The Night the Bells Burned

In 1544, Cornelis Schutt gave his wife his word: their children would grow up free.

Now the Spanish Empire is teaching him what that promise will cost.

In the Spanish Netherlands, faith is no longer private. A neighbor can become an informer. A prayer can become evidence. A book hidden under the floorboards can destroy a family. Men lower their voices in the street. Women measure every knock at the door. Children learn that a careless word can travel farther than a shout.

Cornelis is a blacksm...