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Sign up todaySaints and Villains
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreIn the charnel house that was Europe in the Second World War, there were few instances of shining moral courage, let alone secular sainthood. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and Nazi resister, was the exception. A true hero, he risked and finally lost his life through his participation in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler.
In this gripping, resonant novel, we witness the shaping of this emblematic figure through the events of his extraordinary life. Here is Bonhoeffer experiencing the awakening of his social conscience while witnessing racism in the United States; leading a breakaway church in Germany as the Nazis rise to power; entering a dangerous liaison with a Jewish woman; undertaking perilous clandestine meetings abroad under cover; and finally, living the dark night of the soul in prison.
Denise Giardina, the author of three previous novels, teaches at West Virginia State College in Charleston, West Virginia. She is a licensed lay preacher in the Episcopal Church.
Susan O’Malley (a.k.a. Bernadette Dunne) is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Reviews
“Giardina manages the extremely difficult task of giving a known story genuine tension and spiritual resonance.”
“High drama…Stirring adventure…To find a historical figure like Dietrich Bonhoeffer packaged in what is essentially a moral thriller is a surprising joy.”
“[Giardina] illuminates the web of moral decisions within which we all exist. A compelling, frightening, yet beautiful novel, written with passion, understanding, and eloquence.”
“[Giardina] surpasses herself with this powerful re-creation…A big novel in every sense of the word, and a triumphant portrayal of one of the century’s authentic heroes.”
“O’Malley’s semi-voiced narration is clear, expressive, and suited to this fictionalized biography…Differentiating among the characters by changing the pitch of her voice rather than trying to assume a variety of accents, she gives the text a good pace and sustains the listener’s interest.”
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