Title: Nightmare Enemy, Dream Friend
Author: Jerry Blanton
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781532005596
Pages: 336
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Thomas Macolino
Pacific Book Review
World War II has been one of the great stages for storytelling almost since the first shots were fired. Movies, TV, fiction and nonfiction, plays, music, every possible medium creating an immense volume of works based on a relatively short period of history, just a few years. Yet the pull on the imagination is undeniable. The heroic struggle of the allies against Nazis and Fascists, the worldwide scale, the new technology, the staggering horror of the holocaust: such things stir the blood. For all that, there is a section of WWII history that is often ignored by storytellers of every description—Germans not in favor of the Nazi party, yet who still served in the military. We often tend to think that everyone in Germany was either a Nazi sympathizer or hiding Jews in their basement. But many struggled in their own way, people who did not approve of Hitler’s ideas, but still loved their country. Jerry Blanton’s novel, Nightmare Enemy, Dream Friend, is one such story.
Nightmare Enemy, Dream Friend is a fictional biography of Luther Weitgucker. The novel follows Luther’s life from early childhood until his death. When Luther’s dreams of becoming a doctor are derailed by the rise of the Nazi party and WWII, Luther joins a war not out of loyalty to the party, but out of a sense of duty to his country.
Throughout the novel, Luther struggles between the demands of his government and the tenements of his Christian faith. Luther is an interesting character because his intellect, athletic prowess, and moral fiber should place him as the pinnacle of Aryan ideals. However, despite excelling at everything he attempts, there is something of the Everyday Joe about Luther. He never bucks the status quo, as one might expect of a stringently moral protagonist in Nazi Germany. Instead, he quietly serves in the military. This raises interesting questions for the reader. For example, is simply living a good life enough when it’s done in the wrong cause? If for no other reasons than questions like these, this novel is a worthwhile a read.
Blanton’s novel is an interesting look at what it means to be a good person. It takes a well-worn stage and shines the spotlight on someone who’d previously only been a background character. What does it mean to be an everyday hero? Could you be a good Christian and still serve in the Third Reich? These are questions that this book may or may not answer for the reader, but at least offers a new and interesting perspective.
A final side note: This book does contain some mature themes and adult scenes.
