The nightingale centres around the story of two sisters and the novel tells the story of their journey through world war two. Prize winner geraldine brooks with year of wonders and the secret chord. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Book club questions for the night tiger by yangsze choo. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
When viannes husband, antoine, is conscripted to fight for france against the attacking germans, vianne and their daughter, sophie, try to continue normal life in carriveau without him, imagining that he will return soon. There is something so utterly engaging about the way it is written. With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author kristin hannah captures the epic panorama of world war ii and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen. Alfred hickling is stunned by geraldine brooks tale of the black death village that sacrificed itself for the health of a nation, year of wonders. I have since also devoured the great alone, by the same author. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. See more ideas about books, reading and books to read. Mar 25, 2015 in mondays book club 101 post, we talked about how a fabulous book club discussion starts with the right bookand it takes more than a great book to make a great book club novel. I cant put my finger on why its magical but it truly is. In the prologue of home front, we see jolenes early life and the incident that leads up to her parents deaths. Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers. But when research on world war ii led me to the story of a nineteen year old belgian woman who had created an escape route out of nazioccupied france, i was hooked.
To ask other readers questions about year of wonders, please sign up. Read it for the inventiveness of the language alone a genuine treat. It begins with the scent of rotting apples and a flush that looks like rose petals blooming beneath the skin. If i have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this. In part the book is a frame narrative with one sister reflecting back forty years from 1995. The immortalists by chloe benjamin, january 15, 2020. Aug 18, 2016 if you enjoyed reading the nightingale by kristin hannah, the bellingham library suggests that you might also enjoy reading the following books. In between the more hysterical moments, brooks writes quite beautifully.
In truth, i did everything i could not to write this novel. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of penguin. The nightingale falls in my favourite historical fiction era, ww2. Year of wonders by geraldine brooks books the guardian. I had heard great things about the novel, with many fellow readers recommending it to me. My bookclub members thought it read like poetry, and, like poetry, loved it more on the second and third reading. This study guide consists of approximately 102 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the nightingale. Book discussion guide for the nightingale by kristin hannah. Posts where someone is actually discussing a novel and even so much as wonders if there are similar books to it are immediately deleted by the mods who shout them down about posting on rsuggestmeabook instead. Get deep into discussion at your next book group with these handpicked reads from our expert librarians. Jun 05, 2001 rarely has a book so captivated and then disappointed me with such a 180 turn to what i called utter dreckage. The nightingale tells the stories of two sisters separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and. As the protagonist, anna frith, works to help her friends. Year of wonders its rare that i can read a book more than once.
I love books great books books to read my books book suggestions book recommendations book club books book lists the nightingale book. A novel of the plague is a 2001 international bestselling historical fiction novel by geraldine brooks. Jan 31, 2015 that was the case with the nightingale. Ya buddy readers the nightingale, by kristin hannah. The nightingale by kristin hannah book club discussion. Reading guide for year of wonders by geraldine brooks discussion guide for book clubs. That is totally unheard of, and that is proof that it will not disappoint you if you pick it for a book. The senior facility book club meets at the heritage park senior facility library on. Year of wonders is a vividly imagined and strangely consoling tale of hope in a time of despair. In this darkly riveting debut novela sophisticated psychological mystery that is also a heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory, identity, and agingan elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences. Please note that both the audio guide above and the printed one below contain spoilers to the book. Here youll find discussion questions and explorations for the marvels, wonderstruck, and the invention of hugo cabret. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors.
It was chosen as both a new york times and washington post notable book. The night tiger by yangsze choo is a beautifullywritten story about ageold superstition, modern idealism, sibling rivalry and forbidden love. The nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in germanoccupied, wartorn france a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. Jun 27, 2017 the bear and the nightingale is a wonderfully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep winter magic. It was chosen as both a new york times 1 and washington post 2 notable book.
Year of wonders is a testament to that very notion. To gather this list of 40 book club favorites, i polled you on the mmd facebook page, asked you on twitter, and combed through your suggestions here. I was so glad to read year of wonders and to discover the author geraldine brooks. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a novel, theres a book here for every book club. The 10 titles book clubs are buzzing about in 2017 new york post.
Year of wonders by geraldine brooks, november 16, 2011. This selfless decision leads to the deaths of twothirds of the inhabitants but saves the surrounding towns, as it did in the case of the historical village that inspired the tale. The nightingale, by kristin hannah, is about two sisters struggling to survive during world war ii in france. Marielaure is a blind 14yearold french girl who flees to the. All of the characters in this novel have their failings and. Her 2011 novel calebs crossing is inspired by the life of caleb cheeshahteaumauk, a wampanoag convert to christianity who was the first native american to graduate from harvard college, an achievement of the seventeenth century. The nightingale is the story of two sisters caught up in occupied france during the second world war. How does this scene lay the groundwork for her personality and her choices in the remainder of the book. Year of wonders is a historical fiction novel about a woman who rises to the challenge under the worst of circumstances. Alix came up with some great ideas and discussion questions. The novel is set in 17th century derbyshire and is based on real events in the village of eyam which brooks found out about when doing a walking tour of the peak district. This one i have read twice and will savour the next time i read it. Home the nightingale discussion guide libguides at ramapo.
Year of wonders by geraldine brooks 9781841154589 booktopia. Brookss tale, framed by reveries set a year and a half after the plague burns itself out in leaffall, 1666, is narrated by anna frith, an earnest and highly intelligent young widow who buries her. Jun 27, 2015 year of wonders is a vividly imagined and strangely consoling tale of hope in a time of despair. Geraldine brookss year of wonders is a wonder indeed. The novel won both the australian book of the year award and the australian literary fiction award in 2008. Plague stories remind us that we cannot manage without community. Welcome to the spellbinding world of brian selznick. The nightingale is a novel, written by kristin hannah and published in 2015. Join us for a discussion of the book woman of troublesome creek by kim michele richardson. Whether youre picking your book club suggestions as a group or looking for the best book club books to choose from for an individual choice, these 29 options will have you covered. O, the oprah magazine brooks proves a gifted storyteller as she subtly reveals how ignorance, hatred and mistrust can be as deadly as any virus. In 1665, the intense young pastor of a plaguestricken derbyshire village persuades his parish to quarantine itself from the outside world. Reading guide for year of wonders by geraldine brooks. I came to this book through an online course on historical fiction.
This is the first book in our history ten years that every single person gave it a 5 star rating. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of year of wonders. Readers in the fields of psychology and medicine should find this. Robin hobb about the bear and the nightingale katherine ardens bestselling debut novel spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice. The jaycpl book group meets monthly for informal discussions of selected books. Ya buddy readers the nightingale, by kristin hannah restarting april 28th 2020.
The book that has moved me most in the past year is wonder by r. Penguin books, marketing department cc, readers guides, 375 hudson street, new york, ny 100143657. Its the fictional story of august pullman, a 10yearold with a very differentlooking facethe result of a. Feb 04, 2002 i came to this book through an online course on historical fiction. Is your book group looking for reading ideas this year. The new williamsburg book club williamsburg, va meetup. The novel gives the reader a remarkable glimpse into a 17th century horror, but does so with both compassion and exuberance.
A novel of the plague geraldine brooks historical fictioncome meet local book lovers in our williamsburg book club. By emily bazelon, october, 2012 we talk to its author about bullying, parenting, and empathy. Lust is one of the sins explored in this novel through elinor, jane martin, anys gowdie and anna. The amazing world of brian selznick discussion guide. Volunteer leaders for each session help facilitate discussion, but the group rarely needs extra encouragement to share thoughts on the reading. It tells the story of two sisters in france during world war ii, and their struggle to survive and resist the german occupation of france. The nightingale opens with an intriguing statement that lays out one of the major themes of the book. The nightingale covers five primary periods in the lives of vianne rossignol mauriac and isabelle rossignol 1.