THE ENEMY BESIDE ME by Naomi Ragen is a provocative and gut-wrenching work of historical fiction that presents a lesser-known aspect of the horrific crimes committed against Jews during the Holocaust. It is inspired by true events that occurred in Lithuania and tells of the brutal persecution of Lithuanian Jews by their fellow Lithuanian citizens. Although few Nazis were even present in the country, Lithuanian partisans embraced the concept of a “final solution” for Jews and were responsible for the torture and execution of hundreds of thousands of Jews, almost the entire Jewish population of the country. History shows that very few Lithuanians played any role in trying to save Jews. In 1990s Lithuania, history is being re-written to hide the horrors of that time and to paint certain leaders as heroes helping to save Jews. In this fictionalized story, we have two main characters. Dr. Milia Gottstein-Lasker has taken over from her grandfather and father as head of the Survivor’s Campaign, an organization whose purpose is to help bring Nazi war criminals to justice. This heavy work puts her personal life with her husband and family on a back burner. Dr. Darius Vidas is a professor in Lithuania who is hosting a conference meant to be a “reconciliation” event for the country. He invites Milia to give a keynote address, knowing what she has to say may upset his colleagues and government officials. Because she is in the midst of a personal crisis, Milia reluctantly accepts, determined to present the uncomfortable truth at all costs. How can these two spirited characters ever reach a middle ground to expose the lies decades in the telling. This story was extremely hard to read because of the explicit and disturbing descriptions of acts perpetrated on the Jews in 1941. This was definitely the first time I have heard of this mass genocide so I learned a lot from the book. My only criticism is that I personally found that the relationship that developed between Milia and Darius seemed unrealistic and really added nothing to the point the book was trying to make. Still this was a powerful read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the events of this time period. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC review of The Enemy Beside Me.

I stopped reading The Enemy Beside Me at 8%. The book is well written about the war, but it wasn’t for me.

The Enemy Beside Me by Naomi Ragen

This story reads like an autobiography of fictional Israeli Milia Gottstein-Lasker and her determination to find Nazis hidden in plain sight. Many of these despicable offenders are, unbelievably, protected by governments worldwide. Her quest is time-consuming and is beginning to affect her marriage.

If you are unaware, Lithuania was one of the biggest killer of Jews during WWII. Neighbors ratted on friends and joined other Lithuanian citizens in the killings. It started with anti-Semitic Nazi sympathizers and escalated to the torture of men, women and children by the people they trusted. Milia is also tasked with getting this message out to the new generation of Lithuanians.

Some conversations are a little drawn out, but overall, the characters are thoughtful and well-developed. The story carries an important message and caveat for us all that this crawl of hatred can begin anywhere. My sincere thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for this ARC for my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Enemy Beside Me is a painful yet beautiful story of two people who are looking to find and spread truth and reconciliation about the crimes during the Holocaust. Set many years later, a lot of people would rather just forget the past then have true reconciliation with the horrid events. But Milia Gottstein will not allow that to happen. When Milia receives an invitation from  Dr. Darius Vidas to speak at a Holocaust conference he is hosting in Lithuania, she accepts it as a chance to spread the truth. The two become close as steaks are raised and lines are drawn while the two work towards their common goal.

I absolutely loved this book. The writing is simply stunning. The characters were so human. Milia herself has so much dimension. We watch as she struggles in her relationships and contemplates what starting over would really mean and if it's even what she wants. We see her fight for her beliefs as she faces those who would rather forget. It's truly a masterpiece worth reading.

With raw emotion on every page, The Enemy Beside Me is a story that will break your heart and slowly put it back together.

The historical facts shared in this book are brutally honest and difficult to read. I had to step away from this book from time to time. How horrifying it must be for the living descendants of Holocaust survivors to read. I cannot begin to imagine. In addition to the unvarnished truth, there is also a fictional vision of a way forward. Milia and Darius bravely confront the reality of the historical facts and literally clasp hands. Naomi Ragen's compelling fictional narrative is a brilliant way to share the truths that might overwise be buried. Thank you to my GR friend literalleprechaun for bringing this book to my attention. In the Acknowledgements Ragen also gives valuable tips on what Holocaust distortion looks like in practice. Eye-opening and helpful for future reference.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I never tire of historical fiction about the Holocaust and WWII, and when the author finds a way to approach the topic that has not been done, the book moves straight to the top of my TBR. In The Enemy Beside Me, Naomi Ragen brought the reality of the Lithuanian people's role in the elimination of the Lithuanian Jewish community and their systematic rewriting of history to horrifying light. She demonstrated her background as a journalist, as much of the book reads like a history textbook, albeit a much more interesting one.

Strong female characters are a big selling point for me, and Milia Gottstein is an admirable human being. I admired her from the first chapter, and I was fascinated by the work she did. The relationship with her husband, her children and with Darius added just enough humanity to the superhuman woman, and showed some vulnerability. The ending of the book was, in my opinion, the perfect way for it to conclude.

The historical aspect of the novel is unbelievably horrifying, eye-opening and sickening. While it is difficult to read about such atrocities, the inclusion of the personal accounts of survivors helped me understand Milia's passion for her work.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of The Enemy Beside Me by Naomi Ragen. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy of this book!

Every time I read historical fiction it seems to open my eyes to the past I had no idea about. This book was certainly no different. This book, based on a true story, is about two people trying to right the wrongs of the past.

Milia is a women who took over her family’s work and now is head of the Survivors Campaign which is sole purpose is to bring Nazi war criminals to Justice. She is passionate in trying to make sure no one who suffered voice is unheard with the atrocities they endured. As she starts down the journey she soon realizes that what she thought happened in the past was not at all close to the truth. As she digs she discovers that people who claimed to help the Jews did nothing of the sort.

Dr. Darius Vidas meets Milia at the Lithuanian conference and she being as outspoken as she is brings to light what she’s uncovered. What forms is a risky and passionate deep friendship and attraction as they try and hold these war criminals accountable.

Thoughts:
This was quite the epic and emotional read! I love that this is based on true events and as I mentioned love learning about different areas and struggles that happened during the war. I have never know much about Lithuania and the mass genocide that took place there. Thank goodness for historians because as it states in this book there are schools, roads, statues dedicated and praising “heroism” during the war for individuals when in fact they were actually hurting, raping and killing the Jews! I am thankful that we will still try and find the truth and bring people to justice! If you are a historical fiction lover grab a copy of this book. It’s uniquely done and I would venture to say most don’t even have a clue about this potion of our history.

Know that this reads very much like non-fiction but that there's domestic and romantic drama layered on top, making it difficult to review. Milia, an Israeli woman, has devoted herself to continuing the work of her father and grandfather in identifying Nazis and Nazi collaborators and bringing them to justice. She's taken on Lithuania in the past and now she's been invited by Dr. Darius Vidas to give a speech there. This is heavy, quite heavy on the listing of horrors inflicted upon Jews in Lithuania and the continued refusal of the government and many of its citizens to acknowledge what happened. Milia is also dealing with a crumbling marriage and, oddly, a growing romantic interest in Darius. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I've liked Ragen's work in the past for the insights she's provided into life as an Orthodox Jewish woman. This is not that book but rather an at times clunkily written albeit important call and those interested in learning more about Lithuania's treatment of its people will benefit from reading it.

This story was so intense and heavy, but I also thought it was done with care and understanding. This was a historical fiction Holocaust book that did indeed use real information from real events and it definitely gets pretty heavy. I liked that the book took place in current time and I think the idea of using the speech to share what happened to the Jews in Lithuania was very well done and emotional. I personally didn't know much about these events, and as someone with ancestors from Lithuania, I feel that this story—even though parts were fictional—was quite an important one to be shared. I thought the pairing of Milia and Darius was well done and I loved how they shared their histories with each other. I also valued Milia's strength as a character—she was independent and really fought for herself and the Jewish people. Overall, the story was definitely well done and I think it was informative to different parts of this time period in history. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC to read and review!

Historical fiction based on Nazi treatment if the Jewish people in a neighboring German country. If you have a heart the factual parts are disturbing to know that people were treated like this in our not so distant past.There is a big underlying takeaway from this book that is happening in our day--there are factions that are trying to cover up these atrocities and denying that it ever happened. We must not allow that to happen so that people can see how a power seeking maniac can infect millions of people. It did happen. There was a war and it must not happen again.
A small unrequited love story entwined that will also remind you of how some things can never be.
I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. Thanks to the author,publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 stars
Compelling historical fiction about the Holocaust, but with a twist.
This novel is not for the faint-of-heart. It delves into the persecution of Lithuanian Jews by their fellow Gentile Lithuanians during WW2. Before the German Nazis ever invaded parts of Lithuania, the citizens were torturing and killing thousands of Jews, many of whom had been their neighbors for decades. Entire villages were literally erased from existence by those that called themselves “partisans”. In the years that followed WW2, these “partisans” were lauded as heroes, for supposedly helping Jews to safety; statues and memorials were erected honoring these “brave ones” for their “sacrifices”. By 1993, Holocaust denial was in full swing in Lithuania. And that’s where the protagonist steps in…
Milia had ancestors from Lithuania that perished during the war. She heard stories, growing up, about relatives that just “disappeared.” As an adult, she began researching to find out why there were so many Lithuanians being sung as heroes, yet so many Jews died . And also, why so many war criminals had escaped persecution. What Milia finds out sickens her, but also gives her resolve to go out into the world and attempt to clear up the blatant lies that have been spread about what had actually occurred…
Memorable Quotes:
“A tiny fraction of one percent of the Lithuanian population were found by Yad Vashem to have rescued Jews. This leaves 99.96 percent of Lithuanians either perpetrators or bystanders.”

I am writing this review immediately after finishing this book, with tears running down my face. I hope this book becomes a bestseller, and that not just Jews, so many of us Ragen fans , read this book.
Milia has taken over from her grandfather and father the task of searching for Nazi war criminals, even as they are dying. She is Israeli and the granddaughter of a survivor from Lithuania, where all the rest of her family was killed. It has been her life's work to try to get countries to come clean about their part in killing Jews, especially in Lithuania. When she is invited to speak in Lithuania by Dr. Darius Vidas, she decides to take a chance and goes to Lithuania. Through her eyes, we learn of the horror stories, as does Darius. This trip changes both of their lives, as I hope this book opens the eyes of all readers. Lithuania can no longer hide behind all of the lies told about how Nazis killed all the Jews in Lithuania. The killings were done by Lithuanians, who had been friends and neighbors. I love the points made that Jews want to forgive, if only forgiveness is asked.
This book is scarily important today with the rise of antisemitism once again raising it's ugly head in America and Europe. Also, as a Jew whose family is from Ukraine, another country whose "partisans" killed Jews throughout history, I find myself supporting Ukraine against Russia as the enemy of my enemy is a friend.
Zelensky being Jewish gives me hope for Ukraine. This book gives me hope for Lithuania, for the 4th generation to acknowledge history.
On a lighter note, the journey that Milia makes, problems with her husband, relationships with her children, and yes, her feelings for Darius, is what relieves this story from complete sadness. The ending is ambiguous, something I usually dislike in a book, but I will think about it for a long while.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy. This will be a book club choice for several of my bookclubs. It will engender great discussions.

I’m having a hard time reviewing this book, due to its content. It read like non-fiction for a good part of the book. The story involves an Israeli woman whose life work is the “Survivors’ Campaign”, trying to bring Nazis to justice, even so many years after WW2 ended. One day she receives an invitation from a Lithuanian professor to speak at a conference in Lithuania. She is a “persona non grata” in Lithuania due to her outspoken condemnation of their continuing Holocaust distortion and their refusal to acknowledge historical facts - so she is rather surprised by the invitation. There is a bit of a story about her husband who had recently left her for another woman, and her family (a bit of a yawn, honestly), but the main part of the book involves a lot of facts and figures about the Lithuanians’ despicable actions against their Jewish population once the Nazis took over from the Soviets.

I’m Jewish and know a lot of WW2 history, but even I was overwhelmed with the data dump of horrors contained in this book. I nearly DNF’d this book about 25% of the way through it, because of this. But I’m glad I persevered and read/listened to the whole thing so that I could give a fair review.

The Enemy Beside Me is definitely an eye-opener in terms of how horribly the vast majority of Lithuanians behaved at that time, either actively working to kill their Jewish neighbors or standing by while it all happened. A major theme is that descendants of these people are not responsible for their ancestors’ actions, but that these actions have to be acknowledged and dealt with. Apparently Lithuania has not taken that path, even naming a school after one of the leaders of the genocide, and destroying the careers of people who speak out. In a small way, it reminded me of the controversy in the US about what to do about a lot of Civil War statues of Confederate heroes, whether to rename schools, and so forth.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was well-narrated by Gina Murray, who had to use a variety of accents and pronounce a lot of non-English words. I hope that the finished audiobook will include the author’s notes at the end (not included in the early listener copy I received) because it includes a lot of valuable information about people and events discussed in the book and gives some items for further reading, for those who are interested.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

The Enemy Beside Me by Naomi Ragen is a gripping novel inspired by real-life events. It delves into the lives of two individuals who strive for reconciliation despite the unforgivable crimes committed in the past. Ragen's masterful storytelling had me captivated from the very first page until the end. The intricate plot and well-developed characters made this fact-based fiction an exceptional read.

The Enemy Beside Me is a heartbreaking story digging deep into the role of Lithuanian partisans during the holocaust. I found the beginning hard to get through but persisted hoping the speed would pick up and was greatful when it did. I could have done entirely without her husband point of view, even upon finishing I still feel it was irrelevant. Darius and Milia stories are strong on their own and we’re well developed Julius didn’t need any “airtime”. The stories Milia reads throughout the novel should be read in schools, not nearly enough people understand how awful Jewish families were treated in WW2 prior to their gruesome deaths and that it wasn’t all at the Germans hands other are also to blame.

Thank you to the author, St Martins Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC

The Enemy Beside Me is a provocative contemporary read concerning the lasting effects of WWII by Naomi Ragen. The war may have ended many, many years ago but the actions and the need for justice is still important today. This is especially true in an age of rewriting history so that it fit the goals of the today’s leaders. However, truth is truth, and no manipulation will change it. Bravo to Naomi Ragen for telling it so magnificently.

The story concerns Milia Gottstein who now is the head of the Survivor’s Campaign, her family, and Dr. Darius Vidas from Lithuania. Having visited the Holocaust Memorial last winter, I found this book even more of a compelling read perhaps because it concerned the present as well as documenting and pursuing those who had committed such hideous crimes against humanity. However, the characters’ personal lives became important to me as I continued reading. The twist at the end is beautifully done, unexpected but applauded just the same.

A book to be read by all. A past to never be forgotten or repeated ever again.


An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read many of Naomi Ragen’s books. This one was different as it related to the treatment of Jewish people during WWII and how Lithuania dealt with this after the war. I was not aware of this denial of the country’s involvement with the Jewish people and those responsible. It was a difficult story to read and very upsetting at times. Parts of the story just seemed to drag on and on. I found that the problems in the marriage of Milia and her husband really detracted from the rest of the story.

Here is another historical fiction book that needs your attention. The Enemy Beside Me by Naomi Ragen, is based on actual events. This author’s books are so rich with detail and all-consuming, the best thing you can do is clear your schedule and settle in for several hours of reading.

The short synopsis is this:

Milia Gottstein heads the Survivor’s Campaign, an organization aiming to bring Nazi war criminals to justice, to ensure the voices of Holocaust victims are never silenced. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother with a demanding mission that consumes her time and energy.. She’s ready to pass on her work and make time for herself, but an unexpected call changes everything.

And here is the full synopsis:

Taking over from her father and grandfather as the head of the Survivor’s Campaign, an organization whose purpose is to bring Nazi war criminals to justice, Milia Gottstein has dedicated her life to making sure the voices of Holocaust victims will never be silenced. It is an overwhelming and heartbreaking mission that has often usurped her time and energy being a wife to busy surgeon Julius, and a mother and grandmother. But now, just as she is finally ready to pass on her work to others, making time for her personal life, an unexpected phone call suddenly explodes all she thought she knew about her present and her future.

In the midst of this personal turmoil, Milia receives an invitation to be the keynote speaker at a Holocaust conference in Lithuania from Dr. Darius Vidas, the free spirited, rebellious conference head. Despite suspecting his motives―she is, after all, viewed as a ‘public enemy’ in that country for her efforts to have them try war criminals and admit their historic responsibility for annihilating almost their entire Jewish community, including her own family―she nevertheless accepts, having developed a secret agenda of her own. But as Milia and Darius begin their mission, shared experiences profoundly alter their relationship, replacing antagonism and suspicion with a growing intimacy. However, this only ramps up the hostile forces facing them, threatening their families, livelihoods, and reputations, and forcing them into shocking choices that will betray all they have achieved and all that has grown between them.



If you only read a handful of historical World War II books, let this be one of them. It’s not an easy read and it’s not a light one either, so buckle up for an incredible story!

Coming out on September 12.

Having read many books set during the holocaust I am now very selective in the ones I choose to read and therefore havent read much written by Naomi Ragen. I thought this book was informative and I recommend it. At times I found it a bit repetitive in why the main character was doing what she did but overall it’s a good read and an engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release.

The Enemy Beside Me is an expert look at the Holocaust misinformation that persists in Lithuania. The story follows Milia, a Jewish woman from Israel with Lithuanian heritage. She runs an organization that aims to bring justice to Nazis and those who committed heinous crimes during the Holocaust. She's invited to Lithuania by Darius to speak at a conference series. A seemingly unlikely relationship between Milia and Darius grows, many hate groups in Lithuania lash out at the content of Milia's speeches, and Milia and Darius grow as people.

It's not a light read, so finishing took me longer than usual. The humanity in the story and the connection between the characters kept me coming back to this book. Very well written and informative. It's a context that could be applied to other countries and situations where a social reckoning with the past is needed. A recommended read.

"After all, what was being asked of them? That they acknowledge the sins committed? That they try to punish the guilty? That they feel true regret? That they sincerely apologize and give back the stolen loot? And finally, that they undergo an honest transformation so that in the same circumstances, they would act differently? The proof would be simple: rooting out the endemic antisemitism in their societies, including the demonization of the Jewish State. Setting up true memorial plaques and honoring the mass graves. Educating their children to the embarrassing truth of their country's history. That was it. Ridiculously small, all things considered."


Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my review.