by Bodie Thoene
Chapters 14–16
16. Have you, like Charles, ever been “despised for something you had no control over” (p. 111)? When?
17. “We would have arrested Hitler for endangering the peace of Germany if only someone had stood up to him” (Canaris, p. 115). One person can change history in the making. Think of a few examples of men and women who have changed history—for the better. How did they stand up and make a difference? How did they bring “the ways of justice and morality” (p. 116) back to their home, their community, or their nation?
Remember Admiral Canaris’ encouragement: “We have much to do, and you must be a part of it” (p. 116)!
18. Would you be willing to commit treason against your country (as Canaris asked Thomas to do) for a higher goal? Especially if you knew you could “lose your life in a most horrible way” (pp. 118-119)? Why or why not?
19. “Why, why, why?” Hershel asks as he runs from a family who doesn’t want him (p. 127). Have you felt that way—unwanted? like a prisoner (see p. 128)? When?
Chapters 17–19
20. When Murphy received orders to go to California (see pp. 135-136), he was caught between his duty to his job and his promises to Elisa. When you are caught between work and family, what do you do? Explain.
21. Imagine that you’ve just arrived in Vienna during this tumultuous time. You see the word JUDE smeared across shopwindows, piles of broken furniture from houses and synagogues, and buildings marked either by a six-pointed star or the broken cross of the Nazi regime. Would you agree with Skies when he says, “God left Austria when Hitler marched in” (p. 147)? Why or why not?
22. “What did those prayers gain them?” Leah wonders. “I have no faith in miracles!” (pp. 155-156). Do you believe that prayer accomplishes anything? Do you have faith in miracles? Why or why not?
Chapters 20–24
23. “There was no middle ground left. It was one side of the fence or the other” (p. 163). What choice(s) have you made that have put you on “one side of the fence or the other”?
24. “If [the Jews who escaped the Reich] had not understood the meaning of the phrase before, tonight they embraced their freedom like drowning men who had been pulled to safety from a riptide” (p. 177). What does “freedom” mean to you?
25. “If we had covered Hitler’s war against the church and thousands of families like the Kronenbergers with more enthusiasm, then Paris would not be full of refugees, and Vienna would not be full of Wehrmacht troops!” (p. 179). Do you agree with Murphy that the media is this powerful? Why or why not?
Chapters 25–29
26. “Murphy remembered Strickland’s advice clearly: ‘The Chief loves animals. Talk about animals. Avoid politics!’” (p. 195). Have you ever been told not to “rock the boat”? In what situation(s)? How did you respond?
27. “Little Charles, symbol of the last fight of many good men in Germany” (p. 218). How is Charles a symbol? What symbols of goodness and truth do you see around you today?
28. “Liberty . . . Yes, that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” (p. 225). If you were talking to a powerful person, and he or she said something you don’t believe in, would you defend your beliefs publicly, as Murphy did, or take a different route? Explain.
Chapters 30–32
29. “Refusing to believe the danger did not lessen the reality of the threat” (p. 231). Have you ever pretended that something dangerous doesn’t exist? When and why?
30. “One life or even two are insignificant. . . . You must not think of your friends at this moment. You must be able to forget even your own life” (the bald man, p. 239). Do you believe that one life is insignificant and should be sacrificed for “the greater good”? Why or why not? (See also pp. 299-300.)
31. “All the world, it seems, has sold its soul. Hold tightly to the hand of God” (Theo, p. 243). What evidences do you see today of a world that has “sold its soul”? How can you “hold tightly to the hand of God” and spread hope in the darkness? What “covenant” can you make in your heart?
Chapters 33–36
32. “Don’t be angry at God because of what evil men do, Leah. Just do what you know is truly right. . . . Jesus . . . is here, with you, who have put your own life in danger for the sake of love. He has been here with you all along, and He will be wherever there are people like you . . . willing hearts ready to serve and live the truth!” (Elisa, p. 255). If you truly believed Elisa’s words and adopted them as your life philosophy, how would your life change?
33. If you were suddenly taken off the street, interrogated, strip-searched, told you were now merely a number, and then thrust into a filthy cell, as Elisa was (pp. 261-268), how would you respond? Especially if the others in the cell thought you were a spy (see pp. 272-273), which meant you would be friendless?
Chapters 37–39
34. Do you believe we should “protect each other and the world from another act of aggression” (p. 281), as Winston Churchill stated in 1938? Why or why not? And if so, how far should we go in that mission?
35. When have you, like Amanda, felt “worth something” (p. 285)? What person or situation contributed to your feeling of worth?
36. “What you think is truth is sometimes mere illusion” (Otto, p. 289). Have you found Otto’s statement to be true in your own life? If so, how?
Chapters 40–42
37. Hershel, a Jew, judged Thomas von Kleistmann as “a spiritual son of Hitler” (p. 308) when he had no idea who Thomas really was. A boy in the Hitler Youth called Leah and Shimon “Stinking Jewish scum!”(p. 3). Have you ever judged one person just because he or she was part of a “category” you disliked? When?
38. “[Evil] began as only a crack in the fortress of Right” (Murphy, p. 311). Do you agree that evil starts as a small crack, and then widens into a chasm? Explain.
39. Do you think the state should have the right to decide who is worthy of life (see p. 312)? Why or why not?
Chapters 43–50
40. When Elisa realizes the role Otto is really playing and glimpses the great sorrow in his eyes for all he has given up for the greater good, she suddenly sees him in a different light (see p. 331). Have you ever changed your mind about someone because you saw his or her true heart? Why?
41. Churchill declares, “Never before has the choice of such blessings or curses been so plainly, vividly, even brutally offered to mankind. The choice is open, and the dreadful balance trembles!” (p. 338). Although this statement was made in 1938, do you think it is also true today? If so, how? If not, why not?
42. “Stand firm against this evil! Do not give an inch!” (p. 344). How can you, even in a small way, stand firm against evil today? How can you “guard the rights of the helpless” (p. 367) and become part of God’s miracles?
About the Authors
Bodie and Brock Thoene BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 45 works of historical fiction. That these best sellers have sold more than 10 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered--—that the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.
In their timeless classic series about Israel (The Zion Chronicles, The Zion Covenant, and The Zion Legacy), the Thoenes’ love for both story and research shines.
With The Shiloh Legacy series and Shiloh Autumn--—poignant portrayals of the American depression--—and The Galway Chronicles, which dramatically tells of the 1840s famine in Ireland, as well as the twelve Legends of the West, the Thoenes have made their mark in modern history.
In the A.D. Chronicles, their most recent series, they step seamlessly into the world of Yerushalyim and Rome, in the days when Yeshua walked the earth and transformed lives with His touch.
Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post.
She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in jJournalism and C communications.
Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both Hhistory and Eeducation, Brock has, in his role asof researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classroomsclassrooms to teach history.
Bodie and Brock have four grown children--—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie--—and seven grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audio books. Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.
For more information visit:
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www.FamilyAudioLibrary.com
Thoene Family Classics
THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC HISTORICALS by Bodie and Brock Thoene
Gold Medallion Winners*
The Zion Covenant
Vienna Prelude*
Prague Counterpoint
Munich Signature
Jerusalem Interlude
Danzig Passage
Warsaw Requiem*
London Refrain
Paris Encore
Dunkirk Crescendo
The Zion Chronicles
The Gates of Zion*
A Daughter of Zion
The Return to Zion
A Light in Zion
The Key to Zion*
The Shiloh Legacy
In My Father’s House*
A Thousand Shall Fall
Say to This Mountain
Shiloh Autumn
The Galway Chronicles
Only the River Runs Free*
Of Men and of Angels
Ashes of Remembrance*
All Rivers to the Sea
The Zion Legacy
Jerusalem Vigil
Thunder from Jerusalem
Jerusalem’s Heart
Jerusalem Scrolls
Stones of Jerusalem
Jerusalem’s Hope
A.D. Chronicles
First Light
Second Touch
Third Watch
Fourth Dawn
Fifth Seal
Sixth Covenant
Seventh Day
Eighth Shepherd
Ninth Witness
Tenth Stone
and more to come!
THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC AMERICAN LEGENDS
Legends of the West by Bodie and Brock Thoene
The Man from Shadow Ridge
Riders of the Silver Rim
Gold Rush Prodigal
Sequoia Scout
Cannons of the Comstock
Year of the Grizzly
Shooting Star
Legend of Storey County
Hope Valley War
Delta Passage
Hangtown Lawman
Cumberland Crossing
Legends of Valor by Luke Thoene
Sons of Valor
Brothers of Valor
Fathers of Valor
THOENE CLASSIC NONFICTION by Bodie and Brock Thoene
Writer-to-Writer
THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC SUSPENSE by Jake Thoene
Chapter 16 Series
Shaiton’s Fire
Firefly Blue
Fuel the Fire
THOENE FAMILY CLASSICS FOR KIDS by Jake and Luke Thoene
Baker Street Detectives
The Mystery of the Yellow Hands
The Giant Rat of Sumatra
The Jeweled Peacock of Persia
The Thundering Underground
Last Chance Detectives
Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa
Legend of the Desert Bigfoot
THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC AUDIOBOOKS
Available from www.FamilyAudioLibrary.com
