READING GROUP GUIDE

1. When Nolan Kilkenny first appears in the novel, it is revealed that he has recently suffered a great loss. How does this loss affect him and his actions?

2. Discuss the theme of loyalty as it relates to Pope Leo and Bishop Yin, to Cardinal Gagliardi and Cusumano, and to Peng Shi and Liu Shing Li.

3. What is the basis of Yin’s loyalty to a pope he has never met? 4. Discuss the theme of honor in regard to Kilkenny’s decision to lead the rescue mission into China.

5. Faith, in both a religious sense and between individuals, permeates this novel. Discuss Kilkenny’s relationship with Roxanne Tao, Max Gates, and Bishop Yin.

6. Why do the communists in China fear religion in general, and figures like Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama?

7. Discuss Peng Shi’s evolution through the novel and does he come full circle in the end?

8. Who saves whom in this book?