Carriveau

Carriveau is the French town where Vianne lives. At the start of the book Carriveau is a pretty little town where the people are friendly and go about their daily routines. The townspeople know one another and greet each other as they move through town. While Carriveau is a small town, it does have an airstrip, which makes it attractive to the Germans when they invade.

As the war goes on the town becomes less of a lovely place to live and more a place of gossip and incrimination. The supplies become exceedingly scarce with the Germans taking the best of everything for themselves. With so many Nazis around, the people become fearful and begin to turn on one another. Vianne is the subject of gossip because Beck lives with her. Some suggest their relationship is more than just a soldier billeting at a woman's house. People become...