The Plot to Kill Hitler

Starred review from June 13, 2016
In short, chronological chapters, two-time National Book Award–finalist McCormick (Never Fall Down) recounts the life of theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his efforts to alert the world to the horrors of Hitler’s Germany, and his conversion from pacifism to would-be assassin in a failed effort to overthrow the dictator. In this carefully researched work, McCormick synthesizes complex realities, documenting the gradual capitulation of the German church to Hitler’s vision of the “Reichskirche,” in which the swastika replaced the cross; the resistance of the Pastors’ Emergency League; and the apathy of European ministers, who refused to “take a stand against Hitler.” Chapters open by drawing readers into Bonhoeffer’s personal story (“The doorbell rang, and the parlor maid at the Bonhoeffer home hurried to answer it”) and close with hooks indicating his larger historical role (“The young pastor had become a double agent”). Photographs and inset sidebars provide supplementary historical information. Without oversimplifying, McCormick offers a lucid history of the rise of Nazi Germany and a dramatic account of one man’s resistance to evil. Ages 8–up. Agent: Heather Schroder, Compass Talent. (Sept.)■

July 1, 2016
The story of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer's brief but notable life is related in the context of his resistance to the Nazis and association with the 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. McCormick discusses formative experiences that shaped Bonhoeffer's theological views: visiting St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, studying with such influential American theologians as Frank Fisher and Reinhold Niebuhr at Union Theological Seminary, worshipping at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, and his friendship with Rabbi Stephen Wise. Bonhoeffer's resistance to Hitler intensified with the systematic persecution of Jews and the co-option of the German Church. In protest, Bonhoeffer co-founded the Pastor's Emergency League and, later, the breakaway Confessing Church. As a member of an organized conspiracy to overthrow Hitler, Bonhoeffer was a courier and spy passing information to Allied representatives about Nazi atrocities and resistance activities. He was executed in 1945 for his involvement. Novelist McCormick pens a gripping narrative, adeptly developing Bonhoeffer's character and exploring his struggle to reconcile his pacifism with being part of the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. Some subjects, such as the Confessing Church and figures like Pastor Martin Niemoller, warrant further explanation, however. This insightful, compelling account is an excellent introduction to Bonhoeffer and a perceptive look at what makes someone stand up for what's right. (photos, timeline, source notes, bibliography) (Biography. 11-14)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 5 Up-McCormick provides a very readable account of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, from his wealthy childhood in Berlin to his death at the hands of the Nazis in 1945. Readers learn of Bonhoeffer's family, childhood, talent as a piano prodigy, and eventual calling to become a minister. He traveled to Spain, the United States, and England as he tried to reconcile his deep faith with the growing Nazi threat at home. Ultimately, though he had pacifist views, Bonhoeffer joined the German effort to assassinate Hitler. Despite the title, McCormick omits many details in the conspiracy. The focus is primarily on Bonhoeffer and his personal struggles. However, this account of his life is interesting and enlightening. Michael J. Martin's Champion of Freedom: Dietrich Bonhoeffer is more comprehensive, but McCormick's is a more compelling read. VERDICT An appealing narrative suited for students interested in history but not quite ready for heavy analysis.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
On April 15, 1943, the Gestapo arrived at Dietrich Bonhoeffer's house in Berlin to arrest him for his role in attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. His guilt is never in doubt; instead, the book explores the question of what led this Lutheran minister, this pacifist and devout man of the cloth, to plan to kill another human. McCormick briefly covers Dietrich's privileged childhood, a childhood marred only by the death of his older brother in WWI. She traces his spiritual and religious calling, his deep beliefs, his ministries to the poor, and his scholarly theological contributions. Concurrently, and chillingly, McCormick catalogs Hitler's steady rise to power: his election to chancellor of Germany, his suspension of the constitution, and his escalating persecution of Jews, including mass deportations and the Final Solution. Readers see that Bonhoeffer wanted to use the moral authority of the church to fight Hitler but could not gather support from the religious community; in a deliberate move, he decided that, like Martin Luther before him, he would sin and sin boldly, working against Hitler and using his church ministries to conceal his actions. Questions of moral authority drive Bonhoeffer's story, and his execution for the failed attempts at Hitler's life just a few weeks before Germany surrendered raises the provocative question for readers: was it worth it? Archival photographs supplement the text, which is appended with a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and an index. betty carter

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)