Chapters 26 and 27 Summary and Analysis

"Bonhoeffer in Love"

On a visit to Ruth von Kleist-Retzow, Bonhoeffer encountered her granddaughter, Maria von Wedemeyer, for the first time since she was twelve (see Part 7, Chapter 18). On this occasion, he was struck by her maturity, her intelligence, and her passion, but made little attempt to pursue the relationship further, searching instead for the message God was sending him by placing him in the position of falling in love with a woman half his age. Over the next few months, Maria's family was traumatized by the deaths of Maria's father and brother, and Bonhoeffer kept a respectful, but compassionate, distance. Meanwhile, Ruth went into hospital for treatment of an ailment unrelated to the war. The visits of Bonhoeffer and Maria frequently coincided, and Ruth, according to the author, noticed the chemistry between them, leading her to nudge them...