Who serves as Reta's mentor in the novel, Unless?

Danielle is an eighty-five years old and is a tough-minded, single French-Canadian poet, philosopher, and Professor at the University of Toronto. She exerts a powerful influence over Reta's life, thought, and work. She does not appear often, but on the occasions when the author brings her into the story, she always influences the direction of Reta's life. Danielle brings a strong feminist perspective to the story; her central thesis is that the root of women's problems is their powerless position in a gendered world.