Munich Signature (66 page)

13. When have you had to say good-bye (for a long time or forever) to a cherished friend or loved one? What thoughts ran through your head? What emotions pierced your heart? Were they similar in any way to Bubbe Rosenfelt’s as she waved good-bye to the SS
Darien
(p. 68-69)?

14. If you were standing inside the American Embassy in Prague (see pp. 73-76), watching the crowds of refugees outside the gate, how would you respond, given the circumstances?

15. How were the Jews on the
Darien
“God’s message to the conscience of the world” (p. 81)?

16.
“To lose someone . . . that is to lose everything”
(p. 84). Would you agree? Why or why not?

17. “In the relative safety and comfort of the house on Mala Strana, a very quiet, personal battle was still taking place between Theo and the Nazis who had thrown him into Dachau” (p. 90). In what ways can you quietly and personally battle against evil?

18. Have you ever kept going just for the sake of others (as Bubbe Rosenfelt does for Klaus, Maria, and the children; and later, as Maria does for her children on p. 298)? When?

19. “Our enemies rejoice at this moment,” the doctor on the
Darien
says (p. 116). When have you felt this way? What was the outcome of the situation?

20. “One blade of grass is often lost to the big picture. Such are the affairs of politics and the lives of men. . . . And yet there are moments when the issues may well hinge on one another. The small story becomes the issue on which great matters are decided” (Winston Churchill, p. 131). What examples of these truths do you see in today’s world? (For example, in 1938, the very life of Charles Kronenberger became a symbol of the church’s resistance against forced sterilization and euthanasia.)

21. It’s easy to second-guess yourself after making a big decision.
Did I do the right thing?
you wonder.
If I had made a different choice, would my life be different now?
Is God really guiding me, or am I on my own?
When Leah doubted, God provided Marta to encourage her (see p. 136). Who is your encourager? Whose encourager are you?

22. Anna could easily have sunk into despair when her sons and husband left to fight for Czechoslovakia. Instead, she was “moved with compassion” to organize meals for the hungry refugees (see p. 146). What is one compassionate thing you could do to help others this week?

23. “Only God knows who was rich and who was poor. And to Him it makes no difference,” the rabbi of Nuremberg says (p. 147). Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

24. Leah found peace and safety and spiritual encouragement at the Wattenbarger farm (see p. 173). Where or to whom do you go when you need those things?

25. Is there a person you long to be reconciled with, as Franz longed to reconcile with his brother, Otto (see p. 177)? What steps could you take in that direction?

26. If you were in charge of immigrant quotas in 1938, how would you have handled the situation (keeping in mind that for nine years American citizens had already suffered hunger and unemployment in the worst depression of their history). What would you have done the same? differently?

27. In what ways did Charles Kronenberger and Bubbe Rosenfelt meet each others’ needs (see pp. 191-193)?

28. Have you, like the Jews, ever been the object of someone else’s hatred (whether toward you personally or the “category” in which that person placed you)? Why do you think that person hated you so much?

29. Step into Murphy’s shoes. If you could swing the gates open for Jewish refugees in multiple countries just by “showing off” Charles Kronenberger and his severe cleft palate in the media, would you do it? embarrass one boy for the good of thousands? Why or why not? (See pp. 214-215.).

30. Do you believe that Christians should “pray with their hands and feet” (p. 215)? Why or why not?

31. Have you ever been forced to “perform” when you didn’t want to? (see p. 224). What was the result?

32. Is a democracy good or bad? List some pros and cons. Do you agree with the statement, “America is a land of committees; most choices are so watered down that they become useless” (p. 231)? Explain.

33. If helping someone else would hurt or end your career, would you do it? What “determining factors” would help you decide (see p. 231)?

34.
“Where are you, John Murphy? Have I not given you a voice and hands to hold a candle? What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light?”
(p. 239). Have you said, like Murphy, “Here I am, Lord. Use me”? Why or why not?

35. In the midst of such darkness on the
Darien
, the rabbi of Nuremberg is able to say, “Who says God is still not in a business of miracles,
nu
? . . . Look here! Each one of us is here!” (p. 252). Are you able to say this in the midst of your own dark times? Or do you doubt, wondering if religion truly is the “crutch” and hope of the weak? Explain your response, using an example from your own life.

36. Put yourself in Klaus Holbein’s place. If your daughter died so close to the “promised land” after such a long journey, how would you respond? Would it affect your view of or belief/disbelief in God? If so, how? Would you be bitter, or would you be able to say, with Klaus, “We are safe at last” (p. 262)?

37. “If we spend the present condemning the past, then we will lose the future. . . . There is much that can be done. It is not too late” (Elisa, p. 276). In what ways have your own personal regrets changed the way you live your live now? the way you encourage others to live their lives?

38. In the midst of her own grief about her great-grandchild, Bubbe Rosenfelt reached out to the terrified Charles (p. 285). Who could you reach out to, even if you’re in the midst of a hard time? Who needs to know he or she is not alone?

39. Have you ever been at odds with a person you love because you could not—or were afraid to—tell the truth? How did the two of you work through that issue?

40. How important do you think it is for a leader of a country to be moral and have integrity? Explain, using a specific example or two from history or contemporary culture.

41. “She felt suddenly as if a hand had seized her and shaken her. A warning flashed in her mind” (p. 344). Have you ever felt a warning nudge (as Elisa did) that kept you from harm? If so, when?

42. Why do you think that the Jews, of all nations of people, have been so persecuted throughout history? Why is it so difficult for them to find a “true home”?

43. Have you run up against the thinking, “
One cannot save everyone . . . we cannot change our laws for a few”
? If so, when? How did you respond?

44. Each immigrant is an individual—a living, breathing, hurting, hoping soul (see p. 381). How could you offer a glimmer of hope to even one such individual? (Anna set up a soup kitchen and offered her home to refugees. But even “little things” can make a difference.)

45. How can you keep the lessons of history alive for yourself and for your family? How will you say, like Shimon, “We will not forget!” (p. 408)?

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

The Zion Chronicles

The Shiloh Legacy

Shiloh
Autumn

The Galway Chronicles

The Zion Legacy

A.D. Chronicles

THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC AMERICAN LEGENDS

Legends of the West by Bodie and Brock Thoene