Season of My Enemy

“vIctory BegIns on the Farm! overalls are your unIForm!”

“They are my enemies, no matter how many courtesies we share or how hard they work. I must never forget it.”

Wow!! I had never read anything by Naomi Musch before Season of My Enemy, but what a powerful book that tells of some of the unknown history of the home front during WWII. Part of Barbour’s Heroines of WWII series, Musch tells of a Wisconsin farm family, whose father has died and oldest brothers are serving in Europe. Unable to keep the farm running on their own, the O’Brien family is forced to ask for workers from the local German PW(prisoner of war) camp to help with the harvest.

Most of us are quite familiar with “love your neighbor,” and “treat others the way you want to be treated,” but Musch forces us to place ourselves in each family member’s shoes: the mother, Fannie, Jerry, Patsy, and others. How would we react to being dependent on the enemy? Could we trust them? Could we see the PWs as individuals, caught up in something bigger than themselves, or would we, like Fannie, endeavor to hold on to hatred and prejudice?

I loved the reality of the family’s struggle. Just as I would think they all overcoming their fears, events or people would influence them to hold onto their deep bitterness.

I also loved the mom’s path of cobblestones. What a wonderful idea!!

If you like a strong, well-told story of those left behind at home in WWII, you will enjoy this story of uncovered history, faith, slight romance, and intrigue!

I received a copy of this book from the author through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“We are not involved in a war of ideals. It is a war of hatred.”

“Pray for me, Jerry. I want to believe the best—concerning most of them anyway. They seem like us. Just men stuck in a bad situation.”

“Showing kindness might be the best way to keep them all safe.”

“I pray for all of them. I pray for peace.” “That’s how you manage, isn’t it?”

“Such hatred is a poison, and there is nothing about it that can be understood…”
“Only God can change the heart of man.”

We have to let that be our flame - the flame to keep going in spite of the war.

It was interesting to learn that many farms in the USA used German POWs to work their fields and harvest the crops. After all, with most of the young men and many of the fathers seeking victory in Europe or the Pacific theater, there were no workers to plant and gather except the women and children. The food was obviously needed at home and also on the frontlines.

How was one to know who could be trusted and who they should be wary of? This dilemma faced Fannie and her young brother, Jerry, the only ones left on the farm in Wisconsin besides their mother and young sister. With a great deal of detail, the author shows us what was involved in this venture and how easily it could have turned out differently if the workers had nefarious ideas. Another chance to learn about the Heroines of WWII, this story brings history to life.

An early copy was received through Barbour Publishing, CelebrateLit and NetGalley. These thoughts and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

Did you know 371.000 German prisoners of war were in camps in the United States during World War II? You will enjoy learning about a group of men from one camp who were "hired" to do farm work while the family's older sons were overseas fighting in the war! I admired Fannie who leaves college to do what would have been men's work and supervise work on the farm. Fannie's mother is mourning the sudden death of her husband and dealing with not hearing from her two sons who are overseas while keeping her home together for her three younger children. The prisoners and Americans both have mixed emotions about each other as they wonder who to trust. I recommend Season of My Enemy to others. I received a copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

This fabulous, well-written novel shows aspects of World War II of which I was previously unaware. The author brought to life what it was like for women and children to run the farm, and I learned even more in the Author’s Note. I was blessed by the spiritual lessons that are as relevant today as in the 1940’s. Characters are well defined, as is the setting of the Wisconsin farming community.

Fannie’s older brothers were fighting in Europe when their father passed away. One of her brothers, Dale, had been captured and sent to a German prison camp, and the military didn’t know where Cal was. Fannie, her mother, and her younger siblings, Jerry and Patsy, worked hard to keep the family farm operating. Fannie stopped attending the college for teachers and reduced the hours she worked at the library to handle many of the farm chores. It was interesting to learn about different crops, and I loved the Cobblestones of Confidence Pathway!

There were few, if any, migrant workers in Wisconsin in 1944. German prisoners of war being held at a nearby camp were made available to farms and canneries that needed their labor. At least one guard was at each place using PWs. There were strict rules for their behavior and work. Fannie’s mom arranged for prisoners of war to help maintain and harvest crops. Fannie was angry that her mother would have men on their farm who could have been responsible for Cal’s disappearance or Dale’s capture. Realistically, there was no other way to get the work done. She honored her mother and coordinated the work.

Two of the prisoners were older, Wolf, who had been captain of the PWs, and Leo. Jerry was able to set aside his anger and get along with the men, even with the language difference. Patsy, only thirteen, was usually restricted to the house when prisoners were there, only coming outdoors to bring water or snacks. Fannie saw how hard the soldiers worked and how Jerry got along with them, so she lowered her defenses a bit. Even with unusual occurrences, she found herself interested in one of the men who showed kindness and respect to them, and they began a tentative friendship. Some started to learn English, and some attended their church. Fannie learned more about the men and their families, even praying for them when realizing that, just as Americans were drafted into service, many German soldiers fought because they were required to serve.

This novel is well worth reading for those who appreciate women’s WWII fiction! Fannie and her family immediately pulled me in to the story, and I appreciated Fannie’s feelings. She was horrified when seeing newsreels about the German internment and prison camps. I honestly don’t know how I would respond, especially if I had a loved one in a prison camp, but I don’t think grace would have been my first response. I was very pleased with the conclusion in every way. This novel made me think, as well as showed my attitudes in need of adjusting. I highly recommend this novel, and the rest of Barbour’s Heroines of WWII series to women of all ages who appreciate historical Christian fiction of WWII with sound spiritual lessons and appealing, engaging characters.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.