“The silver has tarnished, but I can make out the griffin, the symbol of the Cards. On the reverse is engraved DO RIGHT AND FEAR NO MAN.”

Marcelle’s narration in the Prologue outlines several visuals and thematic ideas that will be apparent later in the novel, and the griffin brooch, symbol of the Cards’ courage, stands out for its message. The tarnish on the brooch hints at the passage of time, while the motto itself represents The Impacts of Women in History, subtly emphasizing the idea that the women who volunteered were never second to men.

“She parked in front of the sliver of chateau still standing. In the moonlight, the tall sandstone castle resembled a satin wedding dress; the ruins of rubble stretched beside it brought to mind a lace train.”

Kit’s description of her arrival at Blérancourt captures several key ideas at once: the destruction of property inherent in the “sliver of chateau still standing,” the beauty she nevertheless sees in the surroundings, and her tendency to use figurative language and vivid images in her descriptions. Comparing the chateau to a wedding dress also carries the connotation of marriage and recalls Kit’s discussion with Lewis in the preceding pages, where both eschew the expectation that they should marry.

“Words were my life but now I had none. My heart ached for the families and all they’d endured. I didn’t realize that I’d balled up my father’s handkerchief in my fist until the terrier’s nose brushed my knuckles. Dogs always seemed to know when solace was needed.”

The phrase “words were my life” succinctly characterizes Kit, and the lack of them illustrates that Kit recognizes the level of devastation the French citizens have dealt with and the true measure of the task ahead. Her reference to