When We Were Enemies

Camera-shy Elise Branson is different from the other women in her maternal line. Her mother is an award-winning actress. Her late grandmother, Vivian Snow, is a beloved Hollywood icon. But when Elise’s wedding coincides with a documentary being made about Vivian, Elise can’t escape the camera’s gaze. And neither can her grandmother, even in death. It’s 1934 when Vivian, a small-town Indiana girl, lends her home front support to the war effort. As a translator in the nearby Italian POW camp, she’s invaluable. As a celebrated singer for the USO, she lifts men’s spirits and falls in love with a soldier. But behind this all-American love story is a shocking secret – one that is vital to keep buried if Vivian is to achieve the fame and fortune she covets. For Elise and Vivian – and what’s exposed – threatens to unravel their lives. The heart-wrenching choices they must make will change them both forever.

Paperback. 347 pages. 2023, Lake Union Publishing. By Emily Bleeker.