Season of My Enemy

5 stars, Women thankful for "Rosie the Riveter" SEASON OF MY ENEMY (HEROINES OF WWII #6) by Naomi Musch The Heroines of World War 2 series from Barbour Publishing, feature ordinary women who were thrust into positions, because of the war and the lack of able-bodied men to help in the factories and on the home front. The women and girls were called up to step in and keep their farms going to keep the supply chains moving, and to keep morale positive, while the men were fighting for their lives and freedom overseas. Fannie O'Brien's father has recently died, her two older brothers have gone overseas to fight in the war, and Fannie is left at home in Wisconsin to keep their large farm producing. There is a local canning factory nearby, which relies upon the O'Brien farm and many others, to produce canned foods that can be shipped all over the country. Fannie runs the family farm, along with her mother, and her younger siblings Jerry, and Patty. There is a POW war camp not too distant from their farm, that allows prisoners of good standing to be hired out in teams to help do farm labor, with an American soldier to guard them. The prisoners are paid in scrip, so they aren't being made to work for free. Fannie's mother decides to ask for a team of POW workers to help them bring in all of their crops. They receive the German equivalent of two officers and several privates. Most of the men are pleasant and hardworking, but some are filled with hate and racism. This was a time in our United States' history, that when women were needed to step in and work outside of their homes, they were willing to do what they could to keep their families fed and keep the country running, much like "Rosie the Riveter." If women had been unwilling to work outside of their homes, our lives today could have been much more different. I know, as a woman, I wouldn't have liked being treated as "less than" because of being expected to stay home and take care of my family. Much appreciation to #barbourpublishing for the complimentary copy of #seasonofmyenemy #heroinesofworldwartwoseries I was under no obligation to post a review. #historicalfiction #ww2 #2022newreleasebooks

Season of My Enemy is an enjoyable historical romance story by Naomi Musch. The WWII genre is one of my favorites to read, and Musch did not disappoint me with her engaging story of Fannie and her family struggling to keep their farm afloat during the war. The story is a beautiful and captivating account of forgiveness and of unexpectedly finding love in stressful and difficult situations. And as the story develops, the characters begin to recognize that despite the fact of the war, despite the mistrust and ambiguous feelings, there is very little that separates them from the enemy. The writing style is graceful and flows smoothly, and the author has beautifully crafted her characters--characters who are well defined and well rounded with attributes and flaws. I enjoy historical fiction, and the author did a great job portraying the use of German prisoners to help with the workload of farmers and factories while the American men are overseas fighting the war. The situations and emotions that family members on the homefront faced are realistic and sometimes heartbreaking, yet not without hope. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will want to read Season of My Enemy. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.