The Enemy Above: A Novel of World War II

It is difficult to be a Jew during WWII, when German dictator Adolf Hitler wants to make the land “judenfrei” – free of Jews. Anton lives with his grandmother and uncle in a small farmhouse when the very worst happens – German soldiers invade Anton’s village and Anton’s family is forced to escape to a cave nearby, with little food, water, or other supplies. Pursued by a young German major, Anton must evade the Gestapo and keep his family alive.

Anton and the other main characters in The Enemy Above are extremely well developed, from revengeful, ambitious German Major Karl Van Duesen to Anton’s deeply religious, brave, loving, and stubborn grandmother. The quickly paced plot depicts the reality and hardship of the Jewish Holocaust.

What made the story especially interesting was how there was always hope, even in the direst of situations. Additionally, the antagonist of the story, Major Van Dueson, was not portrayed as a totally evil, one-dimensional character. Instead, despite his role as the “bad guy,” his family life, motives, and fears were rationally described.

The Enemy Above is an excellent, realistic, historical fiction based off of horrifying true events and appropriate for tweens and teens studying the era.