Love

In the very first lines of the novel, the author states that "in love we find out who we want to be." The theme of love carries throughout the novel as the author explores what that line means. Love is seen through the relationships of several of the characters, such as Vianne and Antoine, Isabelle and Gaetan, and Julien and his deceased wife.

The relationship between Antoine and Vianne is the first to be presented in the novel. Vianne admits that Antoine was her savior. When Vianne was abandoned by her father and left with a stranger to raise Isabelle, she met Antoine who just made everything right. Vianne was a young girl when the two met and Antoine always took care of her. Because of this, Vianne believes she has no idea how to survive on her own when Antoine goes off to war.

Before...