Jack Ridl

Enemies in the Orchard

Fiction

“Seldom do we discover a book both timely and timeless. Dana VanderLugt’s incomparable Enemies in the Orchard is not only such a work, but also evidence of the improbable—the formulation of friendship between those commonly perceived not only as incompatible but as given enemies. Thanks to VanderLugt’s courageous heart and luminous writing, we will never forget the understanding forged across the ubiquity of hate by thirteen-year-old Claire and Karl, a young prisoner of war who reveals the inconceivable: a German soldier who holds a humane heart. We follow unexpected kindnesses, misunderstandings, and heartaches, while we daily walk and work with them. Timely? One has to be living in isolation not to recognize such. Timeless? How can kindness ever outwear its need? Based on a true story, VanderLugt’s ability to combine exhausting research with an abundantly empathic imagination is astonishing. Be prepared to ‘Never forget.”