Zivon was forced to flee his homeland in order to preserve his life—and to continue to fight for what he considered the true Russia. How bad would life have to get for you to consider leaving your homeland? Would you determine to settle forever where you landed or would you hope to go home someday?
Lily sees the world best through the lens of a camera and finds beauty “in a thousand silent moments.” When are you most aware of God’s touch in the world around you? Is there anyone in your life who helps you see it when otherwise you might not?
Zivon went from being a man of authority to a man at the bottom of the ladder. What difficulties do you think this presented to him? Have you ever been put in a position where you were more qualified than your superiors?
What did you think of Lily’s early decision to keep her true work a secret from her mother? And about her mother’s reaction when she found out? Would you have acted differently at either point?
Who is your favorite character? Your least favorite? Why?
What did you think of Nadya and Evgeni and their mission? Did you understand their perspective or think them beyond sympathy for all they’d done to Zivon and Alyona?
The Russian folktale that Evgeni tells to Claire (in two parts) is my paraphrase of a real one. What were your thoughts about the story? What do you think it means?
Several themes about art and its purpose, and what “true” really means in some situations, are woven into this story. How do you feel about art being used to influence or even deceive? Do you think a fiction can ever tell a true story (such as the photo Lily created for Zivon in the beginning)?
One of my favorite quotes is that “history doesn’t repeat—it rhymes.” What “rhymes” did you notice between the world of 1918 and our world today?
With the end of this series, this world of thieves, spies, and codebreakers has reached its conclusion. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have! If you’ve read multiple books in THE CODEBREAKERS, SHADOWS OVER ENGLAND, or even LADIES OF THE MANOR series (which are all interconnected), which story most resonates with you now? Which characters do you most love? Are you satisfied with where everyone ended up?