159 ratings | 101 reviews | avg rating:4.55

more photos (1)

Danielle Murray’s Followers (29)

Danielle’s Bookshelves

to-read (147)
currently-reading (4)
read (152)
did-not-finish (0)

Danielle’s Friends (71)

MarilynW

2,685 books | 4,510 friends

Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus)

9,538 books | 2,644 friends

Sarah McMullan

4,504 books | 382 friends

Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews)

5,866 books | 3,953 friends

Sierra Burrous

315 books | 206 friends

Stacey

2,981 books | 2,680 friends

Jayne

340 books | 47 friends

Katie

307 books | 45 friends

More friends…

Danielle Murray

Goodreads Author

Born

in Canada

Website

https://www.facebook.com/TwoQuestions/

Twitter

HollowVictory

Genre

Fiction

Influences

https://www.instagram.com/twoquestion... ...more

Member Since

March 2013

edit data

Inspired by the stories of Evil Foreign Queens, WW2 War Brides and a gazillion grumpy expat wives the world over.

Danielle Murray grew up in Montreal where she fully intended to stay until she fell in love with a wonderful Kiwi man and followed him home. This is not her story. TWO QUESTIONS is a work of fiction based on information gathered in conversations with World War II War Brides and modern-day foreign wives as the author waited for decent bagels to arrive in New Zealand. It took far too long and so she met with a whole lot of women. This is their story.

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Danielle Murray questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Danielle Murray I wrote TWO QUESTIONS because when I fell in love with a man who lived in another country and began to consider an overseas move, I could not find any…moreI wrote TWO QUESTIONS because when I fell in love with a man who lived in another country and began to consider an overseas move, I could not find any literature on the subject. Sure, there were plenty of first-person accounts/memoirs about following your heart to another country but I didn’t want to know about individual stories - I wanted to know about the experience itself. When I became interested in World War II War Bride, I noticed that most books or news articles concentrate on the romance prior to marriage/migration and not the reality afterwards. Some War Brides never returned home, they never saw their family again. Surely, I thought, these women must have mixed feelings about their new lives and I wondered why there was no mention of this. So I decided to find out myself and what I learned was fascinating. I interviewed about 50 War Brides and many of those women regretted their decision to leave home and country for another – especially when the marriage fell apart (and many did – and then what?).

When the Internet made overseas research possible, I interviewed more modern foreign wives to learn their story. And then I began to delve into the lives of famous historical foreign wives and "evil foreign queens" like Marie Antoinette, Tsarina Alexandra, Wallis Simpson, Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston's mom), etc. And the American Dollar Princesses too - think Lady Cora from Downton Abby. About 300 American women married British nobility in the late 19th Century in an exchange of "cash for class" and many it seems, were mocked for it (just as Lady Mary mocked her own mother).

So... after years of research (and a back room full of notes!) and still nothing on bookstore bookshelves about the experience itself, I decided to write the book myself. Of course, my first few drafts were awful as I didn’t really know how to approach the topic but slowly the pieces started to come together and TWO QUESTIONS came into being.

But the book is more than just about changing countries for love - it's about relationships and family and the secrets we keep. And graveyards and shoes too! And how sometimes living farther apart can bring people closer together. I really could go on forever - so instead I leave you with the cast of characters... And thank you for reading me this far! Kia Ora, Danielle

Cast of Characters

Megan: Brooklyn Girl with no desire to leave home even though she does. Daughter to Lucie and Parker, sister to Ally. Granddaughter to Bubbe and Gramps (Fletcher) and Grand-maman in Montreal. USA to New Zealand.

Lucie: Megan’s mother. Married to Parker. Psychologist. Canada to USA.

Tish Louise/Patricia Louise Curtis Smith/Madame Smith: WW2 war bride married to Richard. England to USA.

Annie: WW2 war bride. Once married to Gramps/Fletcher. New Zealand to USA.

Bubbe: Megan’s Brooklyn grandmother. Married to Gramps/Fletcher.

Parker: Lucie’s husband and Megan’s father. Son of Gramps/Fletcher and Bubbe. Commercial pilot.

Grand-maman: Lucie’s mother and Megan’s French-Canadian grandmother who lives in Montreal. Related to Hermeline, Salome and also mother to Lucie’s sisters Gilberte, Babette and Mariette who makes a mean sugar pie. And tourtière. Engaged to Doré before she married Lucie’s father.

Gramps/Fletcher: Megan’s Brooklyn grandfather and Parker’s father. Big time writer. Once married to Annie, Kiwi war bride.

Ally: Megan’s younger sister. Mother to Salem. Loves New England history.

Salem: Megan’s niece and Ally’s daughter.

The Farmer/Blu/Harrison: He’s the man! But he hardly gets a mention in Two Questions because the book is about the experience, not the relationship. May get airplay if there’s a sequel.

Famous and/or Infamous Foreign Wives

Marie Antoinette: Last Queen of France. Beheaded in 1793, aged 37 years. Austria to France. Married to Louis XVI who was obsessed with padlocks. Child of Empress Maria Theresa who viewed all her daughters as sacrifices to politics and so married them off as she – not they – pleased. This did not always end well.

Tsarina Alexandra: Last Russian Empress. Executed aged 46 years old with her family in 1918. Germany to Russia. Married to Tsar Nicholas II (Nicky), son of Minnie who could have been a nicer mother-in-law. Granddaughter to Queen Victoria who also played the game of thrones with her children.

Consuelo Vanderbilt: American Dollar Princess. 9th Duchess of Marlborough. USA to UK. Returned to the US during WWII. She died in New York at age 87.

Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill: American Dollar Princess. Mother to Sir Winston Churchill. USA to UK. Died aged 67 years old from complications following a fall down the stairs. Shoe lover who did not live to see her son become prime minister.

Wallis Simpson: Twice divorced American for whom King Edward VIII gave up the British throne in 1936. Became Duchess of Windsor on their marriage in 1937. USA to UK. Worth noting – Wallis gets all credit for coining the statement, “You can't be too rich or too thin.”

And of course, Hepzibah. Because she was bad-ass…

Hepzibah Buell: Puritan ancestor to Megan killed by French and Native American forces in the Deerfield Massacre in 1704. Twice fined for wearing silk.

Miscellaneous

Sisi and Franz Josef: Maine Coon Cats named after Elizabeth of Bavaria and Franz Josef I, Emperor of Austria. Elizabeth of Bavaria was not a happy camper.

Empress Maria Theresa: Bulldozer Austrian mother to Marie Antoinette. Great-great-grandmother to Franz Josef I just mentioned. Did not leave home for love.

Queen Victoria: Grandmother to Alix of Hesse/Tsarina Alexandra. Mother to Princess Alice and Princess Victoria (Vicky) who both married German noblemen. Also grandmother to Kaiser Wilhem. Did not leave home for love.

Grace Kelly/Princess Grace: American actress. Wife of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. USA to Monaco.

Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington: Member of American Kennedy family. USA to UK.

Princess Victoria/Vicky: Daughter to Queen Victoria, aunt to Alix of Hesse/Tsarina Alexandra, mother to Kaiser Wilhelm, German Emperor during WWI. UK to Germany. Didn’t like it there.

Lucy Stone: Prominent 19th Century American suffragist. Did not believe women should give up surname after marriage as end result is legal annihilation of one’s identify.

Jemima Goldsmith and Imran Khan: Former English/Pakistani International couple. After their divorce, Jemima returned to live in England.

Mary and Frederik, Crown and Crown Princess of Denmark: Mary is Australian and one day Fred is going to be a Danish king so he couldn’t leave home for love even though he may have wanted to. Mary seems very happy in her adopted country. That’s probably because Denmark doesn’t have many snakes.

(less)

flag

like
Comment

See 1 answer from Danielle Murray…

Combine Editions
Danielle Murray’s books

Average rating: 4.27 · 90 ratings · 51 reviews · 1 distinct work

Two Questions: Changing Countries For Love... Is it worth it? Would you do it again?

4.27 avg rating — 90 ratings — 5 editions

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Danielle is Currently Reading

Danielle Murray is currently reading

The American Boys

by Olivia Spooner

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Nov 25, 2025 02:48PM

Danielle Murray is currently reading

Verity

by Colleen Hoover (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Danielle Murray said: " My first Colleen Hoover book. The story had me hooked on all the parts which did not detail sex. "

Nov 18, 2025 02:15PM · see review

Danielle Murray is currently reading

We All Live Here

by Jojo Moyes (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 12, 2025 01:55AM

rss
Danielle’s Recent Updates

Danielle Murray rated a book it was amazing Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 07, 2026 02:40AM · like
Danielle Murray rated a book it was amazing Know My Name by Chanel Miller	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Almost 38,000 reviews so not sure my thoughts matter. Only wow. Not only for telling her story but for telling it so well. Not just her personal lived experience but how female rape victims in general are treated in courtrooms vs the men whose potent ...more
Jul 07, 2026 02:38AM · like · see review
Danielle Murray has read The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Love Wally Lamb, not so sure about Corb Ledbetter. Interesting story, heartbreaking on all accounts. Good on audio. Didn't see that ending coming, that's for sure. ...more
Jun 30, 2026 12:40AM · like · see review
Danielle Murray rated a book it was amazing Know My Name by Chanel Miller	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Almost 38,000 reviews so not sure my thoughts matter. Only wow. Not only for telling her story but for telling it so well. Not just her personal lived experience but how female rape victims in general are treated in courtrooms vs the men whose potent ...more
Jun 26, 2026 08:50PM · like · see review
Danielle Murray has read The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Love Wally Lamb, not so sure about Corb Ledbetter. Interesting story, heartbreaking on all accounts. Good on audio. Didn't see that ending coming, that's for sure. ...more
Jun 25, 2026 09:29PM · like · see review
Danielle Murray has read The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Love Wally Lamb, not so sure about Corb Ledbetter. Interesting story, heartbreaking on all accounts. Good on audio. Didn't see that ending coming, that's for sure. ...more
Jun 25, 2026 09:27PM · like · see review
Danielle Murray and 88 other people liked NZLisaM's review of The River Is Waiting: "The 27 of April 2017 marked the day Corbin Ledbetter’s world broke! By 6:15 am on that fateful day Corby had already popped an anti-anxiety pill and added hundred-proof spirits to his morning coffee. He craves both just to get through every day, is dr" Read more of this review »
Jun 23, 2026 02:16PM · see review
Danielle Murray and 110 other people liked Karen's review of Amazing!: "This novel is packed with a lot going on from the very first page. Nina, a college English professor on the verge of retirement, is still struggling with the grief of losing her mother when she receives an email that appears to be from her. The subjec" Read more of this review »
Jun 23, 2026 02:15PM · see review
Danielle Murray rated a book it was amazing A Son of the Circus by John Irving (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 18, 2026 05:05PM · like
Danielle Murray rated a book it was amazing The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 18, 2026 05:04PM · like

More of Danielle's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Aussie Readers: Share Your Reviews (and Thoughts) Here - 2021	3359	359	Dec 31, 2021 03:47AM
Aussie Lovers of...: Currently Reading/Just Finished 2021	1764	140	Dec 31, 2021 07:35AM

Danielle’s Quotes

“Nobody looks good with brown lipstick on.”
― Frank Zappa

tags: lipstick

79 likes

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
― Robert Frost

tags: life

109662 likes

“Edith stared at the ceiling, contemplating the oddness of life. Here she was with this man, whom she hardly knew when she really thought about it, asleep, naked, beside her. She pondered that central truth, which must have struck many brides from Marie Antoinette to Wallis Simpson, that whatever the political, social or financial advantages of a great marriage, there comes a moment when everyone leaves the room and you are left alone with a stranger who has the legal right to copulate with you. She was not at all sure that she had fully negotiated this simple fact until then.”
― Julian Fellowes, Snobs

6 likes

“You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance.
-Wallace Simpson”
― gill paul, Royal Love Stories: The tales behind the real-life romances of Europe's kings and queens

tags: duke-duchess-of-windsor, edward-viii, wallis-simpson

1 likes