Dear Enemy • Jean Webster

A few months ago, I read and reviewed Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. The book was published by the new Königskinder Verlag (actually part of Carlsen Verlag), which, sadly, has now released its final program and is closing down again. As a sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs, Dear Enemy has now been published. The publisher’s catalog mainly consists of charming young adult books, but it also discreetly includes these bibliophilic classics, originally published in 1912 and 1915. I really enjoyed the first volume, and this second novel truly lives up to it. But first, let’s talk about the story.

In Daddy-Long-Legs, the protagonist was Judy Abbott, a young 18-year-old orphan whose college education was funded by a wealthy but anonymous benefactor. The condition was that she had to write him regular letters, and so that book consisted entirely of Judy’s correspondence. Similarly, Dear Enemy is also written as an epistolary novel. However, the author of these many letters is no longer Judy, but her best friend from college, Sally McBride. Judy entrusts the young woman with the management of the orphanage, and Sally, the daughter of a wealthy family, only takes on the role temporarily to prove to her teasing almost-fiancé that she is indeed capable of handling such a job. Her letters are primarily addressed to Judy and occasionally to other people, and she tells her best friend about her experiences and impressions as she gradually renovates the orphanage, making it a friendlier and more child-oriented place.

The tone of the book is just as lighthearted and cheerful as Daddy-Long-Legs. Sally is lively, spirited, and full of youthful energy, and once again, the reader can follow how a young person matures into a more responsible woman, growing with her duties and responsibilities. The story doesn’t have a dramatic plotline, yet it remains engaging throughout, with a few slightly more exciting episodes interwoven. And of course, Sally’s love life also plays a part. I found the reading experience very enjoyable and finished the book quite quickly. Somehow, once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The casual and simple language of the letters, combined with Sally’s observations and experiences, makes for truly entertaining reading. It flows effortlessly and was wonderfully relaxing to read in the evenings. It’s light reading, but with its lovely character development and the insight it gives into the daily life of an orphanage, I didn’t find it superficial.

However, the content didn’t strike me as particularly realistic. The financial situation, given the background story, is certainly more relaxed, but overall everything sounds quite optimistic. I can’t quite believe that life in an orphanage back then was that easygoing. Sure, the author does mention some children’s tragic stories, but on the whole, it’s all portrayed in a rather harmonious light. So, not at all comparable to the orphanage in Jane Eyre, for example. But since I expected and wanted something lighter to read, that’s perfectly fine.

I think it’s very fitting that this book was published by a young adult imprint. Although it is set in America around the turn of the century, its tone and language could easily come from the present day. If one didn’t know it was first published in 1915, it could easily pass as a contemporary novel. Okay, maybe that’s just me saying this because I read so many classics—so my sense of comparison might be a bit skewed.

Jean Webster was an American author and journalist who lived from 1876 to 1916 in New York and primarily wrote about women’s issues. She was a niece of Mark Twain—so writing ran in the family. Daddy-Long-Legs was her most famous novel. I find her characters very likeable; they come across as enlightened and self-confident. Compared to Henry James’s depictions of American women, Webster’s characters were definitely ahead of their time.

There aren’t many books by Jean Webster. In German, only these two novels have been published, both beautifully produced by Königskinder Verlag. Some publishers manage to rediscover long-forgotten books, making an important cultural contribution. I always hope that such efforts are also financially worthwhile so that publishers don’t stop uncovering these literary gems.

As for the design, I really like the book again, though it didn’t quite delight me as much as Daddy-Long-Legs. It’s beautifully produced, with a lovely floral cover pattern, a color-coordinated ribbon bookmark, and once again features charming and fitting illustrations by Franz Renger. These illustrations lighten the reading experience and underscore Sally’s cheerful nature as well as the humorous undertone that runs through every letter. What doesn’t fit quite as well is the pink color scheme. That’s been overused in countless romance novels and gives the book a somewhat misleadingly romantic appearance, which isn’t accurate. I would have preferred a color palette of yellows and oranges, since Sally brightens the lives of the orphans and brings warmth, joy, and color into the gray and dreary orphanage. But I don’t want to complain—the book is truly beautiful and bibliophilic, and like Daddy-Long-Legs, it will have a permanent place in my private library.

Conclusion: With Jean Webster’s Dear Enemy, Königskinder Verlag has once again presented a charming, lovingly written, and humorous classic with a very likeable protagonist. It’s a delightful epistolary novel worth rediscovering, beautifully portraying the personal growth and emotional maturity of a young woman finding her place in life while radiating warmth and affection. The reading experience is light and relaxing, thanks to the easygoing tone of the letters, and overall very entertaining. This isn’t a deeply profound classic, and the language is quite simple; the plotline is also rather flat and not especially complex. But for relaxed evening reading, it’s definitely recommended. I really enjoyed this book.

Book Information: Dear Enemy • Jean Webster • Königskinder Verlag • 416 pages • ISBN 9783551560452