Vanderlugt, Dana. Enemies in the Orchard: A World War 2 novel in verse. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkidz, 2023

Guide to categories: MS Review – review of books for older elementary-aged and middle school-aged children

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Summary

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

Purchase Enemies in the Orchard on Amazon

My MS Review

I love learning new historical facts when I am reading historical fiction. Dana Vanderlugt’s well-researched novel provided that opportunity for me. While I was born a couple decades after WWII, the opening entry describing Claire’s life brought back memories (and told me that at least part of the story was historically accurate) I was aware that POWs had served as laborers during World War 2, I did not know that it happened so close to where I grew up. 

Vanderlugt uses alternating narrators. She tells the story of Claire, an eighth grade daughter of an apple farmer, and Karl, a German POW, using free verse. With the constraints of verse, Vanderlugt had to get across the story and feelings of the characters with fewer words than a regular novel. She does an excellent job of doing so. 

I really appreciated that Vanderlugt included several pages outlining her research for the novel. To me that is a sign of a good historical novel. The story is based loosely on actual events and the setting was chosen because of the author’s personal history. 

Enemies in the Orchard would be an excellent addition to the historical fiction section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for middle school and up. It may also be appropriate for some older elementary students. 

I received a complimentary copy of Enemies in the Orchard. This is my honest review.

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