A poignant read—engrossing, reflective, and meaningful.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, Brown’s immersive novel delves into the lives of three generations of a German American family. Growing up as a first-generation American in Ohio, Jacob Miller has seen it all; he endured hunger and starvation, lived through the desperation of the Great Depression, and worked as a farm hand for food and board. After he meets his wife and starts a family, the ‘happily ever after’ seems like a possibility. But with the onset of war, Jacob’s life takes an unexpected turn. Brown’s writing is assured, her prose is crisp, and she treats her intriguing cast with empathy and understanding. Timelines alternating among the present and past add tension and depth to an affecting narrative that touches on themes of family, love, marriage, and relationships. Brown also explores subjects of xenophobia, racial bigotry, the intricate bonds between generations, effects of war on ordinary people, and the importance of reckoning with the past in order to embrace the future. A meticulously researched, touching story of intergenerational trauma and love.
An Enemy Like Me
Teri M Brown
Atmosphere Press
Pub date Jan. 24 2023
ISBN 978-1639885459
Price $26.14 (USD) Paperback
