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BOOK REVIEW: Beloved Enemy
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by Laura V. Hilton Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: The Beloved Enemy Author: Gilbert Morris Publisher: Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 0-764-22704-1 Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Romance
During the Great Depression, Kefira Reis works in a sweatshop in the New York City garment district. Her father is dead, her mother is very ill, and her brother is in prison for stealing money from his boss. When her mother dies, Kefira finds herself unable to pay the rent. Homeless, she arranges to stay with a friend, but her boss attempts to sexually assault her. Frightened, Kefira fights her boss off, leaving him unconscious. Afraid that the authorities will be after her for defending herself and knowing she will be fired, Kefira hops a train heading south.
Dangers abound on the rail. Since she has no money, she’s hiding in boxcars, praying no one discovers her. Other hobos ride the rails, and some of them attempt to take advantage of her. In Tennessee, she decides to walk the rest of the way to the coast.
Joshua Winslow dreamed of becoming an archaeologist, but due to financial difficulties he sold boot-leg liquor and had to serve a short jail sentence. Once released from prison, Josh hears of a job available in Tennessee. Going there, he discovers it was nothing but rumor. Broken hearted, he starts to return home, but is brutally beaten when two men attempt to rob him.
Kefira arrives in the nick of time, saving Josh’s life. But their trials aren’t over. Kefira and Josh are both ill and unable to care for themselves. Kefira’s life hangs in the balance, and no one is sure whether she’s even going to pull through. And Josh is now facing the biggest test of his life. Will he be strong enough to turn away from the woman who ruined his life and chase after his dreams? Or will he fall back into the same lifestyle that sent him to prison? Will Kefira find a reason to keep fighting for her life?
The Beloved Enemy is a charming story set during the Depression Era. I’ve heard stories about it, but the events I heard were not as extreme as what Kefira experienced, although I don’t doubt cases like hers existed. Kefira is a loveable woman, struggling to survive in a cruel world where people only cared about themselves. I could thoroughly relate to Josh, dreaming about a career which seems completely out of reach. I found myself hoping that Kefira and Josh would survive the great odds that were against them.
I couldn’t put The Beloved Enemy down. I was instantly drawn into the story, and had to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen. Gilbert Morris is a master at leaving a character’s life in the balance and then going onto another character, and the reader thinks “Hold on, what happened to…” and has to keep reading to find out. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Beloved Enemy. Even though it is book 30 in the House of Winslow series, it stands alone. The reader will not be disappointed. | |
