Enemies of the Heart

by Rebecca Dean

June 1909, in a large Berlin mansion, cousins Zelda and Vicky are about to meet brothers Berthold and Josef for the first time -- an evening that will alter the course of their lives forever!

Vicky Hudson is only seventeen when she marries Berthold and moves from her idyllic Yorkshire home to Berlin. She finds it hard to adjust to her new life, not least when she discovers that the family business she has just married into -- Remer Steel -- is producing weaponry for the German army. With the First World War looming, Vicky flees to Yorkshire with her children, leaving Berlin, and her husband, behind.

Striking dark-haired beauty Zelda Wallace is no stranger to marriage. Widowed at just twenty-one with a young son, she is eager to meld into Berlin's high society and sever all ties with her American identity in order to become a true Berliner. But beneath her exotic looks, Zelda holds a deeply hidden secret that if revealed, could threaten everything she holds dear!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, War, Book Club, World War II

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2008

About the author

Margaret A. Hudson was born on 10 April 1943 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK, of German extraction. She was daughter of Kathleen (Ramsden), an artist, and George Arthur Hudson, an architect. Married with Londoner Mike Pemberton, they have five grown children, today she lives with her husband and four small dogs in Whitstable, Kent. Apart from writing, her passions are tango, travel, English history and the English countryside.

Published since 1975, she is a bestselling romance writer as Margaret Pemberton, and under the pseudonyms Carris Carlisle, Maggie Hudson and Rebecca Dean. Having travelled extensively, her novels are set in different parts of the world. She was the fifteenth elected Chairman of the Romantic Novelists' Association (1989-1991), she has also served on the Crime Writers' Association Committee.

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me. I read this book a few years ago and loved it. I kept it on my shelf to read again and decided before Christmas it was time to revisit this wonderful story. This is my kind of book, full of family problems and two world wars. Although it’s a long book I found myself picking it up a few times in the day and whipping through the chapters. I had forgo a lot of what happens in this book so, it was like reading it for the first time. One of my all time favourites.

[Fay Hallam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I felt so conflicted about a novel.
This is such a great story - it has some wonderfully drawn characters - but it is just not very well written. In fact, it almost feels like it was written by two different people. The love story bits (plus the character of Vicky and most of the Yorkshire scenes) are the most appallingly schmaltzy, sentimental rubbish - almost Mills & Boon style. Whilst the stuff about the horrors of war is hard hitting, honest and no-holds-barred - it's quite weird!!
The basis of the plot concerns an Anglo German family who are torn apart by both World Wars. Of course, if you know any history, you know what is coming but it is well researched and does have a few surprises. I did enjoy most of it. All in all, it's not a bad holiday read.

[Ioanna Xristodoyloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

το βρηκα αρκετα κακοκγραμμενο και κουραστικο...η ηρωιδα αγαπησε καποιον μετα απο μολις 2 συναντησεις και απλα μας ανακοινωσε τον ερωτα της..μετα απο 40 σελιδες μας ανακοινωσε οτι περιμενουν παιδι ...γενικα απο το καρφι στο πεταλο..το να σου λεω μια ιαστορια και ξαφνικα να σε παω δεκα χρονια μετα να σου λεω τι κανουν οι ηρωες και μετα να σε παω αλλα 3 χρονια μετα και να σου ξαναλεω σε τη φαση ειναι τωρα για μενα δεν ειναι βιβλιο..ειχε ενα ωραια θεμα οσο αναφορα τον πολεμο και της σχεσεις των δυο οικογενειων που ειναι σε αντιπλα στρατοπεδα απο τη σκοπια της καταγωγης αλλα χαθηκε στη μεταφραση...το παρατησα στην 300 σελιδα και λυπαμαι που διαβασα και τοσο

[Maria Bikaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

ουφ μόλις το τελειωσα. Το δανειστηκα απο τη βιβλιοθήκη απο σπόντα χωρίς κάποια σύσταση. Διαβάζοντας τις πρώτες σελίδες δεν είχα ενθουσιαστει το πιανα το αφηνα όμως κάτι μου έλεγε οτι πρεπει να του δώσω μια ακόμα ευκαιρία και ευτυχώς για μένα δε λάθεψε γιατι θα χα αδικήσει ενα πραγματικά σπουδαίο βιβλίο, ενα βιβλίο που αποτυπώνει με μαεστρικό τρόπο τη ζωή στο Βερολίνο την περιοδο του πολέμου για την ακρίβεια ήταν η πρώτη φορα που διαβαζα ενα βιβλιο για εκεινη την εποχή με αναφορες στο γερμανικο σκηνικο διαβαζοντας εικόνες αγνωστες σε μένα μιας και πάντα ειχαμε στο μυαλό μας μια εικόνα μιας περισσοτερο κραταιής γερμανίας, τις κακουχίες που πέρασαν οι ήρωες, τα διλήμματα τους ηθικά και μη ενω φυσικά ο έρωτας είχε κεντρικό ρόλο παρά τη δίνη του πολέμου. Κάθε γενια και απο μια νέα ιστορία, μια νέα αγάπη και στο τέλος μάλλον ο καθένας τελικά πήρε αυτό που έσπειρε. Ριξτε του μια ματιά. Αξίζει τον κόπο

[Lena Papanikolaou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το είχα αρκετό καιρό στη βιβλιοθήκη μου και δε το έπιανα γιατί δεν ειχα ακουσει τα καλυτερα!Το ξεκινησα με κάποια επιφύλαξη.
Ενα πραγματικά φοβερό βιβλίο με υπεροχες περιγραφές μόνο εκει που χρειάζονται!Απορω με τις κριτικές καποιων ειλικρινά! Σε μεταφερει με απιστευτη επιτυχία στο Βερολίνο του 1906 και καλυπτει τεσσερις 10ετιες με τα λαθη και τη ζωη των ηρώων.Συμπασχεις μαζι τους στις κακουχιες, στις λάθος επιλογές τους και στη φρικη του πολέμου που τους καθιστα αναγκαστικα εχθρους αφου ανηκουν σε αλλα στατοπεδα. Η αγαπη των ηρώων δοκιμαζεται απο τα διαφορα παιχνιδια της μοιρας και μεσα απο την καταστροφη δυο παγκοσμιων πολεμων !Με κρατησε δεσμια μεχρι την τελευταια του σελιδα!Μη το χάσετε!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been reminded of this book title, have added it to my list. I remember being fully invested in this book!

[Vicky Ziliaskopoulou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Είναι τόσο απογοητευτικό όταν παίρνεις ένα βιβλίο ενθουσιασμένη με το οπισθόφυλλο και τελικά αποδεικνύεται "άνθρακας ο θησαυρός". Έτσι όπως διάβασα την περίληψη νόμιζα ότι θα διαβάσω ένα βιβλίο που αφορά την επιβίωση της Ζέλντα και της Βίκι κατά τη διάρκεια του β' παγκοσμίου πολέμου, και μάλιστα η μία στην Αγγλία και η άλλη στη Γερμανία (αντίπαλα στρατόπεδα). Τι διάβασα στην πραγματικότητα;
Η κάθε μια από τις ξαδέρφες γέννησε τέσσερα (νομίζω) παιδιά, τα οποία πολύ σύντομα ανέλαβαν τα ινία του μυθιστορήματος. Το κάθε ένα από τα ξαδέρφια είχε διαφορετικό ρόλο στην πλοκή, και σίγουρα η συγγραφέας προσπάθησε να διηγηθεί τα ιστορικά γεγονότα από όλες τις πλευρές.
Δηλαδή. Έχουμε ναζιστή, Εβραίο, Αμερικάνο, πιλότο της Αγγλικής πολεμικής αεροπορίας, χορεύτρια σε καμπαρέ, ηθοποιό, τραπεζίτη, άτομο που συνεργάζεται με τους γιατρούς χωρίς σύνορα (ή κάποια παρόμοια οργάνωση, δεν θυμάμαι τώρα) κτλ. Το τελείωσα ψες το βράδυ και σήμερα ανάθεμα αν μπορώ να κάνω τη σύνδεση ανάμεσα σε πάνω από ένα όνομα με το επάγγελμά του και το ποιανής παιδί είναι (της Ζέλντα ή της Βίκι). Κατά τη δική μου άποψη κατάφερε απλά να κάνει αναφορές ιστορικών γεγονότων, χωρίς καμία απολύτως εμβάθυνση, χωρίς ανάλυση συναισθημάτων και στο τέλος καταντώντας κουραστικό με τα πολλά του πρόσωπα και την άνευρη πλοκή.
Τέλος πάντων, το τελείωσα και δεν έμεινε αδιάβαστα, άρα είχε κάτι που κατάφερε να με κρατήσει.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this with the idea that it would be great to read on the plane during an upcoming vacation, then due to illness and being unable to do anything BUT read, finished it in a little over a day. What a great book to be stranded with, I must say.

Vicky and Zelda are cousins. Zelda is American and Vicky British, but due to their elite social status they find themselves whirling through high society and married to two German brothers who run one of the largest companies in the years leading up to the Great War.

The intricacies of being British and married to a German during not one, but two World Wars is explored with sensitive detail. It's my understanding that the author grew up on family stories of divided loyalties during the Wars, and she puts these to good use. Zelda and Vicky, and their children navigate very rough waters, making plausible if sometimes frustrating choices, and at times the suspense is nail-bitingly real.

The only reason I've given Enemies of the Heart four stars rather than five is due to my bugaboo with describing, down to the satin-covered buttons, what each character is wearing in every single scene. I really don't care what kind of flowers are on Ilse's hat, and I bet most other readers don't either.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A glorious charity shop find! Yet another twentieth century spanning novel, but will genuinely engaging characters and enough period detail to draw you in.

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story, love the ww2 era, very fascinating! And this book delivers on every aspect! Intrigue, action, drama! One of my favourites!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It totals almost 600 pages and generally when a book is that large it has a tendency to cave somewhere in the middle - - this book held my interest the entire way through!
As a reader, I love to spend time where I can get to know the entire family. This book spans four decades, so one gets to intimately meet all the quirks and nuances within the family unit. It also shows the great divide that often happens within a family - - especially when it is during war times and half the family are anti-Nazi because an in-law is a person of Jewish origin......and then the other half of the family appear to be pro-Nazi because they hold a steel mill making their profit by providing steel for guns and artilleries completely purchased for Hitler's war.
Even though they maintained the love of the family, great strain was enacted mainly because of each person's belief system. The author did an amazing job in allowing the reader to fall in love with each of the characters, no matter what their orientation of belief system seemed to be.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s one of those books that you really can’t put down, you’re intruiged by the story, but you also absolutely HATE IT.
It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for some very questionable plot points such as: so much incest. Like so much. Begs the question if the author is in love with HER cousin.
And do NOT get me started on the Jewish woman who had been held in a concentration camp, falling in love with her husband’s cousin who is a NAZI just because he showed basic human decency. It’s horrendous.
I did mostly enjoy it but honestly i can’t give it any more stars because the few problems i had with it almost made me throw the book out of the window

[kerry leete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable

Absolutely loved this book,a real family saga,spanning two world wars and told both from an English and a German perspective.
The writers work flowed onto the page beautifully and the story moved at a really good pace.
I was never really bored with any part of the narrative as it was all incredibly well put together and had no page fillers superfluous to the story as so many books now have.
Highly recommended.

[Karena Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off well, however I was debating whether to carry on nearly halfway through, such was cousin falling in love with cousin. A few more new characters for romantic interest for characters would have been better. The second half of the book was quite page turning so I’m glad I persevered with it.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I persevered to the end but I just couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters. I like sagas that span multiple generations but the characters just didn’t have enough depth to make this one work for me. There are very few characters outside of the main family which reinforced the bubble that they all seemed to live within. And the marriages between cousins....a bit ick.

[Anne Shine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book a real page turner though not for the faint hearted. It’s a family saga which spans before and after WW1 and WW2 and the nightmare of a German/ English family divided by war Nazis persecution loyalty and heartbreak and spares nothing of the horror and cruelty they endured.

[Janice Bustamante · Rating 3 out of 5]

It said in the paperback, Vicky is 17 when she marries Berthold, but in the actual story, she is 21. I'm confused.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

I learned so much and fell in love with this family. Wish it could go on and on. Great book.

[Kim]

too many cousins in love, kind of creepy

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start with, i havent read a book for years and now im finished this amazing book. It took some time to get started and as i read from 1 chapter to another, i found i started to get caught up in it. The plot thickened the further we got into it, but further into the middle it started to level out as one war ended and another started developing, and the childrens lives started to evolve which waned on me.
However, as i came into the end, things picked up as the war ended and the Nazis did there best to create havoc as they lost further power, revealing a hope in the end with a family each re united with there own stories of their lives through the war.
Over all, a lovely read that has inspired me to pick up another book, and try for a different genre of book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divided loyalties:

To sum it up, “wow”. Once I got started in this novel and got to know the characters, I couldn’t put down Enemies of the Heart. Spanning two world wars, this follows how a German-English family is tested through loyalties towards their country versus their own personal beliefs.

The way that author seamlessly moves the narrative away from Vicky and Zelda to their children meant that the pace of the story continued and it really did not feel like a 600-page novel. However, I was never left wondering what was happening to the other characters in different locations. The lengthy chapters covered several areas at once over a small time period and it was fascinating to read how the family’s lives were changing as a result of the Second World War in particular.

The constant fear that a member of their extended family had been injured or killed in the war kept the tension throughout the story. The lack of communication that the characters had with one another had me desperate to find out whether the family would be reunited at all and I was always wanting them to know that their siblings/parents were doing ok. When these small reunions did happen, it was a relief shared by the characters and myself alike and proved a relaxing respite from the terrors of the war.

It was incredible to read how each member of this family’s life became so different to one another. Although so many of the siblings lived in Berlin, their experiences of war were different yet, equally terrifying. Indeed, it made me realise the hardships that Germans suffered and provided an alternative angle to the Second World War, one that I had not previously considered.

Most of this book was read with my heart in my mouth as I feared each character’s actions would expose them as challenging the Nazi regime. Dean has you loving the characters and caring for them: wanting each to return to their loved one safely and for them all to be reunited. It is this that made this such an enjoyable read and one that I couldn’t put down. The evolution of all of the characters and narrative was a clever way of telling the story and I found that by the end of the novel, I had a connection with all of them, even characters who I didn’t really like at the beginning of this story.

I cannot recommend this book enough and would definitely read this book again. It does not drown readers in historical fact and the character lives that you follow are all varied. There is never a dull moment and the way that everything links together at the end was very satisfying. I am really keen to read other books by this author and if they are anything like Enemies of the Heart, then I know I am in for a real treat.

[DubaiReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Families split by the wars.
This was an interesting look into the effects of both world wars, on a family with members from both sides of the fence. Two cousins, one American, one British, marry into a prestigious German family, early in the twentieth century. The German patriarch runs Remer steel, which funds their wealthy way of life, but when Vicky realises that the firm is supplying arms to aid the army in preparing for war, she removes her children to Yorkshire, leaving her husband behind in Germany.

The two cousins couldn't have been more dissimilar, and likewise the two Berthold brothers whom they marry, which gave rise to some interesting character interactions.
Their offspring, however, became a cast of thousands and as I was listening to the audio version it was sometimes quite difficult to keep a track of who was who.

The story wove between family relations and the more serious issues of war, suspected spies and prisoners and their awful treatment. Some prisoners of war were assigned to work at the Remer Steel factory and this was the part that I enjoyed most. What I really didn't enjoy were the descriptions of what everyone was wearing, particularly the ladies, when they first entered a scene - it caused a hiccup in the narrative and drove me mad (impossible to skim in an audio version).

It's always interesting to read about these wars from the German side, where life was no easier than it was in Britain, but these experiences are less often written in English, for obvious reasons. Rebecca Dean has both English and German ancestors and was well positioned to have an understanding of both sides. She handles this aspect well.
My three star rating is partly because of the infuriating fashion descriptions and partly because my audio version did seem to drag a bit. I personally would have preferred the book to have been shortened by at least 100 pages.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: Advance reader's edition from Harper Collins.

The Plot: Vicky (British) and Zelda (American) are wealthy (at least in name) cousins at the turn of the century whose fortunes seem secured when they dine with a pair of German brothers. Vicky falls for the shy, older brother, while Zelda willingly commits herself (perhaps not so much out of love, but need) for the younger, stern, take-charge brother. Things start off okay, until WW1 rolls around and Vicky discovers the German side of her family is responsible for producing armaments that are bombing England. This is the first of many instances that tears the cousins - and their brotherly husbands - as well as their children apart over the course of 40 years (1906 to 1946), but they all fight to remain connected in various ways.

The Good & The Bad: This book surprised me. I expected it to be horrible and schmaltzy and boring - but it's actually got an interesting way of juxtaposing a family torn by war across two warring nations, weaving history, romance, and pain quite well. The pacing was well done, as each chapter takes place in a different year over the 40 years covered by the book - with a few exceptions where high-tension sections are back-to-back. I personally could never *quite* get past how many of the romantic relationships actually occur between Vicky & Zelda's children (ick), but I was still wrapped up in who would survive and how and who would end up with who. Every character in the book has an interesting journey.

The Bottom Line: Sometimes silly, sometimes a bit smarmy, but generally an enjoyable take that provides perspective on both sides of the two biggest wars we know of.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vicky and Zelda are cousins who fall in love with German brothers who are heirs to a big steel manufacturers in Berlin. Zelda throws herself into the world of commerce and society associated with her husbands business dealings and wealth which, as WW1 approaches involves a rather dubious contract with the Government. Vicky refuses to be involved and returns to her beloved Yorkshire with her children, but without her rather feeble and unendearing husband.
As the years pass the two halves of the family become bonded again but the approach of WW2 throws their world into kilter as the repercussions of having a German family so involved with the Nazis becomes a life threatening situation.
Although slow to start and although told thoughout 4 decades, the first 3 decades are actually the shortest part of the book. I would say the bulk and the most interesting is the part given to WW2. Although it is an unlikely story in that all that adventure happened to one and the same family and that they should all have played such an important part in history, the facts are very realistic and the terrors of living a war in the presence of Nazism in all their gruesome, exciting and horrifying detail are extremely well detailed.
It will certainly grip you. The only bit that didn't sit well with me was that there was a certain incestuousness in the relationships - brother and sister falling in love with brother and sister - perfectly legal but a little much!
A bumper read with lots of historical fact, perhaps more worthy of a higher score if it had more realistic romance but overall not a bad read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give a lot of 5 star ratings, but I really loved this book. Set back and forth between Yorkshire UK and Berlin Germany from 1909 until 1946, we get to know the Remer family inside out and backwards! It was impeccably researched by the author who is herself, half English and half German. There was just enough politics and war strategy mixed in with the horrors of war, and of course - love. I cannot STAND romance novels, and this was NOT a romance novel. Yes there were relationships, loves, makeups and breakups, (and even some borderline incestuous relationships)but thankfully none of the sappy, groping, sex scenes. This was a story about people's lives during those two big (and hopefully never to be repeated) wars. If this era is of interest to you, you will most certainly enjoy this novel. I had about 100 pages to go last night and simply could NOT put it down until I was done!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a surprising number of typos, but other than that it was a beautiful book and very enjoyable. The ending was one of those rare conclusions in which everyone gets what they want, and not in a forced sort of way. I loved the characters and the development of them all, and the historical side of things in Nazi Germany added a lot of depth to the story.

[Lara]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a good family saga that covers a few decades, and this one includes 2 world wars and their impact. I found it a little unbelievable re the different cousins falling in love, but it didnt spoil my enjoyment.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read around 2010, and although it was good I have few memories of it. I marked it as four stars then and I'll maintain that in 2017, but I'd have to read it again to give a better review, sorry. Oh well, so it's good but not really memorable?

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat rushed book. More a collection of anecdotes than a novel. However, the writing is sleek and the book easily read. The idea is life like, semi-biographical which makes it even more enjoyable.

Good read for those who love family history genre.

[DeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough to read once, but won't make it on my re-read list. The end seemed very rushed.