Part 1, Storm In June: Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

In Paris, although it is still dark, the citizens are waking up to prepare for an air raid. Both rich and poor are somewhat concerned with the threat, however, it has not yet become real for them. The gunfire is audible in the distance and even though Paris is lovely, as ever, and the people have grown somewhat accustomed to the sounds of war, the city seems to be vibrating with anticipated danger as the war moves ever closer.

The Pericands are an upper middle-class family, whose eldest son, Philippe, is a Catholic priest.. Monsieur Pericand is curator of a national museum and employed by the French government, which explains their conflicted political feelings. His wife, Charlotte, a hard working but snobbish woman, is an organized and practical homemaker. She is a 47-year...