Season of My Enemy Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Season of My Enemy

Author: Naomi Musch

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Fiction / Romance

Release date: June 1, 2022

“Get Your Farm in the Fight” – The Realities of WWII Come to a Wisconsin Farm

Only last year, Fannie O’Brien was considered a beauty with a brain, and her future shone bright, despite the war pounding Europe. With her father’s sudden death and her brothers overseas, Fannie must now do the work of three men on their 200-acre farm—until eight German prisoners arrive and, just as Fannie feared, trouble comes too. Someone seems intent on causing “accidents,” and Fannie is certain the culprit is one of the two handsome older Germans—or possibly both. Can she manage the farm, keep the prisoners in line, and hold her family together through these turbulent times?

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Naomi Musch is an award-winning author who writes from a deer farm in the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and husband Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of their five adult children. When not in the physical act of writing or spending time loving on her passel of grandchildren, she can be found plotting stories as she roams around the farm, snacks out of the garden, and relaxes in her vintage camper. Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Wisconsin Writers’ Association, and the Lake Superior Writers. She loves engaging with others and can be found all around social media or at her site naomimusch.com

More from Naomi

Welcome to my wilderness – that’s what it says when you pop onto my website, because so many of my books take place in rural and wilderness settings. That’s where my heart lives too. Therefore, when I decided to write a World War II story, I gravitated to the home front, to rural America, where living out the war years meant a different kind of survival.

Before this story idea came to me, I knew that prisoners of war had been held in America during part of the war years. There are a number of other wonderful WWII novels out there set in North America involving POWs, and I adore the 2005 movie Sweet Land. Yet, until looking further, I hadn’t realized that so many German soldiers were held right here in my home state of Wisconsin! In fact, thousands of prisoners were sent to work in our country’s canning factories and on our farms. How could I have grown up and never been told that there had once been a POW camp right in my home town?

In fact, there were 38 such “branch camps” just in Wisconsin alone—camps that housed workers specifically for contracting work on farms and in canneries. Workers were contracted by farmers with the army and sent to labor in the cranberry bogs, cherry orchards, apple orchards; to farms picking beans, peas, corn, and to tend the other crops. By international treaty, prisoners had to be paid for their work, so they were allowed to earn scrip in the equivalent of 80 cents per day which they could spend in camp canteens on personal items.

Bingo! There was the seed that burst through the soil of my imagination for my novel Season of My Enemy.

My heroine Fanny O’Brien is a Wisconsin farm girl who left state teacher’s college to manage her family’s farm during the war. She never imagined herself coordinating the work of eight German prisoners in the process—or what the outcome of that task would be.

I believe a great story has to reveal strong yet subtle themes in order for the characters and their plight to feel real. In Season of My Enemy, Fannie uncovers a lot of prejudice both in her own heart and as her eyes are opened to the broader sphere around her. There are all kinds of prejudice in the world, and some of it revealed in this story may surprise you. In fact, my editor and several other authors of WWII fiction who read the book all said, “I didn’t know that!” (I won’t tell you what they were referring to, because you know…spoilers.)

Season of My Enemy isn’t all about history of course. It’s a heartfelt story of a man and woman who slowly yield their hearts to love amidst unpredictable times and unusual circumstances. They begin as enemies who finally look beyond their prejudices to find they have more in common than they first thought. To overcome terrific odds, they must depend upon their faith and rest in a powerful hope that touches their own lives as well as the lives of others surrounding them.

I hope you’ll read Season of My Enemy, and be sure and pop me a note to tell me what you think!

MY REVIEW 

If there was ever a book that needed to be made into a movie this is the one. I can’t express all the emotions I went through as the story unfolded before me. There are many historical fiction books out there about WWII but never one that shares both sides so well as this one does. The author held my attention from the beginning page till the very last word that ended the story. I loved how the author captures both sides of the war in a way I’ve never read before.

Fannie was such a strong character with determination to keep her family’s farm running while her two brothers were off at war. I was very surprised about the PW camps that were in Wisconsin where  Germans were being  held. I love  when an author unearths little known historical facts that unveil details many do not know about. I can understand why Fannie was not pleased to learn that German prisoners were coming to the farm to help them harvest their crops. It would be unsettling to have your enemy on your land and feel safe. 

While I did like the way her family was willing to have the prisoners work on the farm, I was a bit hesitant for Fannie as I could sense her uneasiness. Reading over the author’s notes at the end opened my eyes to what both sides went through. Fannie can feel some of the prisoners stare at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. It was hard to read how a few of the prisoners had unclean thoughts about her and her younger sister. This part of the  story  bothered  me yet I knew that it had most likely happened to women who worked beside  the prisoners during  the war. 

The prejudice is very evident in the story and the author exposes it in a way that everyone can relate to. Fannie finds  herself trying  not to think of the workers as humans but only the enemy who is there to do hard labor. With Fannie’s brother coming home from the war, it was hard to keep peace between the prisoners and her brother. The  hate in his heart for them is very much felt as he  sits on the porch with a weapon ready for anything. This is where the author opens the door for readers to examine their hearts as it is apparent that there is danger soon to come. 

I don’t want to share anything more that happens in the story so that I don’t ruin the impact it will have on many. There is an emphasis on faith as well as trust in the story that flows with an illustration of what prejudice can do to a person’s heart. The details of how both American and German soldiers were treated in prison camps is hard to read. Yet the truth is needed to forgive our enemies and find that love conquers all.  It has been years since this war took place but I can see that even today prejudice still exists. One thing I remember vividly in the story was that some  of the men who were fighting in the war didn’t agree with what their side was doing. The horrible treatment in some of the camps were thought to be inhumane. My point is this, when will we forgive our ancestors and learn to live together in harmony like God designed us to do? Why must we continue to treat others with hate for something that happened years ago? Will we ever see the day when we work together without prejudice?

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, June 28

Blossoms and Blessings, June 28

Inklings and notions, June 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 30

For Him and My Family, July 1

Remembrancy, July 2

Pause for Tales, July 2

deb’s Book Review, July 3

Book Looks by Lisa, July 4

Mary Hake, July 4

Betti Mace, July 5

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 7

Connie’s History Classroom, July 8

Books, Books, and More Books, July 8

Bizwings Blog, July 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 10

Labor Not in Vain, July 10

lakesidelivingsite, July 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Naomi is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1f45e/season-of-my-enemy-celebration-tour-giveaway