Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

When the Nazis march toward Paris, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. The Germans make it difficult for her to keep Green Leaf Books afloat. And she must keep the store open if she is to continue aiding the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. But in order to carry out his mission, he must appear to support the occupation—which does not win him any sympathy when he meets Lucie in the bookstore.

In a world turned upside down, will love or duty prevail?

Who's planning on joining me for this month's Book of the Month?

It's been a bit since I read this novel, but plan to join in the discussion as I can. It's a wonderful novel!

I've been re-reading it for the past few days, and enjoying it just as much this second time!

I'm in! I'll be rereading it too. This will probably be my third time reading it!

I’m in!

I read this one right after it came out. Y’all are in for a treat! It’s a really good one!

I'm halfway through it right now. I'm anxious to see how it ends.

I have this book, I want to read it…. TBD if I read in time. =)

welcome, y'all!

I finished reading this!

I finished it yesterday. It’s a very good book.

I just requested it from my library. Sounds like a great book!

I finished this and really enjoyed it. But then...Sarah Sundin...I don't think I've read anything by this author that I did not love.

I agree! She's definitely a go-to author for me!

Here are the discussion questions for this month’s book. Feel free to answer any, or all, or choose your own question to ask, or point to bring up.
REMEMBER! Spoilers are totally allowed from this point on, so if you’ve not yet finished the book, you might want to wait to return to the thread until you’re done reading! 🙂

1. The year of 1941 was critical in occupied France as those who opposed the Nazis began to work together -- and as the Nazis cracked down on the résitants. What events or attitudes in the story did you already know about and which were new for you?
2. Knowing what we now know about the Nazi occupation of France, it's hard to understand why anyone would have stayed, especially Americans who could have easily sailed home. However, thousands of Americans did choose to stay, with about two thousand remaining in December 1941. What do you think of Paul and Lucie's decisions to stay? Would you have?
3. Lucie is a true Left Bank artistic sort, Paul is a classical Right Bank businessman, and neither appreciates the other type at first. Which are you more like? Which do you gravitate toward in your friendships? Do you have a difficult time understanding those with different gifts?
4. Over the course of the story, both Paul and Lucie come to appreciate different gifts. How is this critical for Paul's relationship with Josie? How is it critical in helping Lucie keep her bookstore open? What did you think of their conversation along the Seine in chapter 23 about different shades of green, about art and structure?
5. At the beginning of the story, Paul's relationship with Jacques Moreau and the workers at Aubrey Automobiles is tense and distrusting. How does that change during the story? And why? Are there people in your life you once disliked and grew to appreciate?
6. Lucie gives up her dream of dancing in the ballet to help her friends. What did you think of her decision? Have you ever lost or sacrificed a dream?
7. Paul is seen as a collaborator and loses friendships, respect, and more. How do you think it felt to be misunderstood and rejected? Would you have tolerated it as long as he did?
8. Both Lucie and Paul choose to aid the resistance. What dangers do they face because of this? What factors came into play as the French decided whether or not to resist? Would you have done so?
9. In the story the author tried to show the range of actions during the occupation, from resistance to quiet accomodation to collaboration. Did the characters and events shed any light on those decisions? Which character do you think you would have been most like?
10. Lucie battles insecurities that arise at the worst moments -- as insecurities always do. How do they hold her back? Have you ever battled insecurities? If so, what helped you overcome them?
11. Paul, as an active and successful man, likes to feel in control. The events of the story show him how little control he has. How does this change him? How does the concept of stewardship help him accept it? Have you ever struggled with a desire to control?
12. Lucie is naturally impulsive, and Paul is naturally disciplined. How do they learn from each other? What did you think when Lucie realized, "Discipline was only as good as the task it was applied to, and impulse was only as bad as the action it caused"? How do you think that realization will continue to change her?
13. Lucie has always been able to trust her intuition and her ability to read people. How do you see her gift in play? How is it challenged in the story? What did you think when the marquise tells her, "Your eyes say one thing, and your heart says another. Ah, Miss Lucille, you're listening to the wrong voices. What does the Lord say?" Which voices do you tend to trust?
14. Leaves are a recurring motif in the story. What did you notice or enjoy?

1. I before reading the book, I didn't know much about the earlier Nazis occupation in France. Most of what I knew happened at a later time. Her notes in the in the back were helpful.

3. I gravitate more to the right bank.

6. I think she made the right decision. She put the well being of others before her own desires. Dreams change over time.

Just finished this one, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

2. Knowing what we now know about the Nazi occupation of France, it's hard to understand why anyone would have stayed, especially Americans who could have easily sailed home. However, thousands of Americans did choose to stay, with about two thousand remaining in December 1941. What do you think of Paul and Lucie's decisions to stay? Would you have?
~This is a tricky one, because, of course, we have the hindsight to know what happened. I do think Paul's decision to stay as long as he could and help the Allies was a sound one. I'm less sure of Lucie's choice to stay, though it did sound as if she was prevented from leaving because she'd given all her money so that the Greenblatt's could escape. If that was the case, I agree with that choice. As to myself, if I had a real opportunity to help others either with the resistance, or with others being able to escape, I think I might also have stayed. Otherwise, I think I would have left so as not to be in the way.

3. I'm 100% right bank. This book helped me realise that the left bank is very important too.

All in all, I really liked this book, especially the journey to the USA. I liked how both Lucie and Paul faced their challenges and won.

I loved that too . . . and even little Josie also had a major win in her own journey to the States. She remembered her song and that she needed to be brave so she could be safe.

Yes, I loved Josie! She was braver than I could have been.

2. What do you think of Paul and Lucie's decisions to stay? Would you have?

At first I would say that I would definitely have headed home, but then I think of the current conflicts around the world and know that when they first started I really did not think they would last as long as they did. I think I tend to be more hopeful than many people. Of course, I really don't know what I would have done, but I'd like to think that if I found a way that I could be helpful in the cause of my host country that I would have stayed as long as I could.

3. Lucie is a true Left Bank artistic sort, Paul is a classical Right Bank businessman, and neither appreciates the other type at first. Which are you more like? Which do you gravitate toward in your friendships? Do you have a difficult time understanding those with different gifts?

I am definitely a Left Bank sort at heart and gravitate towards other Left Bankers. However, I appreciate and understand most Right Bankers. My dad was a musician AND an entrepreneur. I think he taught me to see and appreciate both sides of the bank.

4. What did you think of their conversation along the Seine in chapter 23 about different shades of green, about art and structure?

I LOVED this conversation! It was a beautiful turning point in the story.

5. At the beginning of the story, Paul's relationship with Jacques Moreau and the workers at Aubrey Automobiles is tense and distrusting. How does that change during the story? And why? Are there people in your life you once disliked and grew to appreciate?

I thought this was very interesting. Employers and Labor discovering a common goal caused both to shift their views towards one another in a more personal manner.

6. Lucie gives up her dream of dancing in the ballet to help her friends. What did you think of her decision? Have you ever lost or sacrificed a dream?

This was a huge sacrifice. I thought it was very noble of her. I think I would share Lucie's viewpoint that my dreams shifted or changed.

7. Paul is seen as a collaborator and loses friendships, respect, and more. How do you think it felt to be misunderstood and rejected? Would you have tolerated it as long as he did?

I think I have experienced similar loses due to people profiling, stereotyping or jumping to wrong conclusions about me. It feels pretty rotten, but there's really not much you can do about it because once people have made up their minds about what they think about you it is extremely hard to change their minds.

13. What did you think when the marquise tells her, "Your eyes say one thing, and your heart says another. Ah, Miss Lucille, you're listening to the wrong voices. What does the Lord say?" Which voices do you tend to trust?

This was yet another great line in this book. I think when I was younger I tended to trust my heart even more than I do now. I've learned though, that the heart can be deceitful. I defintely trust the voice of the Lord more now. I never really thought about it until now, but I think I've always trusted my heart more than my eyes.

1. I didn’t realize the tenuous situation with refugees and informants in Spain and Portugal. I learned that Portugal had the only port open to both sides.
2. I wondered why they would stay. Keeping Josie safe would have been paramount to me if I were in Paul’s shoes. Of course, that wouldn’t have made a good story. His reasoning was presented well, but I still don’t think I’d have made the same decision. Lucie’s decision made more sense to me.
3. I’m a writer in a family of engineers and IT professionals! I’ve learned to understand how the other side thinks. My friends tend to be more like me, but my husband isn’t.
4. The conversation and application about forest green bringing out the lighter spring green tones was fantastic. Opposites often marry because they complement each other well as a team.
5. Their relationship changes because they share an important goal. I think it’s often easy to bond over a common enemy. I don’t usually go from disliking to liking someone but sometimes grow to dislike someone.
9. There are many novels set in WWII, but this one mentioned simply ignoring the Germans like they weren’t there. What a snub to the “superior race!” The change in Lucie’s roommates highlighted the slide some French took into accommodation. They were young and trying to survive. The French round-ups of the Jews really saddens me. I’ve read about that in other books. I hope that I would have been brave enough to intervene when it came to ppl’s lives.
12. I marked this quote. I think Lucie’s realization will free her to follow God’s promptings. Sometimes you only have a short window to act. If you hesitate, the opportunity is lost. I think her break-through will also give her peace about how she tends to act and react.
Josie’s rock monsters were brilliant coping mechanisms. I wonder if such young children would actually create stories like this. I love Lucie’s insight. Paul was clueless until she enlightened him.

*archiving, but leaving open to comments*