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That Girl of Pierre's
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. "
179 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2007
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Robert Davis
1 bookThere are multiple authors with this name in this data base. This one is Robert^^^^^^Davis.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 5, 2022
Here's a well-told story set in France right after World War II ends. The characters are real, the story is engaging, and the ending is poignant, with redemption as it's theme.
The War is over and Danielle is heading back home to Arsac le Petit with her grandmother and little brother. The future holds many uncertainties for them - will their house still be standing, will her father have been released from the prisoner of war camp, her mother released from the labor camp, ... and is Marc, her boyfriend, still alive after having fought in the French army?
Danielle wastes no time in tending to the needs of her brother and grandmother; finding food and work to support them all. She is wise enough to know that she must plan for the future too, and begins formulating ideas that will restore her father's lands to their pre-war conditions so that they can be bountiful and a continuing source of income.
But several major setbacks occur. Danielle discovers some of her family's money and land has been stolen. And then she comes across a stranger one evening on the road ...
A good story and one that I recommend. It would make for a good family read-aloud too.
Ages: 12+
Cleanliness: one blasphemy. Mentions wine a lot, the drinking of and growing of the grapes. The romance is light - several mentions of kisses, hand-holding, an arm around the waist, but they are brief. A man tries to commit suicide.
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The War is over and Danielle is heading back home to Arsac le Petit with her grandmother and little brother. The future holds many uncertainties for them - will their house still be standing, will her father have been released from the prisoner of war camp, her mother released from the labor camp, ... and is Marc, her boyfriend, still alive after having fought in the French army?
Danielle wastes no time in tending to the needs of her brother and grandmother; finding food and work to support them all. She is wise enough to know that she must plan for the future too, and begins formulating ideas that will restore her father's lands to their pre-war conditions so that they can be bountiful and a continuing source of income.
But several major setbacks occur. Danielle discovers some of her family's money and land has been stolen. And then she comes across a stranger one evening on the road ...
A good story and one that I recommend. It would make for a good family read-aloud too.
Ages: 12+
Cleanliness: one blasphemy. Mentions wine a lot, the drinking of and growing of the grapes. The romance is light - several mentions of kisses, hand-holding, an arm around the waist, but they are brief. A man tries to commit suicide.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
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January 23, 2025WW 2 Recovery in France - - older child/young teen
August 23, 2017
We say we like to read this book whenever we feel lazy. It shames and inspires you into action, effortlessly!
Synopsis: Danielle and her grandmother and little brother are returning to their home at the end of hostilities. They fled when the army of the Third Reich was headed their way, and now are approaching the place of their birth with not a little fear and trepidation. What will they find? Has the town been destroyed? And what of their loved ones - Jeanne and Pierre, Danielle's parents; their friends and neighbors; and Danielle's lover and fiancé, quiet and confident Marc? All have been swept into war - Pierre and Marc into the Army, Jeanne to labor. Will life ever be the same again?
What we loved:
The energy of this book is tremendous. The purpose and strength and courage of the French people as they rebuild their lives and the land they love is powerful and moving.
What we hated:
Nothing!
The only thing we didn't like about the book is the slow ending, but the overall goodness of the story makes up for it, in our opinion. Also, it does give you a nice glimpse of what life will be like for everyone after the story ends, and we always like that!
What made us laugh:
Davis' characterizations are wonderful! Danielle's employer and friend, 'Papa', blue with spraying chemicals; how the grandmother glories in her 'beautiful soup' - it's all great! Even the serious situations have a sideways smile in them.
What made us cry:
Danielle and Marc. They had such a dear relationship, and grew into it so sweetly as they matured as children, that to have them separated by war is really heartbreaking.
Warnings and Caveats:
Arsac-le-Petit is in wine country. Wine is treated with respect and moderation, but it is the backbone of the book that the community is built on the vines and the vintage. There is a brief scene, well-written, that includes a suicide attempt. Not likely to frighten or effect most people, even children, but it is the climax of a certain character arc.
Synopsis: Danielle and her grandmother and little brother are returning to their home at the end of hostilities. They fled when the army of the Third Reich was headed their way, and now are approaching the place of their birth with not a little fear and trepidation. What will they find? Has the town been destroyed? And what of their loved ones - Jeanne and Pierre, Danielle's parents; their friends and neighbors; and Danielle's lover and fiancé, quiet and confident Marc? All have been swept into war - Pierre and Marc into the Army, Jeanne to labor. Will life ever be the same again?
What we loved:
The energy of this book is tremendous. The purpose and strength and courage of the French people as they rebuild their lives and the land they love is powerful and moving.
What we hated:
Nothing!
The only thing we didn't like about the book is the slow ending, but the overall goodness of the story makes up for it, in our opinion. Also, it does give you a nice glimpse of what life will be like for everyone after the story ends, and we always like that!
What made us laugh:
Davis' characterizations are wonderful! Danielle's employer and friend, 'Papa', blue with spraying chemicals; how the grandmother glories in her 'beautiful soup' - it's all great! Even the serious situations have a sideways smile in them.
What made us cry:
Danielle and Marc. They had such a dear relationship, and grew into it so sweetly as they matured as children, that to have them separated by war is really heartbreaking.
Warnings and Caveats:
Arsac-le-Petit is in wine country. Wine is treated with respect and moderation, but it is the backbone of the book that the community is built on the vines and the vintage. There is a brief scene, well-written, that includes a suicide attempt. Not likely to frighten or effect most people, even children, but it is the climax of a certain character arc.
March 18, 2014
(Back Cover) "When Danielle, her grandmother Mathilde, and young brother Jeannot return to their village of Arsac le Petit near Bourdeaux 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."
I enjoyed this book SO MUCH! One of the darlingest stories set in WWII I've ever read, though you won't find a great deal of historical "facts" to learn in this tale, but it's a fun story. There is a small bit of romance but the sweet kind given in friendship and hard work side-by-side. :) Danielle is a strong girl of courage and determination yet she is not a feminist in her character. As the family comes together again little by little after a long separation, they learn to lean on each other, to forgive, and how to help their neighbors in love. Such a charming story - I read it in a day! I wold recommend to all (and did not find it a slow read, as other reviewers have mentioned).
I enjoyed this book SO MUCH! One of the darlingest stories set in WWII I've ever read, though you won't find a great deal of historical "facts" to learn in this tale, but it's a fun story. There is a small bit of romance but the sweet kind given in friendship and hard work side-by-side. :) Danielle is a strong girl of courage and determination yet she is not a feminist in her character. As the family comes together again little by little after a long separation, they learn to lean on each other, to forgive, and how to help their neighbors in love. Such a charming story - I read it in a day! I wold recommend to all (and did not find it a slow read, as other reviewers have mentioned).
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July 16, 2012I LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!!!
Danielle, her little brother Jeannot, and Grandmother Mathilde fled their village of Arsac-le-Petit in the midst of World War Two. Her father and mother's whereabouts are unknown; same with Marc, a family friend and Danielle’s boyfriend. When Danielle, Jeannot, and Mathilde return at the end of the war, they find Arsac has changed. They find that some greedy villagers have taken advantage of their absence. Danielle is determined to restore what is rightfully theirs and she discovers new strengths in herself. These strengths eventually call forth the whole of Arsac-le-Petit to realise the challenges they face- in with the new and out with the old. She deals with old hurts and finds forgiveness and love.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. READ IT. IT IS AMAZING!
Danielle, her little brother Jeannot, and Grandmother Mathilde fled their village of Arsac-le-Petit in the midst of World War Two. Her father and mother's whereabouts are unknown; same with Marc, a family friend and Danielle’s boyfriend. When Danielle, Jeannot, and Mathilde return at the end of the war, they find Arsac has changed. They find that some greedy villagers have taken advantage of their absence. Danielle is determined to restore what is rightfully theirs and she discovers new strengths in herself. These strengths eventually call forth the whole of Arsac-le-Petit to realise the challenges they face- in with the new and out with the old. She deals with old hurts and finds forgiveness and love.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. READ IT. IT IS AMAZING!
July 3, 2012
This was really disappointing. I have looked forward so long to reading this book, and when I finally got to read it, it really wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Some parts were really slow; it just did not move fast enough for me. Kind of surprising, because usually the Bethlehem Books are so outstanding.
November 25, 2015
great book, very interesting.
August 19, 2012
Historical Catholic\Christian fiction.
April 6, 2015
Well worth the read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews