The Nightingale: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

It’s 1941, and Isabelle is on her way to Paris. Vianne, meanwhile, is alone with Sophie and Beck. One day, Beck brings Vianne a fish he caught and presents it to her as a gift. Vianne is unsure whether she should take it. She doesn’t want to owe Beck another favor. Seeing that Vianne is hesitant, Beck assures her that he got the fish by legitimate means. Eventually, Vianne accepts the fish and begins prepping it for dinner.

When Vianne finishes cooking, she brings the fish to the table and sees that Beck is sitting in the same chair that Antoine always used. When Beck sees that the fish is ready, he offers Vianne an expensive bottle of wine, which she accepts. As Sophie, Beck, and Vianne eat together, Vianne notices that Beck is talking more than normal. She realizes that this might be because Isabelle is gone so there is less tension in the house.

Meanwhile, Isabelle arrives in Paris with her bicycle. When she gets off the train, she bikes to Julien Rossignol’s store. Isabelle reaches the store and finds it in chaos; it looks like it is closed down and has not been tended to as of late. Concerned, Isabelle heads to her father’s apartment, only to find out that he is not there, either. Not knowing where else to go, Isabelle makes herself comfortable and decides to wait for her father to come home. While she waits, she thinks about the best way to convince Julien to let her stay.

Later, Julien Rossignol comes home and sees Isabelle. Immediately, he is angry. When Isabelle tells him that she would like to live with him, Julien tells her that she shouldn’t have left Vianne and Sophie alone with a Nazi. He tells Isabelle that she must go back to Carriveau immediately. However, Isabelle refuses. She tells Julien that Paris is her home, and she plans to live there no matter what he says. 

The conversation turns to Julien Rossignol’s current job. Since he is not running the bookstore anymore, Isabelle wants to know what he is doing. Julien tells Isabelle that he is working for the Germans at the Hotel de Crillon. This news deeply angers Isabelle. In her eyes, yet another one of her family members is aiding and abetting the Nazis. She tells Julien that he is cowardly. In response, Julien tells her that she cannot judge him because she doesn’t know the full details of his past. Additionally, he says that if Isabelle wants to stay in Paris, then she must follow all of his rules. Also, she must find a job. Although she is disappointed with her father, Isabelle promises to do what he says.

After speaking with Julien Rossignol, Isabelle goes and looks at her old room. Everything is just as she left it, although it clearly hasn’t been tended to in a while. Next door, Isabelle can hear Julien drinking and swearing. Isabelle knows that Julien is not happy that she is here, but she is proud of herself for standing her ground. While listening to her father next door, Isabelle reflects on her relationship him. She feels as though he resents her no matter what she does.

Moments later, Julien Rossignol knocks on Isabelle’s door and tells her he is leaving. While he is gone, he wants her to pick up his daily rations. Isabelle agrees to do as Julien says. After Julien leaves, Isabelle realizes that she needs to complete the mission she was sent to Paris to do. She gets dressed and then leaves with a handbag, which contains the secret message.

Next, Isabelle walks to the agreed-upon meeting place. Isabelle is nervous; she knows that any mistake could result in her death. She sits down on a bench, just as she was told to do. Right after she sits down, a woman comes and sits down next to her. Isabelle, says, “Do you think I’ll need an umbrella today?” This phrase is a secret code, which the woman sitting next to Isabelle responds to correctly. Isabelle realizes that she has found the right woman, so she attempts to give her the secret message. However, the woman stops her and says that they should go to a café before anything is exchanged.

Isabelle and her new colleague get up and go to a nearby café. There, Isabelle gives the woman the secret message. The woman thanks Isabelle and warns her that she must be wary of French people who are working for the Germans. She tells Isabelle that she shouldn’t trust anyone, even her own father. Additionally, she informs Isabelle that the other members of the resistance group want to meet her. She gives her a place and a time when that can happen. Satisfied with her success, Isabelle gets up and leaves the café. She feels like she is doing something meaningful to fight back against the Nazis.