Historical
The Nightingale
Two sisters in occupied France take very different paths during the Second World War. One tries to keep her child and home safe under German billeting, while the other joins the resistance and helps airmen escape.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2015
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 448
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want an emotional wartime story about women's courage, sisterhood and quiet resistance.
Skip this if you want to avoid wartime cruelty, including the occupation and the camps, which appear on the page.
The feel
Content warnings
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Quick answers about The Nightingale
- What is The Nightingale about?
- Two sisters in occupied France take very different paths during the Second World War. One tries to keep her child and home safe under German billeting, while the other joins the resistance and helps airmen escape.
- Who should read The Nightingale?
- Read it if you want an emotional wartime story about women's courage, sisterhood and quiet resistance. Skip it if you want to avoid wartime cruelty, including the occupation and the camps, which appear on the page.
- How long and how fast is The Nightingale?
- It is a medium-paced, medium read of about 448 pages, first published in 2015.
- Does The Nightingale have content warnings?
- Content we flag: War, Violence, Sexual assault, Death, Genocide.
- Can I borrow The Nightingale for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Nightingale; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after The Nightingale?
- Readers who liked it often move on to All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved The Nightingale
-
All the Light We Cannot See Another Second World War story set in France, more lyrical and slower-moving.
-
The Book Thief
Another war novel about ordinary people showing courage, with a distinct and unusual narrator.
-
The Tattooist of Auschwitz A more harrowing book about survival and love in the camps, for those who want that starker perspective.
Historical
