Enemies in the Orchard, Dana VanderLugt's first middle-grade novel, is a beautifully written, heartbreaking exploration of trauma and the healing potential found in connection—even in the darkest of times. Set against the backdrop of WWII, this achingly beautiful middle grade novel in verse based on American history presents the dual perspectives of Claire, a Midwestern girl who longs to enter high school and become a nurse even as she worries for her soldier brother, and Karl, a German POW who’s processing the war as he works on Claire’s family farm. This poignant and moving story of an unlikely connection will stay with readers long after the final page.