I am an avid reader of just about any novel that is regarding World War II. This book was an eye-opener because it dealt with German prisoners of war in the United States and their lives as they dealt with their evolving feelings being part of Hitler's regime. Set in Wisconsin, many of the young men of the United States were enlisted in the armed forces, many jobs normally filled by them fell to women or to the prisoners being hired to help in factories or on farms. In this story set in Wisconsin around farmland, a mom and three of her children have the responsibility to farm 200 acres while two sons are off to war and the father has recently died. It is quite an undertaking for just the teenage son and young woman as the mom tries to take care of the household chores and the younger daughter helps her. This book takes you back to a time when washing clothes was an all-day chore, baking and cooking took several hours and had many foods rationed for the number of people living in the household, so life was difficult.

The O'Briens farm was too large for them when it came time to pick the crops, so they requested workers from the nearby prisoner of war camp. They received word that they would be assigned eight men plus a guard to assist them. As time passed and the same workers came to the farm, they got to know each other and see the war through each others' eyes. Incredible, as the workers are able to see one brother return home after being a prisoner of war, himself, and he sees the way these prisoners are treated in comparison to himself; the Germans begin to see how they had been brainwashed into the belief that the Americans were the enemy of all and it was a turning point for most of these men.

If I could give one suggestion to the reader, it would be to read the Author Note at the end of the book prior to reading. It gives valuable background and helps you understand the setting a bit more. Otherwise, the novel is well-written and intriguing to the point that there were times that I would have to read one more chapter before putting it down for the evening. An excellent read for those who love historical novels!

Although I was given this book from Barbour Publishing to review, these are my thoughts and I hope that you will also enjoy reading it.

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 did not 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 do not know how I would respond, especially if I had a loved one in a prison camp, but I do not 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.

Season of My Enemy by Naomi Musch is set during the last three years of WWII. A farm family in Wisconsin, the O Briens, are struggling to harvest the crops necessary to feed American soldiers overseas. The O Brien s father died and the two older brothers, Cal and Dale, are fighting overseas in Germany.

The O Briens have received word that Cal has been wounded and Dale is missing. In order to make the harvest on time, the O Briens have to hire German PWs from a nearby prison camp to help them out. How can they work with the enemy while the war continues and the fate of their brothers is unknown?

The story is well-told, and I felt I was in Wisconsin in 1943. As the O Briens get to know the eight German prisoners, their attitudes change until Cal comes home. The characters are likable and show growth during the story. The HEA is satisfying.

I received a copy of Season of My Enemy for review purposes and this is my honest opinion.

Season of My Enemy by Naomi Musch is such a good book. This is part of the Heroines of WWII series, a series of stand alone stories written by different authors. This story is based in Wisconsin during WWII, it gives a realistic look at what life was like for those who were left to care for farms while soldiers were off to war. We often hear of women who work the factories, this story shows that women did all jobs that were needed. While we don't hear about the prison camps in the US during WWII, this story gives a glimpse of what that may have been like.

This story is filled with strong likeable characters. I just loved the characters of Fannie and her younger brother. They worked so hard to keep the farm profitable for their older brothers to return home to after the war. I appreciated how the whole family guarded the younger sister to keep her safe. This story is so realistic, I enjoyed reading it.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

So I loved this book and somehow I totally related to it. My parents experienced WWII on the German side of the War, both the bad and yet some good and my mom told me lots of stories of the kindness of others as they struggled to survive. Something that this story shared as Fannie tries to understand the feelings of the Germans in this story.

This story was a very new viewpoint of the War for me. As Fannie finds herself in charge of the family farm, and with brothers off to War and her father's death, she is faced with a struggle as to how to bring in the crops and feed those who need the crops.

As the German War prisoners come to work the farm, she is concerned about what is causing accidents. Is it the Germans? And if so, which one?

It is a fascinating book and it is easy to read and enjoy. It is written with clarity and it is interesting to see both sides of the story in a new and interesting setting and with a different dimension of the human situation of this time.

Will Fannie succeed in managing their large farm and all the difficulties that she experiences? I highly recommend this very interesting and engaging book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing. All thoughts are my own.