A bürgermeister was a municipal government official similar to a modern mayor. Bürgermeisters answered to a panel of city councilmen who appointed the bürgermeister (bürgermeisters were not elected by or answerable to the broader public). Anna’s father, Hermann Büschler, held this role five times and forged powerful connections to other city officials during his tenure. His towering reputation as a bürgermeister in Hall is largely the reason why he was able to wield so much influence over Anna’s destiny, even legally kidnapping his daughter at one point.

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century religious movement kicked off by Martin Luther that challenged the authority of the Catholic priesthood and spread alternative theological principles. This conflict between Protestants and Catholics became a defining moment in European history, involving prolonged wars and political upheavals throughout the 16th century and beyond. Anna’s story takes place in the context of the Reformation; Protestantism gains ground throughout Anna’s life, and the book discusses how Hermann and Philip Büschler managed competing Catholic and Protestant obligations during their careers.