Far From Home: 20-Question Quiz

How well do you remember the journey of Arielle and Marianna in Danielle Steel's Far From Home? This quiz spans the entire novel, from the July 1944 conspiracy to the wedding at the château. Each question is based solely on the story as presented in the book. After you finish, check the answer key for brief explanations.

For additional insight, you can revisit the book summary, browse questions and answers, or read the ending explained.

Questions

Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

In what month and year does the novel's main story open?
- A. June 1944
- B. July 1944
- C. August 1944
- D. September 1944
What is the code name of the plot to assassinate Hitler that Gregor joins?
- A. Operation Barbarossa
- B. Operation Overlord
- C. Operation Valkyrie
- D. Operation Seelöwe
How does Arielle escape from Paris after learning of Gregor's execution?
- A. By plane to London
- B. By train with a false French passport
- C. By hiding in a convent
- D. By driving with the Kommandant
What happens to Marianna's husband Jürgen?
- A. He is executed as a conspirator
- B. He is shot down over Poland and killed
- C. He deserts the Luftwaffe
- D. He survives and reunites with Marianna
Who rescues Marianna from an attempted rape in post-war Berlin?
- A. A German policeman
- B. American Captain Tim McGrath
- C. Her brother Viktor
- D. A French soldier
What news does Sebastien receive about his daughter Josephine?
- A. She died at Auschwitz
- B. She is alive in a Berlin hospital after liberation from Ravensbrück
- C. She escaped to Switzerland
- D. She is living in Paris with relatives
How do Arielle and Marianna finally reunite?
- A. Marianna finds Arielle at the château
- B. Tim arranges a meeting
- C. Arielle tracks Marianna through an old school friend in Berlin
- D. They meet at a Red Cross office
What is the final major event of the main narrative?
- A. The liberation of Paris
- B. The religious wedding of Marianna and Tim at the château on Christmas Eve
- C. Arielle's marriage to Sebastien
- D. The death of Viktor

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

Why does Gregor send Arielle to Paris in July 1944?
- A. To visit her mother
- B. To keep her safe from the Valkyrie conspiracy
- C. To shop for a birthday party
- D. To meet with French Resistance leaders
Why does Marianna take a waitress job in a rough Berlin neighborhood?
- A. She wants to meet American soldiers
- B. She is evicted by her in-laws and needs money to survive
- C. She is forced to work by the Nazi regime
- D. She is hiding from the Gestapo
Why does Sebastien forge documents for the Resistance?
- A. He is paid a high salary
- B. He wants to avenge his wife and daughter who were deported
- C. He is a German spy
- D. He seeks political power after the war
Why does Arielle confess her German nationality to Sebastien?
- A. She is forced to by the Resistance cell
- B. She wants to be honest before they travel to Berlin together
- C. She is caught by the police
- D. She wants to end their friendship
Why does Tim McGrath propose to Marianna?
- A. He pities her
- B. He is ordered by his superiors
- C. He admires her courage and falls in love
- D. He needs a German translator for the Nuremberg trials

Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

What do the Chanel cuffs that Arielle gives to Marianna symbolize?
- A. Wealth and aristocratic status
- B. The love of her parents and the idea that home is in the heart
- C. A reminder of Berlin
- D. A token from Tim
The false identity and escape papers used by Arielle primarily symbolize what?
- A. The ease of deception during war
- B. The importance of bureaucratic paperwork
- C. The need for survival and the fluidity of identity
- D. The corruption of the French government
What does the destroyed Château de Villier represent as it is reclaimed by the family?
- A. The futility of war
- B. The resilience of family and the possibility of reclaiming home
- C. The loss of aristocratic privilege
- D. The triumph of the Resistance over Germany
The theme "home is in the heart" is explicitly stated during which event?
- A. Gregor's funeral
- B. The wedding at the château
- C. Arielle's departure from Paris
- D. The New Year's Eve celebration in Normandy

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

Compare the roles of Arielle and Sebastien in the Resistance. Write a short answer (2–3 sentences).
How do both Arielle and Marianna demonstrate resilience in the face of devastating loss? Write a short answer (2–3 sentences).
How does the novel portray the aftermath of war for civilians in both France and Germany? Write a short answer (2–3 sentences).

Answer Key

#	Answer	Explanation
1	B. July 1944	The story opens in July 1944 when Arielle and Gregor leave their schloss for Berlin.
2	C. Operation Valkyrie	Gregor's friend Ludwig Beck mentions the code name “Valkyrie” for the assassination plot.
3	B. By train with a false French passport	Arielle uses the passport given by the Kommandant to pass a checkpoint and heads to Normandy.
4	B. He is shot down over Poland and killed	Marianna learns that her Luftwaffe husband Jürgen was shot down and killed over Poland.
5	B. American Captain Tim McGrath	Tim rescues Marianna from a Russian soldier in an alley and gives her his phone number.
6	B. She is alive in a Berlin hospital after liberation from Ravensbrück	A Red Cross message confirms Josephine survived the camp.
7	C. Arielle tracks Marianna through an old school friend in Berlin	Arielle finds Ursula, an old school friend, who tells her where Marianna works and lives.
8	B. The religious wedding of Marianna and Tim at the château on Christmas Eve	The wedding concludes the main story; the excerpt from The Devil's Daughter is a separate preview.
9	B. To keep her safe from the Valkyrie conspiracy	Gregor sends Arielle to Paris for shopping and socializing to protect her while he joins the plot.
10	B. She is evicted by her in-laws and needs money to survive	After Jürgen's death, his parents evict Marianna, forcing her to work as a waitress.
11	B. He wants to avenge his wife and daughter who were deported	Sebastien's wife Naomi and daughter Josephine were deported in 1941; he forges documents to fight back.
12	B. She wants to be honest before they travel to Berlin together	After the final Resistance meeting, Arielle tells Sebastien the truth so they can plan their journey.
13	C. He admires her courage and falls in love	Tim learns of Marianna's losses and her father's role in the plot; he admires her resilience and their bond grows.
14	B. The love of her parents and the idea that home is in the heart	Arielle gives the cuffs at the wedding, saying home is in the heart.
15	C. The need for survival and the fluidity of identity	Arielle uses the false passport to hide her German identity and survive; the novel explores appearance vs. reality.
16	B. The resilience of family and the possibility of reclaiming home	Jeanne and Louis reclaim the château after the Germans leave; it later hosts the wedding and family reunion.
17	B. The wedding at the château	During the wedding, Arielle tells Marianna that home is in the heart.
18	Sample answer: Arielle used her fluent German to translate Resistance documents, correcting errors. Sebastien forged passports to help Jewish children escape. Both risked their lives daily.	Arielle's translation work is shown in the cellar meeting; Sebastien's forgeries are described in Chapter 5.
19	Sample answer: Arielle hides in France, joins the Resistance, and builds a new identity after losing her husband. Marianna survives the Battle of Berlin, a rape attempt, and the loss of her husband and brother, then starts a new life with Tim.	Both women rebuild from nothing—Arielle in Normandy, Marianna in Berlin—showing strength despite grief.
20	Sample answer: The novel shows civilians on both sides suffering: Arielle becomes a fugitive in France, Marianna is homeless in Berlin. It also shows recovery through love, restitution, and family reunions.	The contrast between Arielle's hiding in France and Marianna's destitution in Berlin highlights the war's cost; the ending offers hope.

Scoring: Count 1 point per correct answer (multiple-choice) and up to 2 points per short-answer question based on accuracy and completeness. Total possible: 26 points. Enjoy reviewing the story!