This is my second time reading this historical novel. I had lent it to a dear friend who loved it, so I decided to read it again. I treasured it the second time as much as the first. It is a story of a French family who, for the most part, lives through World War II. It is the tale of a father who was badly damaged in the first world war and was unable to reach out to his daughters, when his wife (their mother) died. It is the story of two sisters, ten years apart in age, who have a fractious relationship that is complicated by a horrific war. Isabelle, the younger sister, is willful and forceful. The elder sister, Viane, is more of a conformist. Their personalities impact their reaction to the events of the war most profoundly. It is well worth reading, if you enjoy historical fiction.
