My Family The Enemy

When Jack goes to visit his Granny Jess, he is expecting the usual routine involving biscuits. However, this Saturday afternoon things are different as his grandmother seems preoccupied. When she shares the contents of a very old biscuit tin with him, Jack discovers events in his family history which he never knew happened.

Moving from London in 1998 with Jack back to 1914 with his great-grandfather Fred, ‘My Family The Enemy’ reflects the experiences of those with German ancestry who were living in England during WW1. Many countries interned ‘enemy aliens’ at this time and through the eyes of Fred, Karen McCombie shows how xenophobia and public hysteria devastated the lives of German families or those with German (or Austro-Hungarian) descent, turning their friends and neighbours against them.

Fred Muller is an ordinary London schoolboy, not the best behaved at school perhaps, but good natured and good hearted with a loving family whose bakery was at the heart of their community. As hostilities with Germany develop, the reader sees his life change as his German surname leads people to treat him and his family with suspicion and mistrust. Facing bullying at school from his teacher as well as his former friends and classmates, Fred finds himself increasingly isolated and his father is taken from the family and interred at nearby Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace). The story clearly shows the human stories behind the prejudice and injustice which Fred, and others, experience, encouraging empathy and sure to provoke discussions which are as relevant today.

The experiences of other characters in the story also reflect the prejudices of the time. Fred’s sister, Lil, longs for more than the husband and children her parents have in mind for her. She finds factory work and a place on the women’s football team, freedoms which are quickly lost once the war ends. His classmates, Prue and Gertie, are also targets for bullies as Prue’s family are Quakers and Gertie’s father is Hungarian.

The story is packed with historical detail, developing children’s understanding of life on the home front and sparking curiosity about the stories of those seen as the enemy. Additional notes at the end of the story help to clarify and add detail about events, locations and individuals mentioned. Perfect as a class read, ‘My Family The Enemy’ is a very engaging, well-written and thought-provoking story.

My Family The Enemy

Karen McCombie

Bloomsbury Education ISBN: 978-1801995931