As women take to Marching on Washington this Saturday to protest for women’s rights and the rights of all, I am reminded of one of my favorite reads from 2016, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
The Nightingale tells the story of two French sisters who fight the Nazis, each in different ways, during WWII. The bravery of women in the French underground is a story we haven’t heard before – and one which Hannah intensely researched for this novel. Both sisters are crippled by the death of their mother and abandonment by their father, leaving them with shattered personal power and an inability to forgive.
Through this captivating tale, each finds a way to overcome fear, through reconnection and love. This book is exceptional for its historical accuracy and the two women’s social/political activism – Hannah told us at a writing conference I went to in November that her inspiration for the younger sister, Isabelle (known as The Nightingale), was the real life story of a woman who led downed RAF pilots in France on foot over the steep, snowy Pyrenees to Spain so they could return to their fight against the Nazis. The second sister saves countless Jewish children as she takes care of her own daughter and fights the Nazis in her own way – even as they take over her home in the French countryside.
The Nightingale is an affirmation of the strength of women even under the most dire oppression – and one which can give every reader the inspiration to speak and act her own truth.
If you can’t make it to Washington, D.C. on January 21, join or host a Sister March near you. Sister Marches are solidarity events inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, and organized by volunteers around the world. For more information, see https://www.womensmarch.com.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries, Chakra Secrets, Balance Your Chakras-Balance Your Life, and The Chakra Energy Diet
