My Dearest Dietrich

Given the huge impact the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer have had on Christianity, he has obtained somewhat of a "Protestant Saint" status. Due to the myth and legend that exist concerning his life, many individuals do not think about the rest of his life and that he was a human being who had relationships and a fiancee. The new book My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love will change that.

My Dearest Dietrich is a heart-wrenching book simply because the reader knows the outcome from the beginning. Even if a reader is not familiar with the story, the first chapter sets up the outcome. However, Bonhoeffer and his eventual fiancee Maria experience numerous other obstacles that keep them from spending time together or even corresponding. Reading the story of how they are placed together and how their love grows even when others try to keep them apart in the midst of a horrific world war is a wonderful testimony of the power of love and God. This book is highly recommended and due to its subject matter would appeal to a larger audience than most traditional "Christian romance."

Author Amanda Barratt borrows heavily from the actual correspondence between Bonhoeffer and Maria von Wedemeyer as recorded in Love Letters from Cell 92. Many readers will wish to obtain a copy of this work to read as a follow-up to My Dearest Dietrich. While noting the story is a fictional account and indicating where the story line was "adjusted," Barratt certainly did her research for this book and lists several excellence resources for further reading.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received My Dearest Dietrich via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.