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Julien Rossignol
Rachel de Champlain is the wife of Marc de Champlain and the mother of Ari and Sarah de Champlain. She is also Vianne Mauriac’s best friend. Rachel is a loving mother and a good friend. However, because she is Jewish, she is persecuted by the Nazis. She is fired from her job and eventually sent to a labor camp for being Jewish. After the war, Vianne learns that Rachel died while in the labor camp.
Rachel de Champlain Quotes in The Nightingale
The The Nightingale quotes below are all either spoken by Rachel de Champlain or refer to Rachel de Champlain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 7 Quotes
The smell preceded them. Human sweat and filth and body odor. As they neared, the miasma of black separated, peeled into forms. She saw people on the road and in the fields, walking, limping, coming toward her. Some were pushing bicycles or prams or dragging wagons. Dogs barked, babies cried. There was coughing, throat clearing, whining. They came forward, through the field and up the road, relentlessly moving close, pushing one another aside, their voices rising.
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Not long after Antoine leaves to fight in the war, Vianne and Rachel are walking home from work when they see a crowd of refugees approach Carriveau. Most of the refugees come from Paris—and though Vianne doesn’t know it, Isabelle is somewhere among them. Historically (and in the novel), many people evacuated Paris right before Germans occupied the city on June 14, 1940. As such, the roads out of Paris quickly flooded with people making it difficult to drive, bike, or even walk along the roads. The sight of the crowd is Vianne’s first taste of what is to come Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint
Chapter 11 Quotes
She was certain suddenly that she shouldn’t have done this. But what choice did she have? He was in control of her home. What would happen if she defied him? Slowly, feeling sick to her stomach, she wrote the last name on the list.
Rachel de Champlain.
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Beck has just asked Vianne to create a list of all the Jewish people who work at her school. Vianne does as Beck asks because he promises to send a care package to Antoine, whom the Nazis are holding in a prisoner-of-war camp. Writing the list is the first tough decision Vianne makes in the novel. On the one hand, the information she gives Beck is readily available in many other places. However, on the other hand, physically writing the list of names, especially Rachel’s name—Rachel is Vianne’s best friend—feels like a betrayal. This quote exposes the power dynamic in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa.
Chapter 12 Quotes
“Don’t think about who they are. Think about who you are and what sacrifices you can live with and what will break you [. . .] Isabelle will have her crisis of faith in this, too. As will we all. I have been here before, in the Great War. I know the hardships are just beginning. You must stay strong.”
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Vianne visits Mother Superior, her local church leader, to express her guilt about following Beck’s order to write a list of the Jewish residents of Carriveau. She feels terrible because the Nazis fired Rachel and the other Jewish people at Vianne’s school after Vianne made the list, and Vianne feels responsible. Vianne’s “crisis of faith” stems from the fact that Beck forced her to make an impossible decision that compromised her morality. In following Beck’s order and writing the list, she betrayed her best friend and the town’s other Jewish residents. But refusing Beck’s order could have put herself and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nis
Chapter 24 Quotes
“Ari,” she said quietly, taking his face in her hands. “Your maman is with the angels in Heaven. She won’t be coming back.”
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Vianne takes in Rachel’s son Ari after the Nazis send Rachel to a concentration camp. Here, Vianne tells Ari that Rachel is dead because she wants him to accept his new identity fully (so that he doesn’t reveal the truth about his Jewish roots, which would put him in danger). This moment demonstrates how the war forces Vianne to do something bad in the moment to protect herself and her loved ones in the long run. Here, Vianne knowingly inflicts psychological pain on Ari by telling him that his mother is dead—something she knows (or at least hopes) is a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur.
Chapter 25 Quotes
“Forgive my manners, Madame. But we have shown you all our best behaviors, and this is what we get from many of you French. Lies and betrayal and sabotage.”
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This quote comes from a conversation between Vianne and Captain Beck after the RAF Pilot goes missing under Beck’s command. Beck is frustrated because he cannot find the pilot, whose disappearance he attributes to the French people’s “betrayal and sabotage.” This quote is important for Beck’s character because it reveals how differently he and Vianne see the world. Although Beck may be courteous, his compatriots surely are not, and it is laughable to suggest otherwise. The Nazis stole food and supplies from the French, murdered those who rebelled and persecuted every Jewish person in the country. Perhaps Beck’s assertion is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptate
Chapter 37 Quotes
“One boy with no memory of who he has may seem a small thing to lose, but to us, he is the future. We cannot let you raise him in a religion that is not yours and take him to synagogue when you remember. Ari needs to be who he is, and to be with his people. Surely his mother would want that.”
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This quote comes from an unnamed man who comes to speak with Vianne after World War II has ended. The man is a member of a Jewish group that is attempting to piece together Jewish families separated by the war. His mission is to reunite families and to ensure the survival of Jewish cultural and religious practices following the Holocaust. Here, the man emphasizes the cultural aspects of Judaism that he knows Vianne will be unable to provide for Ari. Although Vianne wants to be Ari’s mother, the man suggests that she cannot fill this role without simultaneously stripping him Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accus
Chapter 39 Quotes
I smile at them, my two boys who should have broken me, but somehow saved me, each in his own way. Because of them, I know now what matters, and it is not what I have lost. It is my memories. Wounds heal. Love lasts.
We remain.
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This quote concludes the novel. Vianne is still at the passeurs reunion, and she has just reunited with Ari de Champlain after many decades. Vianne considers Ari is the first her “two boys” as she took him in as her son after his mother, Vianne’s best friend Rachel, was sent to a concentration camp during World War II. He “broke[]” her because he was taken away from her at a young age to live in America with his Jewish relatives. However, Ari also saved Vianne because he gave her something to fight for during the war. Meanwhile, Julien broke Vianne Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. P
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Rachel de Champlain Character Timeline in The Nightingale
The timeline below shows where the character Rachel de Champlain appears in The Nightingale. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...and assures her that France will be okay. The following day, Vianne and Sophie visit Rachel de Champlain, Vianne’s best friend. Vianne met Rachel in the aftermath of her mother’s death,...
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Chapter 7
After school, Vianne finds Rachel—who also teaches at the school—and the two friends walk home together. On their way home,...
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Chapter 8
...the Germans set up. Vianne, Isabelle, and Sophie attend the meeting together where they see Rachel and Sarah. Rachel greets Isabelle kindly and apologizes for the way she acted when they...
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...she plans to live her life as peacefully as she can under German rule. However, Rachel gives Vianne some pushback. Rachel tells her that Isabelle is probably right and that they...
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Chapter 10
Rachel arrives the Mauriac’s residence to accompany Vianne and Sophie to school. Before they depart, Beck...
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Chapter 11
After Vianne gathers herself, she goes to Rachel’s house with the list of names. Unfortunately, Rachel’s husband is also on the list, and...
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...to Vianne’s actions. They think she has purposely cozied up to Beck to get favors. Rachel defends Vianne from these charges and tells the women that they should be grateful for...
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...to Beck. Beck inspects the list and then tells her that she forgot a name: Rachel’s. Rachel is Jewish, which, apparently, Beck has already figured out. Feigning ignorance, Vianne acknowledges Beck’s...
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Chapter 12
...that her actions are unforgivable because she has hurt many people, including her best friend, Rachel. Mother Superior calms Vianne’s nerves: she tells Vianne that the moral fault rests with the...
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After her talk at the church, Vianne heads to Rachel’s house. She knows she must tell her friend the truth, no matter how painful it...
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After some time, Rachel returns. Although she is still angry, she forgives Vianne and warns her to be more...
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Chapter 20
...later, Beck arrives and takes Vianne into the house. Then, he orders Sophie to fetch Rachel. Beck realizes that Vianne is sick because she has been giving all of her food...
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...spring, Sarah shows up at Vianne’s house and asks her if she will talk to Rachel. Sarah knows something is wrong, but she is not sure what. Vianne heads to Rachel’s...
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Vianne arrives at Rachel’s house to find her friend distraught. Rachel explains that she is upset because she was...
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Chapter 22
...time, they get a pittance of cheese and bread, half of which they give to Rachel and Sarah. While Vianne is dropping off the food at Rachel’s house, Beck shows up...
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...the same thing about how Antoine will view her. Before Vianne can leave to help Rachel, Beck gives her some advice on the safest route out of town.
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Vianne meets Rachel at her house, along with Sarah and Ari. Together, they walk through the woods on...
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Rachel and Vianne recover Sarah’s body and head back in the direction of Vianne’s home. However,...
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Chapter 23
After her talk with Sophie, Vianne goes to the barn and helps Rachel out of the cellar. Rachel needs to use the bathroom, and Vianne thinks that the...
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The car takes Rachel to the train station where she is to be sent away. At the train station,...
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...some lace from her dress and ties it to a tree branch in honor of Rachel. Soon after, Beck shows up, and Vianne treats him callously. Beck tells Vianne that the...
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Chapter 24
...realizes that the only way to get Ari to comply is to tell him that Rachel is dead and that she is his new mother. Upon hearing Vianne’s lie, Ari cries....
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Chapter 25
...notices that the barn door is open more than it should be. Vianne wonders if Rachel has escaped and managed to hide in the barn. However, when she goes to check...
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Chapter 33
...Rossignol. Julien asks Vianne for a safe place to talk, and so they head to Rachel’s house.
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Once they are in Rachel’s home, Julien Rossignol informs Vianne about Isabelle’s situation. When Vianne asks how she can help...
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Chapter 37
Next, the man looks up Rachel, Marc, and Isabelle. Unfortunately, he has no good news. Both Rachel and Marc died in...
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