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“Have you heard of Edith Cavell?” she asked.
“Do I strike you as an educated man?”
She thought about that for a moment and then said, “Yes.”
He was quiet long enough that she knew she’d surprised him. “I know who she is [...] And this is your hero, a woman executed by the enemy.”
“A woman who made a difference,” Isabelle said, studying him.
This quote can be found in Chapter 7. Before the war reaches Paris, Isabelle reads a book about Edith Cavell, a British nurse who saved hundreds of lives during World War I. For her, Cavell’s heroic exploits prove that women can play a pivotal role in the war and should not be left at home, simply waiting for the war to end. She discusses Cavell with Gaëtan, who knows about Cavell’s life and notes that she was executed by the German army. Here, he offers a subtle warning to Isabelle, reminding her that the lives of heroes are often cut short. Isabelle, however, is not so easily discouraged, and she emphasizes that Cavell “made a difference” despite her death. Throughout the novel, Cavell serves as a source of inspiration for Isabelle, who is eager to prove that women can be strong and courageous.
“Men tell stories,” I say. It is the truest, simplest answer to his question. “Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over."
In Chapter 39, at the passeurs reunion in Paris, Julien learns the truth about his family and is shocked to discover that his late aunt, Isabelle, was a war hero who helped over a hundred allied airmen escape occupied France by crossing the Pyrenees mountains. He asks Vianne why she never told him about Isabelle’s heroic actions, and Vianne argues that “men tell stories,” while women “get on with it.” Her response suggests that, after the war, the men who fought were honored with “parades” and medals while women were not acknowledged for their contributions and simply had to get on with their lives. Vianne’s comments emphasize the pivotal role that gender and sexism play in experiences of war. Though the women of France also suffered hardship and exhibited bravery, their contributions took place away from the battlefield, and as a result, their stories have been left out of official histories of the war
Isabelle will need you to come home to when this is over. You will tell her that she did the right thing. She will worry about that one day. She will think she should have stayed with you, protected you. She will remember leaving you with the Nazi, risking your lives, and she will agonize over her choice.
In Chapter 33, when Julien returns to Carriveau to inform Vianne that Isabelle has been arrested by the Nazis, Vianne is distraught. Reflecting guiltily upon her cruel parting words to her younger sister, Vianne asks what she can do to help. Julien insists that she must stay at Le Jardin, asserting that Isabelle will someday need a “home” to return to when the war ends. Julien’s argument acknowledges that there are many different ways to help others. Some, like Isabelle, take an active role, fighting directly and putting their lives on the line. Others, he suggests, must play a different role, supporting those who take action. Ultimately, both Isabelle and Vianne demonstrate heroism in different ways.
