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Season Of My Enemy by Naomi Musch - Fannie is exhausted and overworked as she keeps her family's farm operating after the death of her father and with her two older brothers serving somewhere overseas. Her mother, younger brother, and sister are all working hard as well, but with a harvest coming up and no hired help available, Fannie must agree to her mother's plan of allowing the army to bring German prisoners from the nearby camp to work. Fannie and her brother Jerry are suspicious and wary of the men at first, but start to relax when they see how hard the men work. And after all, most of them are very young and - maybe younger than Fannie's own brothers, one of whom is a prisoner as well.
Some of the men are learning English and like to practice speaking with Fannie and Jerry. Fannie even develops an uneasy friendship with one of the men, Wolf, when she discovers he was a teacher before joining the army. But then a couple of suspicious and potentially dangerous events convince Fannie that at least one of the prisoners is attempting to harm them or destroy the farm. They are enemies! she reminds herself as she tries to decide how to handle the problem while still getting the work done. One of her two older brothers comes home but refuses to help on the farm, preferring instead to resentfully stand guard over the prisoners.
Somehow Fannie must keep the farm running, and keep herself and her family safe from whomever means them harm. Can she rely on her older brother or will confiding in him make things worse? Is Wolf really a friend she can trust, or is he indeed one of her enemies?
This story really drew me in with its 'salt of the earth' characters, and the very real dilemma of needing the help to harvest but not wanting to have anything to do with enemy soldiers. I liked the presentation of both sides - the Americans and the young German soldiers - and how characters had to struggle with their ability to understand and empathize with the feelings of others. The struggle was really to have the willingness to let go of fear and anger and not cast blame or hasty judgments. It was interesting to find out the historical context that some of the German prisoners were indeed brought to camps in the US during WWII and filled the gap on farms and in factories while our own young men were serving overseas.
From the publisher:
"Get Your Farm in the Fight" - The Realities of WWII Come to a Wisconsin Farm
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes - the heroines of WWII.
Only last year, Fannie O'Brien was considered a beauty with a brain, and her future shone bright, despite the war pounding Europe. With her father's sudden death and her brothers overseas, Fannie must now do the work of three men on their 200-acre farm - until eight German prisoners arrive and, just as Fannie feared, trouble comes too. Someone seems intent on causing "accidents," and Fannie is certain the culprit is one of the two handsome older Germans - or possibly both. Can she manage the farm, keep the prisoners in line, and hold her family together during these turbulent times?
Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
By the same author: Not for Love (novella featured in Lumberjacks and Ladies, a novella collection)
This is a book set in a rural area (#37) for The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge
#the52bookclub2022
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