A Song Unheard
Shadows Over England, 2
If Betraying Her Heart
Means Saving Countless Lives,
Will She Find the Courage?
At the outset of WWI, high-end thief Willa Forsythe is hired to steal a cypher from famous violinist Lukas De Wilde. Given the value of his father’s work as a cryptologist, Lukas fears for his family and doesn’t know who to trust. He likes Willa – and the feeling is mutual. But if Willa doesn’t betray him as planned, her own family will pay the price.
Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I – to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.
Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he’s won – until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father’s work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.
But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn’t – that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.
Shadows Over England Series
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Discussion Questions
- Willa has two very different parts of her personality—she is a thief, and she is a musical prodigy. How do you think each of these shaped her? What do you think led her to each of them? Have you ever known someone who was a prodigy at anything?
- Lukas found himself far from his family, uncertain of their fate. What would you have done in his situation? What did you think of the epiphany it led to?
- What did you think of Lukas’s reaction to Willa when they met? Did you find it believable? What about her reaction to him?
- In this story we also get a glimpse into occupied Belgium through the eyes of Margot. Did anything surprise you about the history? What did you think of Margot?
- What did you think of the character of Gottlieb in the beginning? Did your opinion change over the course of the book, and if so, how and why? What do you think became of him after the war?
- Cor is also a refugee, but a very different sort than Lukas. What do you think his backstory is? What were your thoughts about him through the course of the story? What do you think became of him after the close of the book?
- Who is your favorite character and why? Your least favorite?
- What were your thoughts when Cor broke the violin? Did you suspect he was behind the theft?
- Were you surprised when Willa told Lukas the truth? Did you sympathize with his reaction or would you have reacted differently?
- Through both Margot and Willa, we see the Lord speaking in ways other than words. Margot hears Him through numbers, Willa through music. How do you hear Him most clearly? In what ways has He spoken to you over the years that may have surprised you or perhaps touched you in a way that went beyond what you expected? Have you ever stopped to ponder how He speaks to His children in different ways?