Local author Teri M. Brown is a fan favorite at Harper Library and throughout Brunswick County. Well known for her award-winning debut novel, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, she returned to greet readers and discuss her latest award-winning novel, An Enemy Like Me. 

Described as “a beautifully layered book that delves into the complexities of war and the effects it has on those who have an intense love of country, family, and one’s heritage” — Brown’s work leaves an indelible mark as it explores the many facets and effects war leaves on the human spirit. 

Brown’s inspiration for An Enemy Like Me was her German grandfather, who served in World War II. Like so many veterans, he spoke very little about his service after the war. But he hauntingly once told her that he always wondered if the person on the other end of his gun was his cousin. 

That was what inspired Brown to use the backdrop of World War II to tell the story of Jacob Miller, a first-generation American who grew up in a small German-American immigrant community in Ohio. There he endured the Great Depression, met his wife, and started a family. Though his early years were not easy, Jacob believes he is headed toward his “happily ever after”—that is, until a friend is sent to an internment camp for enemy combatants. The war lands resolutely on his doorstep. 

In this emotional historical drama, Brown explores the concepts of xenophobia, intrafamily dynamics, and the recognition that war is not won and lost by nations but by ordinary men and women and the families who support them. 

An Enemy Like Me is considered a historical fiction must-read, is available at the Brunswick County Public Library, and is an excellent choice for book clubs. Contact Teri M. Brown at terimbrown.com to inquire about speaking engagements and book club meetings.