Enemies in the Orchard
A World War 2 Novel in Verse
by Dana VanderLugt
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Pub Date Sep 12 2023 | Archive Date Sep 19 2023
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Description
Set against the backdrop of WWII, this achingly beautiful middle grade novel in verse based on American history presents the dual perspectives of Claire, a Midwestern girl who longs to enter high school and become a nurse even as she worries for her soldier brother, and Karl, a German POW who’s processing the war as he works on Claire’s family farm. This poignant and moving story of an unlikely connection will stay with readers long after the final page.
It’s October 1944, and while Claire’s older brother, Danny, is off fighting in World War II, her dad hires a group of German POWs to help with the apple harvest on their farm. Claire wants nothing to do with the enemies in the orchard, until she meets soft-spoken, hardworking Karl. Could she possibly have something in common with a German soldier?
Karl, meanwhile, grapples with his role in the war as he realizes how many lies Hitler’s regime has spread—and his complacency in not standing up against them. But his encounters with Claire give him hope that he can change and become the person he wants to be.
Inspired by the little-known history of POW labor camps in the United States, this lyrical verse novel is told in alternating first-person poems by two young people on opposite sides of the war. Against a vivid backdrop of home front tensions and daily life, intimate entries reveal Claire’s and Karl's hopes and struggles, and their growing friendship even as the war rages on. What are their chances of connection, of redemption, of peace?
Enemies in the Orchard is:
- A gorgeously written novel in verse for ages 9 and up
- Historical fiction based on true events during WWII
- A heartfelt story that explores connection, trauma, and hope
Marketing Plan
- Historical novel-in-verse set in the American home front during WWII
- Well written with poignant scenes
- Author is a former middle-school English teacher
- Author’s hometown is Hudsonville, Michigan
- Historical novel-in-verse set in the American home front during WWII
- Well written with poignant scenes
- Author is a former middle-school English teacher
- Author’s hometown is Hudsonville, Michigan
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780310155775 |
| PRICE | $17.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 288 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Book Trade Professional 358616
Enemies in the Orchard is a fast-paced lyrical novel perfect for upper middle grade readers that offers a new perspective into what it means to be an enemy and how we see and can also forgive others.
Stephanie R, Reviewer
I read this book with my eldest daughter and we both found it beautifully moving and knowledgeable. I loved that there were to speakers through out the whole book telling the story of themselves and others around them, the page layout was a nice change from other books we have read, the English translation of Karl’s pages was also a nice touch. We both found the information about POWs working in America insightful as neither of us knew this happened and has took us both on a path off looking into it further. I have also suggested this book as one off my schools history and literacy reading books for our young readers book club as I think reading the story from both points off view will have the same effect on them as it did my daughter - to understand history more and see both perspectives from such tragic events in time. This is a Throughly enjoyable book for all ages !!
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