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Two Questions: Changing Countries For Love... Is it worth it? Would you do it again?
Tish Louise, World War Two GI Bride. And Meg, Lucie and the mysterious missing Annie.
Four different women from different corners of the world and in different periods in time who fall in love with a foreigner and follow him home.
First comes romance, then comes reality.
Who doesn’t like the idea of meeting a handsome stranger from a far-away land and flying off into the sunset?
This is the story of what happens when you get there.
And then some...
Four different women from different corners of the world and in different periods in time who fall in love with a foreigner and follow him home.
First comes romance, then comes reality.
Who doesn’t like the idea of meeting a handsome stranger from a far-away land and flying off into the sunset?
This is the story of what happens when you get there.
And then some...
- GenresFiction
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2019
44 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Murray
1 book27 followersInspired 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 6, 2025
“The past is your background. It is your culture, your belief systems, your values and your expectations. If you have the same past, relationships are a little less complicated.”
This is a story about a lot of characters, through a variety of time zones, writing letters of their sentiments as it relates to love. Long-distance love, and what it would mean to leave what we know because of love. Especially the country of our origin. And, having the characters asking themselves questions about this decision they are about to, or finally make. At least, two questions. (Hence: the title of the book.)
“Do you have regrets?
Would you do it again?
Two simple questions with ever so complicated answers.”
In many ways, it is a stylistically epistolary novel, that explores those thoughts and feelings through letters and/or from a perceived ‘journal writing’ perspective of a known historical figure, based on their history. Only the author personalizes the experience, by making the characters a part of the story through what they share in their writing.
As mentioned earlier, there is quite the cast of characters, made known to readers immediately, as they are listed on the first three pages. Even the cats get top billing on the ‘miscellaneous,’ page 3.
There is a lovely sense of humor in the writing, as well as interesting insights into what we as readers might wonder about a famous person’s true thoughts. It is a quick, delightful, and thoughtful telling of what could possibly be on any woman’s mind contemplating changing their life for the love of a man.
I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
This is a story about a lot of characters, through a variety of time zones, writing letters of their sentiments as it relates to love. Long-distance love, and what it would mean to leave what we know because of love. Especially the country of our origin. And, having the characters asking themselves questions about this decision they are about to, or finally make. At least, two questions. (Hence: the title of the book.)
“Do you have regrets?
Would you do it again?
Two simple questions with ever so complicated answers.”
In many ways, it is a stylistically epistolary novel, that explores those thoughts and feelings through letters and/or from a perceived ‘journal writing’ perspective of a known historical figure, based on their history. Only the author personalizes the experience, by making the characters a part of the story through what they share in their writing.
As mentioned earlier, there is quite the cast of characters, made known to readers immediately, as they are listed on the first three pages. Even the cats get top billing on the ‘miscellaneous,’ page 3.
There is a lovely sense of humor in the writing, as well as interesting insights into what we as readers might wonder about a famous person’s true thoughts. It is a quick, delightful, and thoughtful telling of what could possibly be on any woman’s mind contemplating changing their life for the love of a man.
I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
February 26, 2021
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Two Questions by Danielle Murray. (2020).
**Thank you to the author for getting in contact and sending me a free copy of this novel, I am very appreciative**
Changing countries for love...is it worth it? Would you do it again?
Tish Louise, World War II war bride. Meg. Lucie. And the mysterious missing Annie. Four women in different corners of the world and in different periods in time who fall in love with a foreigner and follow him home. First comes romance, then comes reality. Who doesn't like the idea of meeting a beautiful stranger from a far-away land and flying off into the sunset? This is the story of what happens when you get there... and then some...
This novel centers around an intriguing subject that to be honest, I've never given much thought to - foreign brides (or grooms, but more likely brides...). It's written in a style that made me feel like I was reading a combination of personal diary entries and personal letters to friends. This had the effect that I in fact personally knew Meg, Tish Louise, Lucie and Annie; they were all very realistically written characters that felt like familiar friends. I liked and appreciated the cast of characters reference at the beginning of the book; a good tool to flip back to during reading, particularly when you have just started and there's lots of different people being mentioned. I enjoyed the historical facts included and mentioned, particularly around Marie Antoinette and Empress Alexandra.
Overall: an interesting fiction novel that looks at the long term effects of being a 'foreign bride' and what that could mean for your life if you did it.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Two Questions by Danielle Murray. (2020).
**Thank you to the author for getting in contact and sending me a free copy of this novel, I am very appreciative**
Changing countries for love...is it worth it? Would you do it again?
Tish Louise, World War II war bride. Meg. Lucie. And the mysterious missing Annie. Four women in different corners of the world and in different periods in time who fall in love with a foreigner and follow him home. First comes romance, then comes reality. Who doesn't like the idea of meeting a beautiful stranger from a far-away land and flying off into the sunset? This is the story of what happens when you get there... and then some...
This novel centers around an intriguing subject that to be honest, I've never given much thought to - foreign brides (or grooms, but more likely brides...). It's written in a style that made me feel like I was reading a combination of personal diary entries and personal letters to friends. This had the effect that I in fact personally knew Meg, Tish Louise, Lucie and Annie; they were all very realistically written characters that felt like familiar friends. I liked and appreciated the cast of characters reference at the beginning of the book; a good tool to flip back to during reading, particularly when you have just started and there's lots of different people being mentioned. I enjoyed the historical facts included and mentioned, particularly around Marie Antoinette and Empress Alexandra.
Overall: an interesting fiction novel that looks at the long term effects of being a 'foreign bride' and what that could mean for your life if you did it.
June 11, 2020
A story of several woman who marry a foreigner. It isn't easy to pack up and move to a foreign place that you know nothing about. The author did a wonderful job with this. It's lyrical, witty and heartfelt.
January 25, 2020
Two Questions
Danielle Murray
Although author Danielle Murray tells the reader that this novel is a work of fiction, one suspects that parts of the four women characters in the book speak to her personal experience as a Canadian woman, who married and followed a New Zealander to his home and life.
As it happens, years ago this reviewer did the reverse of the narrator’s mother Lucie, by leaving the US for Québec.
The narrator, Meghan, is sassy and smart. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Meghan seeks out stories of women who left their homeland to follow their love to a new and often bewildering country. Meghan seeks the answer to two questions: Do you have any regrets? Would you do it again? Her own answers sway between yes and no and shades in between.
The novel is journalistic in form, and easy to read. There is a mystery concerning Meghan’s beloved paternal grandparents, and the reader hurries to learn how Meghan herself will come to terms with her “love is blind” choice.
Murray artfully weaves together her characters’ personal stories and real international events. Along the way, we learn about many famous international marriages, from European royal families, to war brides, to “dollar princesses”, wealthy heiresses whose marriage to impoverished noblemen brought social standing to one and financial security to the other.
International marriages of course have some problems that domestic ones don’t; but don’t all marriages, to be successful, have to find a balance between who each partner is and what each one wants in life? For this reason, I think that Two Questions is not only an entertaining and informative read, but a source of reflection for every reader.
Danielle Murray
Danielle Murray
Although author Danielle Murray tells the reader that this novel is a work of fiction, one suspects that parts of the four women characters in the book speak to her personal experience as a Canadian woman, who married and followed a New Zealander to his home and life.
As it happens, years ago this reviewer did the reverse of the narrator’s mother Lucie, by leaving the US for Québec.
The narrator, Meghan, is sassy and smart. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Meghan seeks out stories of women who left their homeland to follow their love to a new and often bewildering country. Meghan seeks the answer to two questions: Do you have any regrets? Would you do it again? Her own answers sway between yes and no and shades in between.
The novel is journalistic in form, and easy to read. There is a mystery concerning Meghan’s beloved paternal grandparents, and the reader hurries to learn how Meghan herself will come to terms with her “love is blind” choice.
Murray artfully weaves together her characters’ personal stories and real international events. Along the way, we learn about many famous international marriages, from European royal families, to war brides, to “dollar princesses”, wealthy heiresses whose marriage to impoverished noblemen brought social standing to one and financial security to the other.
International marriages of course have some problems that domestic ones don’t; but don’t all marriages, to be successful, have to find a balance between who each partner is and what each one wants in life? For this reason, I think that Two Questions is not only an entertaining and informative read, but a source of reflection for every reader.
Danielle Murray
March 4, 2022
It took me awhile to get here to write a review on Two Questions so here I am finally…our daughter fell in love with a Kiwi, married, and off she went to settle in New Zealand with our grandkids and in my sadness I came across Danielle Murrays refreshing tale of falling for a man from another country, she decides to follow him to his homeland. You won’t be disappointed in her hilarious writings of the pros and cons of leaving family behind for love. I learned a lot of what one goes through moving to the other side of the world. An intriguing, heartfelt tale that will make you laugh, make you love the characters and will keep you engaged to the end only wanting but a 2nd book from Danielle Murray. P.S. You’ll love her Mother
December 19, 2019
Let me introduce Meghan. She is perfectly fine in the ol’ US of A. But dang that cute guy is from New Zealand. The Bottom of the World as Meghan describes it. Thus she embarks on seeking advice from the women who before her who have swapped home lands. At first she doesn’t look to far. She starts with her mother who left her French-Canadian home to live in the US. Advice is given, often in letter form, and dear ma (Lucie) has strong opinions since she is an outsider who was raised by an outsider. Family secrets are admitted to also. Your grandma? She may not have been your gramps first choice. It very well could be that the love of his life didn’t speak the language and wouldn’t jump the pond. We are introduced to the cast of characters before chapter one, a summary of a family tree, going back a few war bride generations and then coming full circle to today’s women that met a handsome stranger and can take their time in deciding instead of the quick decisions previous women made.
I am a FIRM believer in a good review can tell you everything you need to know about whether or not it speaks of a book you would love to pick up and devour without spoilers. So there is now way in the world I’m going to tell you who’s advice Meghan takes and if she ends up at the bottom of the world.
Besides the strong female characters in Meghan’s life we are also educated on great wives of yore. Marie Antoinette, Tsarina Alexandra, Consuelo Vanderbilt, the woman behind Churchill, Lady Randolph, and Wallis Simpson, who must have wielded master skills in the power of persuasion. I must admit that being a pastor my side hobby has always been the customs of marriage and its ties with Religion, and customs of different countries. I was overly happy to see some of this knowledge shared in a current novel.
THERE are SO MANY great lines in this book. In a letter from Lucie, Meghan reads: “I say ‘foreign wife’ because in my experience, it is mainly the women who follow men and not the reverse. I think women pay a higher price for love, or are willing to.” More Lucie wisdom: “Do Not let yourself fall into a sliding door mentality and constantly analyze how your new life compares with the old.” “Depending on where you come from people have a preconceived notion about you, your personality, and your abilities.” (WOW)
AND last one I will share, my favorite: “you lose a bit of yourself when not speaking in your native tongue.”
Now you are wondering what are the two questions. Is it worth it? Would you do it again?
Keep in mind Marie Antoinette and Tsarina Alexandra suffered permanent homesickness and were killed. Ouch. I don’t think Meghan’s decision holds that much weight. But that is all I’m going to tell you.
I am a FIRM believer in a good review can tell you everything you need to know about whether or not it speaks of a book you would love to pick up and devour without spoilers. So there is now way in the world I’m going to tell you who’s advice Meghan takes and if she ends up at the bottom of the world.
Besides the strong female characters in Meghan’s life we are also educated on great wives of yore. Marie Antoinette, Tsarina Alexandra, Consuelo Vanderbilt, the woman behind Churchill, Lady Randolph, and Wallis Simpson, who must have wielded master skills in the power of persuasion. I must admit that being a pastor my side hobby has always been the customs of marriage and its ties with Religion, and customs of different countries. I was overly happy to see some of this knowledge shared in a current novel.
THERE are SO MANY great lines in this book. In a letter from Lucie, Meghan reads: “I say ‘foreign wife’ because in my experience, it is mainly the women who follow men and not the reverse. I think women pay a higher price for love, or are willing to.” More Lucie wisdom: “Do Not let yourself fall into a sliding door mentality and constantly analyze how your new life compares with the old.” “Depending on where you come from people have a preconceived notion about you, your personality, and your abilities.” (WOW)
AND last one I will share, my favorite: “you lose a bit of yourself when not speaking in your native tongue.”
Now you are wondering what are the two questions. Is it worth it? Would you do it again?
Keep in mind Marie Antoinette and Tsarina Alexandra suffered permanent homesickness and were killed. Ouch. I don’t think Meghan’s decision holds that much weight. But that is all I’m going to tell you.
April 25, 2019
I LOVED this book. As a "foreign wife" myself, how could I not? I wasn't interviewed for this book, but I felt like I was, as I heard my thoughts being shared through the different characters.
The premise is simple: we meet various foreign wives and ask whether they regret their choice to marry & move abroad, and whether they would do it again. The questions may seem similar, but sometimes the answers are surprising.
We follow several characters throughout the book: Meghan, who swears she will never marry a foreigner. Lucie, her mother, who not only married a foreigner but became an international couples counselor. Tish-Louise, and Annie, both GI brides after WWII. Adding Marie-Antoinette and Tsarina Alexandra to the mix as famous foreign brides with disastrous outcomes makes for an interesting interpretation of history.
The book reads somewhat like a memoir as Meghan works through her own feelings with the help of her mother and her friend Tish-Louise.
Reading this book felt like commiserating with a close friend. Trying to sort through the ups, the downs, the positive and negative thoughts and feelings that come with having married someone from another country and living your life abroad. Danielle Murray treats the question from every angle, and we see the difference between homesickness and nostalgia ("hiraeth," as Lucie calls it). Each woman works her way through the various stages of living abroad with her husband, just as we deal with stages of grief.
I highly recommend this book for all foreign wives. If you have a friend who is a foreign wife and you want to learn about her conflicted feelings and what it's really like choosing to live abroad for the foreseeable future, or forever (spoiler, it's not all romantic dinners in Paris), pick up this book.
(disclaimer, I received an advanced reader copy of this book. However, all opinions are my own!)
The premise is simple: we meet various foreign wives and ask whether they regret their choice to marry & move abroad, and whether they would do it again. The questions may seem similar, but sometimes the answers are surprising.
We follow several characters throughout the book: Meghan, who swears she will never marry a foreigner. Lucie, her mother, who not only married a foreigner but became an international couples counselor. Tish-Louise, and Annie, both GI brides after WWII. Adding Marie-Antoinette and Tsarina Alexandra to the mix as famous foreign brides with disastrous outcomes makes for an interesting interpretation of history.
The book reads somewhat like a memoir as Meghan works through her own feelings with the help of her mother and her friend Tish-Louise.
Reading this book felt like commiserating with a close friend. Trying to sort through the ups, the downs, the positive and negative thoughts and feelings that come with having married someone from another country and living your life abroad. Danielle Murray treats the question from every angle, and we see the difference between homesickness and nostalgia ("hiraeth," as Lucie calls it). Each woman works her way through the various stages of living abroad with her husband, just as we deal with stages of grief.
I highly recommend this book for all foreign wives. If you have a friend who is a foreign wife and you want to learn about her conflicted feelings and what it's really like choosing to live abroad for the foreseeable future, or forever (spoiler, it's not all romantic dinners in Paris), pick up this book.
(disclaimer, I received an advanced reader copy of this book. However, all opinions are my own!)
July 9, 2019
This book really creeps up on you. I thought this would be a book about women who marry foreign men and about homesickness but it is much more. I fell in love with all the characters and not just Meghan and her French-Canadian mother Lucie but Fletcher and Meghan’s Jewish Brooklyn grandmother. I found the references to famous foreign wives like Marie Antoinette and Wallis Simpson really interesting and how the book weaves them in to be really clever and it tells their story from a different point of view and one I have never heard of before. The way the book is written is fun and quirky. I loved the ongoing conversation between mother and daughter which reminded me of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. The book has two storylines and I loved the twist at the end which was unexpected and one I never saw coming! Couldn’t put the book down but did not want it to end.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I hesitated to read it because It feels like I had to like/love the book but I really did enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I hesitated to read it because It feels like I had to like/love the book but I really did enjoy this book.
February 5, 2020
What a great book, so worth your time reading. I highly recommend it. I love reading a story which shows that the author has done significant research and Murray nailed it with out-and-out mentions of foreign women, famous or not. Such a great way to learn history. This story also touches deeply the emotions of the choices made and whether they would do it again. It has you thinking of your own choices made in life. And be ready for a twist at the end, I didn’t see it coming.
April 27, 2020
This is a must read.
I started reading this book and I was enchanted from the first few pages.
The author has a writing style that evokes memories of Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye.
It is non stop narrative that keeps the reader enthralled until the climax of the book.
The author tells an amazing story on several different levels And from several different perspectives.
This book is not to be missed.
I started reading this book and I was enchanted from the first few pages.
The author has a writing style that evokes memories of Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye.
It is non stop narrative that keeps the reader enthralled until the climax of the book.
The author tells an amazing story on several different levels And from several different perspectives.
This book is not to be missed.
August 21, 2020
Among other aspects, I liked the refreshing writing style. I really liked the historical royal and dollar princess marriages cleverly embedded in the story through the interests of Meg's psychologist mother Lucie. What a great topic 'hiraeth', that hasn't been done ad nauseam and of great interest to most women. Such a breath of literary fresh air compared to the multitude of novels out there written in similar style with redundant topics.
May 22, 2020
I loved it "Two Questions". It's an unusually mix of voices interwoven within a story about marrying someone from a different country, and then moving there. I was sure that it was the authors story, but apparently it is fiction. It combines the stories of lots of women in a fun style that certainly kept me wanting more.
May 4, 2020
First thoughts: Educational. Interesting. Letters, diary entries, emails-an interesting format. I never realized there were so many war brides or that it happened in so many wars. I never looked at the whole situation from this POV...quite interesting. Full review to follow.
September 17, 2021
Four young women become brides. They are excited and in love with their grooms. These young women share more than one thing. However one big difference is they are from different times in history. These women all picture their upcoming married lives as a magnificent fairytale. Will it truly happen that way? You'll have to read the book to get the answer.
What a fantastic way to approach marriages between two countries! It is in many ways just that. The writing is superb and with some humor, it shows us what can take place when such marriages happen. The characters are well defined. I love this approach! It's one not many authors would have taken on. In truth, it's only when we look at them from this vantage point we'll discover the huge differences. Each bride will face things she never dreamed would be part of her life. Ms. Murray gives us a lovely story but allows us to peek through the blinds as well.
I found no issues here.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because nothing is completely positive or negative. It's the combination of the two where we find the truth. The author provided a copy of the book but I chose to review it.
What a fantastic way to approach marriages between two countries! It is in many ways just that. The writing is superb and with some humor, it shows us what can take place when such marriages happen. The characters are well defined. I love this approach! It's one not many authors would have taken on. In truth, it's only when we look at them from this vantage point we'll discover the huge differences. Each bride will face things she never dreamed would be part of her life. Ms. Murray gives us a lovely story but allows us to peek through the blinds as well.
I found no issues here.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because nothing is completely positive or negative. It's the combination of the two where we find the truth. The author provided a copy of the book but I chose to review it.
March 18, 2022
Could be great
Danielle Murphy is a great writer. And she has a wonderful book hiding in here. I absolutely loved the main story of Megan and her struggles to make a life in New Zealand with her Kiwi husband. And what a wonderful back story of her family with the surprise Kiwi connection. But it’s all muddled with the constant distraction of the historical bits Murray has decided to throw in. I ended up skipping over most of that to get to the better and more interesting parts of the story. I would love to read a reworked version that expands on Megan and her extended family. Or a sequel perhaps? The historical stuff is all really interesting too but it’s a different book, or perhaps a magazine article. But keep writing, Danielle, I want to read more of your work.
Danielle Murphy is a great writer. And she has a wonderful book hiding in here. I absolutely loved the main story of Megan and her struggles to make a life in New Zealand with her Kiwi husband. And what a wonderful back story of her family with the surprise Kiwi connection. But it’s all muddled with the constant distraction of the historical bits Murray has decided to throw in. I ended up skipping over most of that to get to the better and more interesting parts of the story. I would love to read a reworked version that expands on Megan and her extended family. Or a sequel perhaps? The historical stuff is all really interesting too but it’s a different book, or perhaps a magazine article. But keep writing, Danielle, I want to read more of your work.
November 8, 2020
Delightful novel! I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing. The tone throughout and the way the characters stories were told was easy to follow. The story was told in a conversational way for some of it and told through letters for some. The story is about Megan and her life, her marriage and her struggles. Megan and her sister’s parents’ and their grandparents’ lives are brought to life in a colorful way. The story is strongly about women who move to another country to be with their husband. There is a look into that in Megan’s own family and with other people over the years. There is humor throughout as well as the hard emotional parts of life.
March 23, 2021
I loved reading this book with it's fresh take on what it really means to give up everything and move to another country with a new love. I moved from London to a small country town.
'Walks along deserted country roads hardly compare to a city stroll. Too much green, no pavement, not enough window displays and people watching. I haven't heard a police siren in weeks. I miss it.'
Says it all and rather beautifully
'Walks along deserted country roads hardly compare to a city stroll. Too much green, no pavement, not enough window displays and people watching. I haven't heard a police siren in weeks. I miss it.'
Says it all and rather beautifully
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed this passion project by the author, incorporating some of her own experience with those of others: modern foreign partners, War brides, and famous historical foreign brides (Tsarina Alexandra, Marie Antoinette).
September 14, 2021
Danielle Murray masterfully wove several family stories together and took the reader around the world to New York, Montreal, New Zealand and Europe. Two Questions is witty, humorous and well written. It was an entertaining read and I look forward to more great stories from this author.
March 27, 2021
Absolutely loved this book. It made me laugh, cry, and reflect on my own journey moving abroad for love. A must read!
June 23, 2019
…we all go against our better judgement in the name of love (or lust) and just hope we don’t live to regret it.
I enjoyed these sketches of women from various generations who completely uproot themselves for love. I appreciate how all the women are more than willing to be truthful and thoughtful. The author has a chatty, sometimes exhausting writing style; however, it probably added to the book! I did really feel the women and their situations. The ending is quite satisfying. And the author is a very intelligent writer so I would recommend this book absolutely.
I enjoyed these sketches of women from various generations who completely uproot themselves for love. I appreciate how all the women are more than willing to be truthful and thoughtful. The author has a chatty, sometimes exhausting writing style; however, it probably added to the book! I did really feel the women and their situations. The ending is quite satisfying. And the author is a very intelligent writer so I would recommend this book absolutely.
September 22, 2021
This book was such a terrific read. I enjoyed it so much, that I didn't want it to end!
Hoping this author will write another book soon!
Hoping this author will write another book soon!
May 3, 2021
I loved this book. A delightful read. As I turn the pages, I'm excited to see who I will read next. Megan, Tish Louise, Lucie or Annie. The tidbits of history are wonderful. Who knew that Marie Antoinette's husband had a ..... problem. Not in the history books I have read. I do wonder how much of the author is in Megan. Could I leave my home and follow a man to wherever? I dont know.
This is a book I will share with my friends.
This is a book I will share with my friends.
August 18, 2021
I had to read this book as part of my book club and I did not want to as the subject matter sounds a bit gloomy. I did not expect to have so much fun reading this book but the characters are all so good and the writing is magical and I loved every page. Please tell me there is a sequel.
December 5, 2020
I’m so pleased I read this book! I just wish I’d read it 25 years ago. Danielle Murray is spot on about leaving everything you know behind you for someone you love. I am not a war bride but I did put everything behind me once and go to another country (not far away) and marry a man I loved (I thought so at the time).
There are typical family ‘goings on’ with skeletons in the closet coming out and things that were hidden due to it being the 1940’s etc.
A lot of research has clearly gone into this book and I had to fact check, it actually does have real, correct information. To the point where I decided not to fact check anymore because it was spot on each time I checked.
So, it’s a love story and a life lesson I think. Lots of letter writing, which led me to give 4 stars rather than 5. I felt put off at times when I didn’t think I needed some of the information.
I really can’t choose a favourite character as I loved them all at different times in the story.
I enjoyed reading this and I feel lots of other readers will too!
There are typical family ‘goings on’ with skeletons in the closet coming out and things that were hidden due to it being the 1940’s etc.
A lot of research has clearly gone into this book and I had to fact check, it actually does have real, correct information. To the point where I decided not to fact check anymore because it was spot on each time I checked.
So, it’s a love story and a life lesson I think. Lots of letter writing, which led me to give 4 stars rather than 5. I felt put off at times when I didn’t think I needed some of the information.
I really can’t choose a favourite character as I loved them all at different times in the story.
I enjoyed reading this and I feel lots of other readers will too!
April 24, 2020
This book resonated with me as someone in an international marriage. I liked that, while fictional, this isn't a romanticized version of love and marriage, but a realistic look at the joys and challenges of marriage to someone who isn't "reading the same book as you", as the author put it. It has a lot of historical asides about famous foreign wives (mostly queens), which are enjoyable if you enjoy history (as I do), but didn't add much to the story in my opinion. It would make a good book club read in a group with multiple people in international marriages because there would be a lot to discuss.
October 30, 2020
Centrally this novel is about a young American woman who falls in love with a Kiwi guy and follows him back to NZ and all the issues that brings with it .. home-sickness, cultural loss, adjustment, in-laws as well as the reality that follows romance. But this easy-to-read book is more than that as it cleverly intersperses information about historical foreign brides into a family history of the central character and introduces a mystery about her grandparents. Towards the end is a page-turner with a clever twist that makes it all come together! It’s lyrically written, reflective and educational as well as being a want-to-keep-reading story that keeps you thinking at the end.
July 30, 2020
Two Questions by Danielle Murray was such a fun read! I really enjoyed the different perspectives of what people will do for love. Each voice was written in a different style, and my favorite was the letters written by main character’s mother. The author did a great job of guiding the reader through the two questions through witty prose and heart-warming stories. What is the answer to the TWO QUESTIONS – you must read this delightful book to find out for yourself.
****I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review****
****I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review****
May 4, 2020
Could totally relate! I meet my kiwi live and moved to the other end of the world with our twin girls. Coffee was almost a deal breaker for me too and yes tourtiere samosas was the only way to get my kiwi family to appreciate the ultimate French Canadian meat pie and getting them to accept eating a mince (meat) pie with cranberry sauce was a stretch. Danielle brilliantly brought to life the tug of war between your cultural roots and culture and your new home.
July 20, 2019
This book asks what life was like for war brides and royal women who left their homes for marriage. Fascinating. I really enjoyed this book and find myself thinking of the lives of these women. My mother left her country - her friends, her family - for love; I need to ask her those two questions- was it worth it? would she do it again?
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