Family of Spies

Imagine discovering a buried secret about your own family that is both horrific and essential to everyone's understanding of important historic events. How would you react? What would you do with that information? Would you rather know or not know?

Which piece of the story that Christine Kuehn uncovered surprised you the most?

There were so many moving pieces and moments that seemed like chance, such as Otto's not getting the job and being sent to Hawaii instead. Would history look different if they picked Otto instead of Heydrich for the original job in Germany and sent a different family to Hawaii? Would more Jews have survived the concentration camps? Would there even be concentration camps? And do you think these kinds of questions are valuable and worth discussing? (Suggested by Tides n' Tales Book Club, Long Island, NY)

Did it surprise you that this was the family chosen by the Nazi party to liaise with the Japanese in Hawaii? What do you make of their lavish spending and early detection by the FBI? Do you think they believed they'd complete their mission? Do you think they knew they would be caught and detained if they did?

Discuss Friedel's motivations. How do you think Friedel's past relationships with men and loss of money by Otto contributed to her ease of becoming a spy? How do you think she dealt with the fact that Ruth was half Jewish, while her oldest son was a high-ranking Nazi? (Suggested by Horrors Not Whores Book Club, Champaign, IL)

What do you think drove Ruth's participation in the espionage? In particular, what do you make of her relationship with Joseph Goebbels, her activities courting military officers, and her letter to her brother from the concentration camp? What do you imagine were her motivations? Can you see any changes between the Ruth in the FBI files and the Ruth that Christine met later?

Why do you think Ruth and Friedel were not prosecuted as Otto was? (Suggested by Boynton Sunday Ladies Book Club, Boynton Beach, FL)

Christine Keuhn's father, Eberhard, makes the decision to walk away from his family. Both Eberhard and Ruth decided to live the remainder of their lives in the United States by compartmentalizing their memories and past history. Do you think you could also walk away from your family, their actions, and their history? How do we rationalize our choices and decisions in life? (Suggested by Grant Avenue Book Club, Kensington, MD)

Think about the family's time in Hawaii. Can you imagine yourself living among neighbors for years knowing you will betray them? Does it call to mind stories you've heard in the news about spies being found in the U.S. living quietly among neighbors without raising suspicion? What do you think it takes to participate in such a mission?

The author writes about taking a break from researching this book for many years. Do you feel it should be up to each person to decide whether they come forward with important information that they uncover, or do we all have a responsibility to tell the truth, even if it is painful?