When the world envelopes itself in the flames of war and death moves freely across the landscape, how far would you go to rid it of evil? What would you do to protect all that is good and right? What sacrifices would you make? For duty is the death of love.

An Enemy Like Me is a poignant novel brought to us by author Teri M. Brown. It tells the story of Jacob Miller, an American of German Descent. His life was a struggle from the moment he first drew breath. Growing up poor in Ohio during the Great Depression, he battled starvation and came near to death. Jacob believes his life has changed and he has found his “happy ever after” when he meets his wife. Together, they start a family and finally life is looking good. But then, the world throws itself into disaster. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he feels compelled to join the military, for a number of reasons. Jacobs’ struggles continue and he is forced to endure more than most. And when he returns home, he finds that although the war is over, it still rages on inside him.

This is an emotionally-resonant historical fiction novel that explores war, and it’s impacts, in unique ways that few military fiction novels do. I enjoyed the historical references in the book and I felt that this book utilizes those historical facts well and uses them to tell a compelling story. Against this vivid historical backdrop we follow Jacob, and his story is interesting, but I would have loved to have explored his character further and deeper because what is given to readers is fascinating. There were so many people affected by World War Two and I feel like Jacob is a good representation of the majority of people that fought in that war, and probably wars afterwards. It’s not about how his story is different, it’s about how his story is similar to many other soldiers and their families, and how those heartaches and tragedies of war, which are strikingly painted in the story, are felt by all.

The writing style is good and, besides a few clichés, this is an engaging and evocative story that fans of historical fiction will enjoy. This novel stands out in a packed genre for its emotional exploration of subjects like family, society and war.

Pages: 328 | ASIN: 1639885455

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/08/an-enemy-like-me/