Kristin Hannah's Story Of Andree De Jongh

Throughout World War II, there were many war contributors and heroes. People from all walks of life worked against German forces. Kristin Hannah depicts a brilliant story following a young woman and her effort to combat German forces in the book The Nightingale. She uses a French girl named Isabelle Rossignol to mirror a real-life WWII Belgian heroine named Andree de Jongh. They both guided downed/allied airmen out of German-controlled areas and back to safety. Kristin Hannah’s story of Andree de Jongh is incredibly accurate and realistic but differs in enough ways to keep it an engaging and fun read. The historical accuracy of Isabelle as de Jongh is admirable There are so many small, seemingly insignificant details that Hannah perfects

What she learned about Cavell pushed her to join the Free France resistance as the German invasion progressed. This is similar to how Andree de Jongh reacted when she heard about Cavell. De Jongh at a young age learned of Cavell's contributions during WWI. As mentioned in de Jonghs obituary by Dan van der Vat, “Edith Cavell was shot by the Germans for helping some 200 first world wars oilers to escape from Belgium to the neutral Netherlands” (Vat). This story pushed de Jongh to insert herself in the war, just as Cavell was the main influence on Isabelle. Another similarity was Andree de Jongh was a very strong and inspiring individual. One British veteran, whom she helped over the Pyrenees Mountains, told reporters, “her eyes, they were absolutely burning and there was an air of confidence about her” (Martin). She oozes support and confidence to help the airmen make their perilous journey, just as Isabelle does. “If a girl can do it, a strapping

Not everything could be exactly like history, or it would be a boring read with no creativity. A main difference between Isabelle and Andree de Jongh is that de Jongh had a transition into her role in the war. In an article by Plinio Correira de Oliveira, it’s said that “while working as a nurse in a Belgian hospital during World War II, Andree de Jongh put into motion her Resistance Brainchild” (Oliveira). Her nursing career helped ease her into the Belgium resistance because she was involved with helping downed and injured airmen already. On the other hand, Isabelle went from just distributing Allied propaganda straight to the Comet Line idea. There was less transition in the book than in real history, which cut out unnecessary information. Secondly, there was a difference in age and origin. De Jongh was from Schaerbeek, Belgium, and Isabelle was from Paris, France. In an article from the 390th memorial museum, it’s stated that “at the tender age of twenty-five, the Belgian women organized the Comet Line” (Andrée “Dédée '' de Jongh and the Comet Line). Her operation began in her country, but she moved to Paris to put it in motion, while the 19-year-old Isabelle was just always in Paris. The exposition in this book was already really long, leaving out saves the readers from getting bored and holds their attention better. Additionally, the age change made Isabelle more naive as