The Butterfly and the Violin (42 page)

Elie Wiesel,
Night
, rev. ed. (New York: Hill and Wang, 2006).

READING GROUP GUIDE

1. Adele’s world was a sheltered existence of luxury and prominence before the war. It wasn’t until she visited the Haurbech family’s hiding place that her eyes were finally opened to the threats around her. How did Adele’s view of the world change between the night at the dance hall in 1939 and her arrival at Auschwitz in the spring of 1943? How would her life have been different had she not offered to help the Haurbechs escape from Vienna?

2. As a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, Adele’s musical gift was valued by the Nazis and likely contributed to her survival. How much of an impact did Omara also have on her will to survive? Instead of marching to Bergen-Belsen, would Adele have stayed at Auschwitz if she hadn’t promised Omara to keep the orchestra together?

3. Prisoners in Auschwitz felt compelled to write, paint beautiful pictures, and play musical instruments, even in the face of death. Why was the art of creation in these prisoners’ hearts so important that they would take such a risk just to create? What images of beauty come to mind from Adele’s story?

4. Sera and William were both seeking God in their lives and had to lay down several burdens of past hurts before they could love again. How did God use Adele and Vladimir’s story to
awaken their hearts to a second chance at love? Is there a past hurt that He’s helped you overcome in your life?

5. Sera’s longtime dream was to see Paris again. That dream is realized at the end of the story, but in a different way than she’d envisioned. What are some of the factors that worked together to bring this dream to life? When you look back on your own life, how was the path laid out to get to your own dreams?

6. This book was written with a heart for the lost—those who perished in WWII, as well as anyone who has suffered from a lack of peace in their lives. Adele and Sera are women separated by decades, but united in the peace Jesus Christ brought, despite their circumstances. How was their faith affected by what they went through in the story? How has your own faith been affected by difficult times?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A
special debt of gratitude must first go to my husband, Jeremy, for his unending support in making this book a reality. You’re the best half of anything I will ever be. And to Brady, Carson, and Colt, my little men with such big, big dreams and God-given smiles.

To my faithful friend and agent, Joyce Hart, for believing in me. Together with my publishing family, you helped this book come alive. A sincere thanks and extra hugs must go to the fiction team at HarperCollins Christian Publishing: Daisy, Katie, Ami, Jodi, Elizabeth, Becky, Amanda, and especially to Kristen, for an artistic eye in cover design that could rival van Gogh himself. To my intelligent and committed editors, Becky Monds, Amanda Bostic, and Rachelle Gardner: I thank you for reading this book and changing my life because of your belief in it. I will always be grateful for your counsel and heartfelt encouragement.

Writers are often students of history. I’m honored to be one who has had the investment of a gifted teacher in my life. To Anne Allen, PhD, my longtime mentor at Indiana University Southeast: thank you for investing your time and knowledge in the awakening of art history in my heart. A special thank-you also goes to Mrs. Eva Mozes Kor of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum, for breathing life into this author’s understanding of Auschwitz-Birkenau and for teaching the world’s children how to walk in forgiveness.

Thank you to my Christian Academy of Indiana and Humana Inc. families for the years we’ve spent together, and especially Marlene Blair and Libby Powers, for being my partners in a daily dose of laughter for so many years. A special thanks goes to Maggie:
friendship with you has been a pillar in my life. And to the authors of Regency Reflections, the BritCrits critique group, and my Novel Sisters, Joanna, Carol, and Jessica: you light my days with your love of the writing craft and with your wicked-fast British wit. I’ve learned so much about life from each of you.

Unending gratitude must go to my first readers, Lindy and Paula, for the hours you spent encouraging and brainstorming with me, and to my sister, Jenny, for dreaming with me through the bookstore aisles.

To my mom and dad, for battling leukemia and encouraging others in Christ along the way: you’re the stuff from which heroes are made. I love you both so very much.

I thank you, my wonderfully inspiring readers, for reading this book. It’s been the pleasure of my life to share this story with you. And to my beautiful Savior and best friend, Jesus Christ: this heart will always be imperfect, but it’s still Yours.

In His Love,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Mitchell Photography

KRISTY L. CAMBRON has been fascinated with the WWII era since hearing her grandfather’s stories of the war. She holds an art history degree from Indiana University and received the Outstanding Art History Student Award. Kristy writes WWII and Regency Era fiction and has placed first in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests, and is a 2013 Laurie finalist. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons.