It’s always fun to discover commonalities with other authors, and this one and I share a couple fun ones: we have the same first name, and we write for the same publisher! Amanda Barratt’s work is simply outstanding; I adored her previous novel, My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love, and am currently devouring her newest release, The White Rose Resists. A Novel of the German Students who Defied Hitler. Here’s the description:
Inspired by the incredible true story of a group of ordinary men and women who dared to stand against evil
The ideal of a new Germany swept up Sophie Scholl in a maelstrom of patriotic fervor–that is, until she realized the truth behind Hitler’s machinations for the fatherland. Now she and other students in Munich, the cradle of the Nazi government, have banded together to form a group to fight for the truth: the White Rose. Risking everything to print and distribute leaflets calling for Germans to rise up against the evil permeating their country, the White Rose treads a knife’s edge of discovery by the Gestapo.
Annalise Brandt came to the University of Munich to study art, not get involved with conspiracy. The daughter of an SS officer, she’s been brought up to believe in the Führer’s divinely appointed leadership. But the more she comes to know Sophie and her friends, the more she questions the Nazi propaganda.
Soon Annalise joins their double life–students by day, resisters by night. And as the stakes increase, they’re all forced to confront the deadly consequences meted out to any who dare to oppose the Reich.
A gripping testament to courage, The White Rose Resists illuminates the sacrifice and conviction of an unlikely group of revolutionaries who refused to remain silent-no matter the cost.
This amazing novel is now available wherever books are sold! And now let’s welcome Amanda Barratt!
Thanks so much for being here!
Thank you for having me! It’s wonderful to be your guest.
What first inspired you to write “The White Rose Resists?” What aspects of the real-life heroes and heroines appealed to you the most?
Research for my previous novel, My Dearest Dietrich, led me to Sophie Scholl. I was captivated by the story of this twenty-one-year-old woman who worked alongside her brother and several fellow students to write, print, and distribute thousands of leaflets across Germany and Austria. I wanted to know more about her beyond the brief paragraphs I encountered in my initial research, to discover the three-dimensional woman behind the White Rose legend. In my portrayal of the White Rose story, I decided to create two fictional characters who would be composites of real people, but who would give me the opportunity to explore themes and plot developments the novel would have otherwise lacked. Thus, I Incorporated Kirk Hoffmann—the son of a Confessing Church pastor—and Annalise Brandt—the daughter of an SS officer—into the cast of true-life characters.
As for what aspects most appealed to me. . .their courage first and foremost. Again and again, I found myself in awe of the tenacity of these young men and women. Unlike those who resisted in occupied countries like France and Poland, those in the German resistance were required to turn against their own country. The desperation and determination such acts must have taken is stunning. I was also inspired by the deep faith in God shared by all the core members of the White Rose. Reading the prayers Sophie wrote in her diary was especially moving.
I so admire the way you write fictionalized versions of real historical events. How do you determine when to let the facts drive the writing process, and when to allow fiction to take over?
With The White Rose Resists, I knew I wanted to convey a true story through a narrative format, but I also knew I didn’t want to write a novel that was 100% biographical fiction. Adding Kirk and Annalise into the story of the White Rose is a fictional liberty, but I loved infusing elements of real individuals into their characters. When it came to portraying Sophie Scholl and the other historical figures, I strove to present them as accurately and authentically as possible after extensive research. Reading the letters and diaries of the Scholls and their comrades provided invaluable insight into their personalities and voices. The timeline of the novel closely follows events as laid out by historians and biographers, and accessing translations of the interrogation transcripts and trial documents helped me accurately portray the arrest and imprisonment of the members of the White Rose. In depicting the characters’ thoughts and emotions, I relied on their letters and diaries, as well as recorded interviews with family and friends, then layered the gaps and omissions with my own interpretation.
How did God change you during the writing of “The White Rose Resists?” What do you hope readers take away from the book?
The willingness of those who formed the White Rose to risk their lives for their beliefs challenged me deeply. Our social media age lends itself to the mentality that by a simple like or shared post, we’re living out our convictions. These students made incredible sacrifices to stand against evil, and as I wrote the novel, I asked myself the question: what would I have done? The question that inevitably followed is: what am I doing today? These questions aren’t easy or comfortable, but it’s only by looking honestly within ourselves and following through with responsible action that we can use our voices for truth and justice today.
As you look back on your journey to publication, how did God open those doors for you? What event or connection that may have seemed insignificant at the time ended up being enormously important?
Looking back, I’m so moved and humbled by God’s authorship of every moment of my writing journey. It takes my breath away to think of His extraordinary grace and divine care in ways both great and small. Though the years of closed doors and rejection emails were full of heartache, doubts, and tears, I know now it was God who closed every one of those doors. Though I often wanted things to go according to my plans and timing, His plans and timing are infinitely better.
Hard moments always preceded breakthrough. The year I attended the ACFW conference to pitch the proposal for the novel that became My Dearest Dietrich, I spent the bulk of the conference in my hotel room. I was incredibly anxious beyond my usual conference-jitters and experiencing unusual physical symptoms. I missed several of the workshops I’d hoped to attend, and before going to one pitch appointment, had a total meltdown in my hotel room. Yet it was during that conference that I pitched My Dearest Dietrich to an editor from Kregel Publications—the amazing publishing house that contracted the novel over a year later. Though we are the children of Almighty God, there is an adversary who will use all the weapons in his arsenal to discourage and defeat us. But as Corrie ten Boom said, “Jesus is Victor.”
What does your writing routine look like, if you have one? What obstacles or challenges do you face in making time to write?
Mornings are my favorite time to write. Along with writing, I also work a day job, so I have to balance both schedules, which can be a bit of a juggling act, especially when I’m on deadline. I love sitting down with no distractions or interruptions and writing for several hours, accompanied by favorite movie soundtracks. Alas, that doesn’t always happen, and I’ve learned to carve out creative time amidst the chaos.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
In my spare time, I enjoy reading, baking, curling up on the couch with a movie or miniseries, spending time with family and friends, and traveling near and far (especially to bookstores!). And researching, whether for current or future novels. I love exploring history, and since it so closely informs my stories, I spend countless hours reading books and wandering down research rabbit trails. 🙂
If you could have coffee/tea/gratuitous amounts of carbs with any author(s), living or dead, who would you choose? What would you talk about?
I could list dozens. Lately, I’ve been rediscovering the works of C.S. Lewis, and would love the opportunity to sit down with him and glean from his brilliance and wisdom. We’d talk books and faith and writing over a meat pie at The Eagle and Child in Oxford. Perhaps after our dinner, we’d walk over to the Kilns and he’d show me around the house and grounds. That would be a dream!
But Dietrich Bonhoeffer is also an author and OF COURSE I’d love to have kaffee and kuchen with him. So I seriously can’t pick just one. 🙂
Last question, Amanda. How can we pray for you?
My prayer is that God would use my books to touch readers and speak truth into their lives, as only He can do, and that He would guide and strengthen me to tell the stories He wants me to share. So if you all would join me in prayer for that, I’d so appreciate it. Thank you so much for asking!
Meet Amanda:
Amanda Barratt is the ECPA best-selling author of over a dozen novels and novellas, including The White Rose Resists: A Novel of the German Students Who Defied Hitler and My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a two-time FHL Reader’s Choice Award finalist. She and her family live in northern Michigan. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.