Enemies in the Orchard: A World War 2 Novel in Verse by Dana VanderLugt is a combination of a sweet and informative book. Perhaps it is also a bit idealistic, as it shows a part of World War II that is not known as well as other parts of American history, and is done in a “less intense” way. It is an interesting look at war and friendship nonetheless. There is a double POV story telling that is a familiar format, but adds to the creation of the theme and makes things flow in a fun way. It also is very strongly centered around VanderLugt’s own feelings and background about her own family and their history with an apple orchard.
Our two characters, the daughter of an apple farmer in need of help as his son and most of the other workers are overseas fighting, and a German POW tell their versions of the same story. Of course, they have a different beginning and a different ending, but the in between is mostly the same. Claire is a girl desperate to stay in school and not be like her sister and most other women of the time. She wants to become a nurse and not “just be a wife and mother.” Of course, she must deal with the POWs coming to help her father’s orchard and how can you “friend” the enemy? And then Karl, the soldier not much older than Claire, who has a mother and sisters back in Germany facing the war. He must deal with the relative safety he has as a prisoner in America, while he knows his family starves, must deal with the bombs and war.
Overall, we see history and how a friendship can happen over a season of harvesting an apple orchard. We see how they can change, how they realize putting your finger up in a “gun format” is not the real war. That war is not a game. And how Karl starts to see “just following orders” does not allow your responsibility to be neglected.
Of course, I felt that sometimes their “lesson” was not always learned, I hope the reader does learn them and not think that it was not “all that bad.” VanderLugt does mention that she wants people to learn some empathy and learn that it is not always black and white (and these are my interpretations of what she says in her commentaries, and from what I read). Much is adapted from real events of the time and the real program of having the German POWs work farms. Ages 10 and up work well for the book. I can easily see this made into a TV movie or later adapted into the graphic novel format.
A few triggers: a POW is a Nazi sympathizer still, depression due to the loss of the sons in war, Claire is attacked by the above POW, and there is a fatal accident with a truck and train.