The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France as they navigate love, loss, resistance, and survival during World War II. Through their very different paths, the novel explores the courage of ordinary women and the sacrifices made in the face of war.

My guest this week is Kara Infante, a mom, wife and host of the Bookish Flights Podcast At Bookish Flights, Kara Infante and her guests tell their stories through the books they love. Each episode features a book flight - three thoughtfully paired books connected by a theme, topic, or genre. Think of it like a wine flight…but for books. Kara and I are both on each other’s shows this week, so head over there to hear me talk about 3 books I love by Xochitl Gonzalez

Drink Options:

Lyre’s Classico NA Sparkling Wine

Lavender French 75

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz Empress gin
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz lavender simple syrup
• 3 oz chilled champagne or prosecco
• Ice

Optional garnish:

• Lemon twist
• Dried culinary lavender

Directions

1. Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup to cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well until chilled.
3. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe.
4. Top with sparkling wine
5. Garnish with a lemon twist or a pinch of dried lavender.

In this episode

Bookish Flight Episode with Kristin Hannah

Books by Tracy Lange

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett

Books by Kate Quinn

Books by Marie Benedict

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth.

Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, including The Vixen, Mister Monkey, the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, A Changed Man, and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction includes the modern classic Reading Like a Writer and the acclaimed memoir 1974: A Personal History. A former president of PEN America and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is widely regarded as one of our most insightful and versatile contemporary writers. Her latest book, Five Weeks in the Country explores a fascinating moment which Francine describes as this: “In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited Charles Dickens, his wife and nine children in the British countryside for five comically and heartbreakingly awkward weeks. Telling their story seemed like the perfect way to talk about writing, love, marriage, children and two brilliant authors: a public figure in crisis and a houseguest, more at home in his fairy tales than in life, who overstays his welcome.”

Valentine’s Claret Punch is our drink pairing, and is what Dickens and Anderson were drinking the night they met and led to the misunderstanding that led Anderson to believe he should visit the Dickens family for an extended stay!

In this Episode

Great Expectations - John Mills Film

Great Expectations - 1998 Version

In Sole Survivor by Derek Hansen, Rosie Trethewey leaves her unhappy city life after inheriting a remote shack on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets two isolated and troubled neighbors, Red O’Hara, a traumatized former prisoner of war, and Angus McLeod, a bitter retired policeman, whose lives she gradually changes. As outside forces threaten their island home, the three form an unlikely bond and learn to heal from the pain of their pasts.

My guest this week is author Heather Morris. In 2003, Heather met Lale Sokolov, whose story inspired The Tattooist of Auschwitz, now one of the 21st century’s bestselling books and adapted in 2024 as a widely acclaimed Stan Original Series. It was followed by Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters, completing the Tattooist trilogy.

Her first contemporary novel, The Wish, was inspired by her years working in a public hospital, alongside families facing the toughest of times with love and courage. The Wish’s US publication date is May 5, 2026. Her upcoming novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, releases in October 2026, and tells the story of French Resistance fighter Andrée Levallois, who risked her life to protect one of her students during the war. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide.

The drink this week is one Heather enjoys on vacation, and I enjoy most days: Chardonnay! I have to note that since Heather is in Australia and I am in the US, during the actual recording of this she was enjoying her morning coffee while I sipped a cold glass of wine.

In this Episode

Books by Heather Morris

Pākehā population New Zealand

Māori People

Crowded House Band

Neil Finn