Dietrich Bonhoeffer was not your average conspirator. A renowned German theologian, pastor, and pacifist, he seemed destined for a life of quiet contemplation— until World War II destroyed his peaceful future. Although Bonhoeffer had escaped to the United States in 1938 after being arrested by the Gestapo, he was so distraught at the thought of all he could be doing to help fight fascism back home that he returned to Germany on the last ocean liner to cross the Atlantic before war was declared. Bonhoeffer then became part of The Plot to Kill Hitler (Balzer + Bray, $18.99) in an attempt to stop the mass murder that the Führer was perpetrating. Patricia McCormick’s clear-eyed and riveting account of Bonhoeffer’s life is a quick read, but one that will remain in readers’ thoughts long after they turn the last page. Ages 11-14.