You conducted detailed historical research for this novel. What all did that entail?
Researching this novel was an incredibly intense process that took over two years to complete. Throughout it all, my goal was to discover who Dietrich and Maria were at their essence and to translate that to the page. I did this first and foremost by reading the letters they wrote to each other, then the letters Bonhoeffer wrote to family and friends, his books and sermons, excerpts from Maria’s diary, and other primary source materials.
Along with this, I delved into biographies of Bonhoeffer and memoirs and historical texts detailing what it was like to live in Nazi Germany. I felt a bit like a detective, and always got a thrill out of discovering something new—an interview Maria did in 1974 for Malcolm Muggeridge’s television documentary A Third Testament, interviews with Bonhoeffer’s niece and sister in the online archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, an article written in German that I could read the gist of using Google Translate.
It was a process of discovery, in the truest sense of the word, and I loved every minute.
Fact vs fiction: How much did you adapt these events vs this is what really happened? Did you need to fill in any gaps in the record?
The base of the novel is all established fact, drawn from timelines of Dietrich and Maria’s lives, what is told in biographies, and written about in their correspondence. I did add a small fictional subplot, but even that has its roots in fact.
Of course, I added a layer of emotional truth (i.e. the characters’ dialogue, thoughts, and specific scenes). Though nothing is ever error-free, I tried my utmost to stay true to the essence of Dietrich and Maria and other major players in the story.
What do you hope that readers will take away after reading My Dearest Dietrich?
I would love for them to have a deeper understanding of Bonhoeffer’s life and his relationship with this extraordinary woman. It’s also my hope and prayer that reading about real-life men and women who took a stand for faith during what has been called the darkest period of the twentieth century would challenge and inspire readers as they tackle difficult questions in their own lives.
Bonhoeffer’s legacy has much to teach us today about standing firm against evil and living out costly discipleship. Writing about him and the remarkable woman he loved has personally changed me, and I pray it does the same to those who read the novel.
Visit Amanda Barratt’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/amanda-barratt/
My Dearest Dietrich
Amanda Barratt
Kregel Publishing
A staggering love illuminating the dark corners of a Nazi prison.
Renowned German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is famous for his resistance to the Nazi regime and for his allegiance to God over government. But what few realize is that the last years of his life also held a love story that rivals any romance novel.
Maria von Wedemeyer knows the realities of war. Her beloved father and brother have both been killed on the battlefield. The last thing this spirited young woman needs is to fall for a man under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. How can she give another piece of her heart to a man so likely to share the same final fate? Yet when Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an old family friend, comes to comfort the von Wedemeyers after their losses, she discovers that love isn’t always logical.
Dietrich himself has determined to keep his distance from romantic attachments. There is too much work to be done for God, and his involvement in the conspiracy is far too important. But when he encounters a woman whose intelligence and conviction match his own, he’s unprepared for how easy it is to give away his heart.
With their deep love comes risk—and neither Dietrich nor Maria is prepared for just how great that risk soon becomes.
Based on detailed historical research, this true love story is at once beautiful and heartrending. My Dearest Dietrich sheds new light on a world-famous theologian—and the woman who changed his life.