Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lanidacey 's review for:
Enemies in Love
by Alexis Clark, Alexis Clark
3.5 stars.
To say this book is about a couple's struggle to be together despite their extremely different backgrounds is a bit misleading. It's more of a study of the trials of Jim Crow and the hidden history of American POW camps. It makes sense; Elinor and Frederick Albert's story was shaped by the racist politics and restrictions of their country. Elinor would have never met Frederick had racist segregationist practices not prevented her from serving in Allied hospitals or abroad. Frederick, who had the soul of an artist, only served in the German army because the Nazi party required it of all men.
There was so much I learned about the U.S. military effort during World War II. I had no idea about the American POW camps. The U.S. created a number of these camps at the request of Great Britain, which was struggling to house Axis POWs in an active European war front. Black women were often sent to work at these camps due to the bigoted opinion that there would be no threat of fraternization between the European POWs and Black nurses. Another interesting tidbit I learned was that the U.S. military seriously considered implementing a nurses' draft rather than enlist volunteering Black nurses. (Keep on America-ing, America.
To say this book is about a couple's struggle to be together despite their extremely different backgrounds is a bit misleading. It's more of a study of the trials of Jim Crow and the hidden history of American POW camps. It makes sense; Elinor and Frederick Albert's story was shaped by the racist politics and restrictions of their country. Elinor would have never met Frederick had racist segregationist practices not prevented her from serving in Allied hospitals or abroad. Frederick, who had the soul of an artist, only served in the German army because the Nazi party required it of all men.
There was so much I learned about the U.S. military effort during World War II. I had no idea about the American POW camps. The U.S. created a number of these camps at the request of Great Britain, which was struggling to house Axis POWs in an active European war front. Black women were often sent to work at these camps due to the bigoted opinion that there would be no threat of fraternization between the European POWs and Black nurses. Another interesting tidbit I learned was that the U.S. military seriously considered implementing a nurses' draft rather than enlist volunteering Black nurses. (Keep on America-ing, America.