Introduction

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

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Discussion Questions

1. Lieutenant Colin Mabry’s quest begins when he receives an urgent message, reminding him of a promise he made the year before. Initially he is torn over whether or not he can keep his vow to Jewel. Have you ever experienced trepidation over a commitment you made to someone? Were your instincts correct, or did things work themselves out?
2. Upon his arrival in Paris, Colin has a strong reaction to the blasts of the long-range siege guns that the Germans are firing on the French capital. Having been at the Front, he suffers from shell shock, now called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Today many people outside the military are also diagnosed with PTSD. Do you know someone who has suffered the effects? Were you able to help them or can you offer suggestions on how our community might aid these men and women to recover?
3. At story opening, Colin wishes to disassociate himself from his prosthetic. He refers to it as “the gloved hand” and keeps it hidden from view as much as possible. Perhaps to a lesser extent, we all have self-image problems we’ve struggled with. Is there something about yourself that you have always wanted to change or to be different? Have you been able to overcome the issue?
4. Johanna has never met her sister, but through the words of Jewel’s diary, she comes to know her. Have you researched your family tree and come across details about an ancestor that helped you to gain insight into their nature and what they experienced?
5. George Petit is a Texan who works with the American Secret Service in France. While he can seem annoying to Colin and Johanna throughout their journey, Petit shows his true colors in the end. According to research, G-2 did recruit “wild cards” for service in the intelligence police. Did you have any misgivings about Petit early on in the story, and did you guess his role?
6. Diaries have been kept for centuries, at first to simply record the events of daily life and then, more recently, to note one’s own perceptions about those events. Have you ever kept a diary? Was it helpful to you? In what way?
7. In Toulouse, Colin shares with Johanna his belief in our heavenly Father’s loving nature, and how faith will help her to see God’s miracles. Have you ever had the opportunity to share your faith with someone else? Was doing so beneficial to you as well?
8. Johanna’s illegitimate birth made her the brunt of gossip and small-minded cruelty in the Irish village where she grew up. Bullying continues to be a problem today. Share any thoughts about how, especially in this digital age, bullying can be mitigated in schools or elsewhere.
9. Jacob Reyer turns out to have a secret neither of his daughters knew about. Do you know an anecdote about a family member, past or present, which surprised you? Can you share the details?
10. If the story were continued, which character(s) would you want to know more about? Why?

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