We've all enjoyed and benefited from reading this book. The reason I'm not recommending it for book club reading is because of the weightiness of it. Its one each of our group would pick up and read for a couple of hours, then put it down and leave it for days. We originally decided to spend two sessions on it, but realized we could have taken six or seven or ten! We all made notations on the material and had lively discussions, but none of us have finished the book. We all are committed to reading to the end, but on our own time frames. The Bonhoeffer family's contribution to Germany and to the world is inestimable. We are grateful to Eric Metaxas for his thorough research and telling of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life.

Tan Twan Eng is an amazing story teller. The words he puts together are brilliant; the historical information he provides is fascinating, his characters are enigmatic. He puts you into the setting with his beautiful descriptions of plants and places.