I am so thrilled to have Amanda Barratt here on my blog to chat about her new book My Dearest Dietrich, A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Last Love. I am currently reading this book and let me tell you it is breathtaking beautiful and you do not want to miss it!!
ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story—a spinoff of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical fiction, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. Her novel My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love released from Kregel Publications in June 2019.
She’s also the author of My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York: Adele’s Journey, as well as seven novellas with Barbour Publishing. Two of her novellas have been finalists in the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards.
Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan with her fabulous family, where she can be found reading way too many books, plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her dream vacation to Europe.
Connect with her at Facebook and visit her online at her website.
Hi Amanda, and welcome to Radiant Light. I am so excited to have you here.
Amanda: Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Andi!
Me: How about we break the ice with some fun get to know you questions.
If you could hang out anywhere for a week, where would you choose—the mountains or beach?
Amanda: The beach. But more specifically, a beach somewhere on the coast of Ireland or England. :-)
Me: I'm a beach girl myself, and the coast of Ireland or England sounds like the perfect place to be for a week.
Me: Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Amanda: I do my best writing in the morning, so tend to lean more on the early side. Although not 5:30 AM early. Though I admire those who rise at that hour, I’ve not yet achieved that level of early morning excellence! :-)
Me: I'm a definite night owl. My brain does this weird thing where if I'm getting up early the next day I can't get to sleep. It drives me crazy. Like you I envy those who can get up really early. My husband Mark rolls out of bed without a problem at 6am. So unfair. ;)
Me: When it comes to curling up with a good book, what would we find you drinking—coffee, hot or iced tea, water, something else?
Amanda: Tea or water. I have a large selection of teas that I keep handy, and love collecting special teacups and mugs. Peppermint, chai, and green tea are my favorites!
Me: For me it depends when I'm reading. If it's morning it's definitely coffee, the rest of the day and evening I'm a water girl.
Me: I just recently found some classic TV shows on Hulu. Do you have a favorite classic TV show that would lead you to binge watch?
Amanda: I’m going to be embarrassingly honest, and admit I’m a huge I Love Lucy fan! I can quote entire episodes verbatim, and have even visited the Lucille Ball Museum in Jamestown, New York. Lucy’s zany antics are a great antidote to the drama and angst in my own books! :-)
Me: Oh my goodness, I love Lucy!! I grew up watching her and she is just the best! I had no idea there was a Lucille Ball Museum. That had to be a fun trip!! I'll have to add it to my bucket list!
Me: Here on my blog I say that it is a radiant light and source of encouragement for both readers and authors. What do you hope radiates from your daily life?
Amanda: There are so many I could list, but I’m going to pick two: joy and compassion. I want to be someone who is absolutely radiant with the joy of the Lord, so much so that it spills onto those around me. In our dark world, many are parched for joy, and like plants without water, we’re withering because of it. It’s easy to get caught up in our own struggles and worries, and forget to look up and see the brokenness and pain in those around us. I want to be someone who isn’t too busy to encourage a friend, help a stranger, and love the least of these.
Me: Those are great attributes of God to want to spread around, and so very true. Our world is a dark place and like you, I hope to be a light of encouragement and support to anyone who needs it.
Me:What inspired you to write this story about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maria von Wedemeyer?
Amanda: They say every story has a seed. The seed for My Dearest Dietrich emerged when I heard the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the first time. I’m from a very literary family, and our dinner conversations often revolve around the books we’re reading. When my mom read Eric Metaxas’s Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness, she shared the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with us. But I wasn’t inspired to bring his love story to life until I came across a quote from Love Letters from Cell 92, which is a compilation of the letters Bonhoeffer exchanged with his fiancée during their engagement. When I read the quote, the dots connected in my mind. “Wait. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had a fiancée?” The minute I began reading about Maria von Wedemeyer, I knew hers was a story begging to be told.
Me: I love that! I didn't grow up in a literary family, but I tried to foster that in my daughter's and what a great dinner conversation. I can see how those conversations would spawn ideas for stories. I'm so glad your mom shared the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with you.
Me: If I asked Maria von Wedemeyer to describe you what would she say?
Amanda: She’d probably say, “In many ways, she’s like me, although less adventurous and terrible at mathematics!” We both love those around us deeply, yet struggle at times with feelings of inadequacy and doubt.
Me: I'm definitely not a math person and as for adventurous it depends on the adventure. Haha!
Me: What is your kryptonite as a writer?
Amanda: Noise! Very philosophical, I know. :-) I do my writing in an upstairs loft, which means I can hear everything going on in the rest of the house. I’ve learned to listen to music and tune out distractions, but I adore the rare times when I’m all alone and can create in blissful silence.
Me: Oh, I agree! I love being home alone in complete silence. I do enjoy sitting outside and listening to my waterfall as I read. It's nice and relaxing.
Me: Is there a quote from My Dearest Dietrich you’d like to share?
Amanda: Here’s a favorite paragraph from one of the very first scenes in the novel, where Dietrich and Maria are becoming reacquainted.
She tilted her head to look at him. How different he seemed now, simply a man walking beside her instead of the great pastor in the pulpit. And she, no longer the little girl relegated to playing with her brothers and sisters, could be free to converse with him on equal terms.
Tonight had the texture of hope in it, brought on perhaps by the presence of this man who seemed to emanate it.
Me: I love that scene. Thank you for sharing.
Me: Before we say good-bye what's coming up next for you?
Amanda: In 2020 I have another World War II novel releasing with Kregel, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s based on Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance group—German college students who took a stand against Hitler. Researching Bonhoeffer led me to Sophie, and I’m beyond excited for readers to discover the story of this amazing young woman in a new way.
Me: That sounds great! I've not heard of Sophie Scholl or the White Rose resistance group. Interestingly Scholl is a name in my mom's family history. So, that makes me even more interested in it.
Me: Amanda, thank you so much for spending some time with me today, I hope My Dearest Dietrich has a wonderful release and readers get a new perspective of this amazing man of God!
Amanda: Thank you, Andi! Your support of this novel is a joy and a blessing!
Me: It has been both a blessing and a joy helping you promote this novel. I love historical fiction for loads of reasons but mainly because I always learn something. Actually loads of things we were never taught.
About the book:Title: My Dearest Dietrich; A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Last Love.
Author: Amanda Barratt
Publisher: Kregel
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.
Purchase a copy HERE.
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