life than what was thrown at the French in WWII
I must say the tear jerker of them all for me was when Isabelle and her father looked at each other and her father mouthed "I love you" to Isabelle as he was shot. After that Isabelle knew the Nazi's couldn't touch her heart. They couldn't change who she was inside.
I thought the story gave more a better understanding of life under Nazi occupation in WWII. I feel why especially the Jewish people are hard. And don't have a give it up attitude.
I give The Nightingale 5
No comments:
Post a Comment