When Danielle, her grandmother Mathilde, and young brother Jeannot return to their village of Arsac le Petit near Bordeaux at the end of World War II, they are hoping for the best. But her parents, Pierre and Jeanne Dufour, and Marc, Danielle's sweetheart, are still missing. In addition, they find that greedy villagers have taken advantage of the family's absence. Now Danielle, Mathilde and Jeannot must all find work rather than give themselves to the restoration of their neglected vineyard as they had planned. In Danielle's determination to reclaim a life for the family and to combat the injustice of the swindle, she finds new strengths within herself. These strengths eventually call forth an entire village to awaken to the challenges they face—to relinquish old ways, to stand for the right, to face hurts and find forgiveness. A new form of cooperation is afoot, thanks to "that girl of Pierre's."
The sun was high, not quite noon, but they had been on the march since five o'clock, and Danielle Dufour didn't consider it a wise plan to enter Arsac-le-Petit without having eaten something beforehand. There was no telling what ruins and sorrow they might need strength to face when they'd get there. "Let's eat here," she said, and guided the cart into a cluster of acacias.
The grandmother drew a clasp knife from her pocket, and hugging against her bosom the loaf of bread, long and solid as a small log, she turned it round and round as she cut off slices. "Eat to your hunger, my children. Our last meal as homeless wanderers. Today we need not economize. Home again in Arsac, we will not skimp on food, not with the good credit we have at the store." Her voice was comfortable and comforting.
There had been no definite news of the girl's mother and father for three appalling years. But Danielle refused to believe them dead. The war had been full of coincidences; and now on every hand you heard of people drifting into contact with friends, persons who had been reported dead reappearing alive as ever, families reuniting. Was there any good reason for not thinking the Dufours wouldn't have their turn too?
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