Jack Cavanaugh Dear Enemy

Dear Enemy

Jack Cavanaugh

Bethany, $12.99

ISBN: 0764223100

During World War II, American nurse Annie Rawlings married Keith Mitchell only to have their honeymoon canceled due to a mission need. Annie has worked with the dying and maimed and believes the Nazis and for that matter all Germans are evil deserving only death for the atrocities they have fostered on people.

A rescue mission behind enemy lines in Belgium fails leaving Annie held prisoner by a wounded German soldier Karl who killed her beloved Keith. As he keeps her safe she helps heal him and they forge camaraderie through a love of music and faith that God will save humanity. As they become more than friends, Karl is captured and becomes a POW. This should be the end of a war torn yet warm relationship, but Annie needs to at least know her Karl is safe so after the war ends she begins her search.

This is a terrific historical fiction novel that grips the audience with an opening paradox that sets the tone of a tale that uses irony and contradiction to tell a powerful human tale. The story line occurs during World War II in which the heroine loathes all Germans until she is forced into close quarters with the soldier who killed her spouse. Annie soon realizes he is a young caring nice man caught in the maelstrom of brutal misunderstandings by old men who send others to fight and die (history repeats itself). With a character driven anti-war message DEAR ENEMY peels away the armor to reach the souls of two foes leaving the inside for the audience to realize that we are human so let's give peace a chance.

Harriet Klausner