The Faithful Spy

July 16, 2018
Hendrix (Miracle Man) captures the powerful and purposeful life of the pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose faith and philosophy eventually led him to take a stand against Hitler when few others in Germany would. Using a variety of art styles, the book highlights Bonhoeffer’s intellectual, spiritual, and personal development alongside the cultural and political shifts behind Hitler’s rise to power. It also shows Bonhoeffer’s struggle to question his country’s leader and his work to become more than mere witness to history—his writings, his work as “chief pastor to the conspiracy”—before his eventual capture and hanging. Hendrix details Bonhoeffer’s life in accessible prose, offering appropriate, meaningful context and in places using Bonhoeffer’s own words. Provocative background imagery enhances the comic’s mood and atmosphere: a noose wrapped around a church shows religious strangulation in Hitler’s Germany; prose shown on the moonlit wall of Bonhoeffer’s prison cell conveys imprisonment’s isolation. These visuals powerfully communicate the dread, despair, and violence inherent in living—and fighting against—Hitler’s Germany. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–14.

Starred review from July 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Combining drawings and text, Hendrix presents a contemplative look at German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Readers learn of Bonhoeffer's lifelong interest in theology and his search for God. As Hitler and Nazism came to power, he asked whether it is moral to assassinate a tyrant. Ultimately, his decision to plot with other conspirators to kill Hitler cost him his life. The author provides a fascinating examination of the man and his commitment to his Christian faith. The narrative deftly moves between Bonhoeffer's struggles and Hitler's ascent. Hendrix's dynamic images complement the text, using green and red to indicate good and evil. The dense text may turn off some readers, but the illustrations are bound to entice many others. Those seeking a more traditional biography should also look to Patricia McCormick's The Plot To Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero. VERDICT The bold visuals will attract graphic novel fans. An excellent introduction to a great man and his fight for justice.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA

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Starred review from July 15, 2018
In this audacious graphic biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hendrix crafts a portrait of a man of faith grappling with the question of what it means to be an ethical and moral person.Hendrix is clear that this account is not a complete biography, noting his goal is "underlining the essential themes found in Dietrich's life." Pivotal moments from his subject's childhood through his execution are chronicled. Bonhoeffer's worldview is transformed when he goes to New York City in 1930 as a young white seminarian and befriends two classmates--an African-American and a white Frenchman--who help awaken him to systemic racial injustice, pacifism, and the necessity of keeping the church independent from the state. From his year in America, "Bonhoeffer's theology [is] transformed from thought into action, the creation of something he called 'civil courage.' " This prompts Bonhoeffer to speak out publicly against Hitler, found the breakaway Confessing Church, spy for the German Resistance, and join the plot to assassinate Hitler that ultimately costs him his life. Interwoven with Bonhoeffer's story is extensive historical information. Hendrix's striking artwork--done in a limited palette of black, turquoise, and red--relies heavily on typography and visual metaphor. Some of the most striking illustrations depict Nazism as a ferocious, demonic wolf. Another portrays Bonhoeffer as the biblical David with a sling facing a Goliath who holds a bloodied spear and swastika-emblazoned shield. Hendrix's challenging and complex content demonstrates the trust he has in the intelligence of his audience. (bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 10-18)

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Starred review from June 1, 2018
Grades 6-10 *Starred Review* Biographies of key figures from WWII are plentiful in kids books, but Hendrix's captivating account of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a standout. In engagingly written chapters on heavily illustrated pages with plentiful quotes from Bonhoeffer's writing, Hendrix covers the German theologian's childhood, early interest in religion and theology, illuminating travels in America, dismay over Hitler's rise to power, and brave dedication to resistance in a variety of ways, including direct action. Interspersed with paragraphs about Bonhoeffer's life and the circumstances in Germany that led to Hitler's regime are spot illustrations, splash-page artwork, comics panels, maps, and more, which help communicate not only the bare facts but also the emotional tenor of the story. Bonhoeffer's face is almost always filled with vivid expressions of wonder or worry, while shadowy, jagged images of Nazis goose-stepping, Hitler shouting, and huge wolves with slavering jaws illustrate the looming violence promised by the Third Reich. The combination of Hendrix's sharp, concise words and evocative artwork gives readers a strong sense of historical context, the enormity of the perilous actions undertaken by Bonhoeffer and other resistance fighters, and the revolutionary nature of his theology of action and civil disobedience. A poignant, compellingly presented, and timely account of a brave individual who lived his life with true conviction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)