“Based on detailed historical research into both Maria’s and Dietrich’s lives, this true love story is at once beautiful and heartrending.”

– Blurb, Kregel Publications

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Book Review

‘My Dearest Dietrich’, is a delicate and melancholy historical fiction novel inspired by the story behind Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s lost love Maria von Wedemeyer, who was the eighteen-year-old daughter of an anti-Nazi Prussian land-owner.

This story expertly weaves together actual historical events from World War II while using plausible fiction and imagination to fill in the missing pieces to Dietrich and Maria’s love story.

Featuring excerpts of letters between the lovers and Dietrich’s writings, Amanda humbly creates a beautiful picture of what might have been.

One of the most complex parts of reading this book is that I craved the traditional romantic happy ending. My heart flip-flopped between wanting the fairytale and desiring to know the truth behind how such a powerful love endured through such tragic circumstances.

I knew the ending… I kept telling myself, “You know how this story ends”. But it wasn’t until I’d reached the novel’s conclusion that I reminded myself, “Yes, I know how this story ends on earth, but more importantly, l know how this story ends eternally”.

Although here, in this beautiful and terrible world, their love was lost, never consummated and ended in death; we fix our gaze heavenward to the eternal happy ending, where a hero of the faith, who gave his life to follow Christ, is now living amongst the saints, with his truest love, Jesus.

This story is worthy of your time, but ensure you’ve got the tissues ready!