You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control.

The women of the French Resistance astounded me. Isabelle and Vianne [from The Nightingale] are my homage to those brave and forgotten women.

I am more than happy to invite my five favorite fictional characters. Let's see. First on my list is Sam Gamgee from The Lord of The Rings. Sam is a beautiful character; in him, we find the profound heroism of an ordinary person. He epitomizes the saying that courage isn't not being afraid, courage is going anyway. I just love that.

I read a ton of fiction - historical, contemporary, literary, commercial, I love it all.

Coming up with the idea is the worst part of writing for me.

I love the idea of ordinary women making extraordinary sacrifices.

I have to admit that WWII France was not at all on my radar for Kristin Hannah.