"A gripping and memorable novel providing new insight into life during WWI."
January 2026 Book of the Month
Karen McCombie’s new historical novel gives readers a unique perspective on World War One. Fred and his family have lived in North London, in the shadow of Alexandra Palace, since before he was born. Müller’s Bakery, his father’s business, is very popular with locals, their Tottenham cakes a particular treat. But everything changes in 1914.
When war breaks out with Germany, their neighbours look differently on the Müllers, even though Fred’s father moved to this country from Germany when he was a very little boy, and Fred and his sister Lil have never been there at all.
Fred can’t believe it, and readers will be just as shocked, when his father is deemed an enemy alien and interned – aka imprisoned – in Ally Pally with thousands of others of German heritage.
Told through Fred’s journals, as read by modern day Jack, Fred’s great-grandson, the sense of unfairness, of fellow citizens’ prejudice and suspicion, is very powerful. Fred’s friends include a girl whose family are Hungarian, and another whose family are Quakers, and therefore pacifists, and they suffer too, but we feel Fred’s confusion when his best friend at school turns against him very sharply indeed.
The story tells us a great deal about what families like Fred’s endured, but all the characters, leading and minor, are fully realised in McCombie’s skilful narrative, giving us a memorable picture of ordinary working-class life in those terrible years. Like Karen and her characters, I pass Alexandra Palace nearly every day, and I’ve gained a new perspective on a much-loved landmark.
London, 1914. Fred Müller's life is turned upside down when his dad is taken away by the police - suddenly his family are the enemy because of where they come from.
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London, 1914. Fred Müller's life is turned upside down when his dad is taken away by the police - suddenly his family are the enemy because of where they come from.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed My Family the Enemy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
My Family the Enemy features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Historical Fiction, Warfare & Battles, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
My Family the Enemy was written by Karen Mccombie and published by Bloomsbury Education an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
My Family the Enemy has 256 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
