What qualities do you think Danielle possessed that allowed her to move on. Are these the same qualities any survivor needs? Do you have a survival story you'd like to share?

Danielle experiences a great deal of tragedy because of the war, but was able to rise above it. What qualities do you think she possessed that allowed her to move on? Do you think these are the same qualities any survivor needs? Do you have a survival story that you'd like to share?

She had no choice but to move in, she had a family to tend to. I would hope at some point all survivors find a way to move on and forge a life for themselves. Remember the past but don't live in it.

Danielle was practical enough (and self-sacrificing enough) to leave her son behind in order to save her other children and her mother. That practicality works against her when she decides to marry Cameron rather than wait for true love in order to save her family.

This is one of several novels I have read over the last few months that are historical novels of WW II with strong women characters. They all shared many of the same qualities that allowed them to survive and move on. I loved Danielle's courage in the face of many challenges. She had the ability to forge a plan and be tough enough to stick it out . Her spirit and resilience were inspiring. She felt a strong sense of family due to what her uncle and parents had done to make sure the family farm would be there to provide for future generations. She was driven by the desire to preserve her heritage and above all to protect her family.

I think that during this time period so many people did suffer tragedies due to war so it was more the mentality back then to be strong and move on the best that you could.

I think her money allowed the move, like most of rich people who could "move on". The rest just suffered 5 years of occupation and lots of them died.
My Grand-Pa was in the FTP - Francs Tireurs Partisans, French Resistance until the day a "good" neighbor denounced him to the Germans. My Grand Pa flew to the woods until the Liberation.
I don't think Danielle was a survivor at all.

"Moving on" is definitely easier when money is not an issue. However, the realistic aspect is that so many women have had to be stronger than they ever thought they could be because they had to take care of children and/or they were their only means of support.

I don't agree. Money may have helped some escape; for others, everything they had was confiscated by the Nazis and they were sent to the camps or killed. Also, anyone who suffers bereavement and loss and continues to live courageously and lovingly, is a survivor in my book.

I certainly see Danielle as a survivor. Yes, she had money in Europe, but she came to the US with very little. So she had to reinvent herself and start over. She managed to put her personal desires aside and do what needed to be done to 1) provide for her mother and the girls and 2) find Nicky.

I think it was helpful that Danielle had her daughter, niece and mother to look after, that that helped her move on. I doubt she would have left Europe and stopped searching for her son, given her conviction he was still alive, if she hadn't been motivated to care for them.

And I also think she was very self-possessed and confident in her abilities to overcome difficult situations. When tragedy strikes it can be very easy to simply stop caring about life and a lot of people would have caved. Danielle, however, decided she needed to step up and not succumb to her sorrow. Not everyone would have been able to do that.

She was able to push aside her grief so she could be present for her family. She had a strong inner core that couldn't be shaken. I think survivors have to have something to look forward of work towards. A reason to keep going and it usually is family

Necessity, determination, and fortunately for her...talent.