'A fast-paced, beautifully written, and moving story. Refreshing to read a book set in a different theatre of war. Wartime Shanghai jumped off the page'
CLARE FLYNN
A poignant story of the impossible choices we make in the shadow of war, for fans of Daisy Wood and Marius Gabriel.
1941. When Zofia’s beloved husband Haru is conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army, she is left to navigate Japanese-occupied Shanghai alone.
Far from home and surrounded by a country at war, Zofia finds unexpected comfort in a bond with Hilly, a spirited young refugee escaping Nazi-occupied Austria.
As violence tightens its grip on the city, they seek shelter with Theo, Zofia’s American employer. But with every passing day, the horrors of war and Haru’s absence begin to reshape Zofia’s world – and her heart.
Can she still love someone who has become the enemy?
Readers love The Enemy's Wife:
'A gorgeous novel that will truly pull at your heartstrings'
~ CARLY SCHABOWSKI
'I loved The Enemy’s Wife – a gripping, fast-paced and evocative story about the Japanese occupation of Shanghai during WW2 – and really rooted for the brave and selfless central character, Zofia. Highly recommended'
~ ANN BENNETT
'Such an emotional and moving read, grounded in immaculate research that never overshadows the heart of the story'
~ SUZANNE FORTIN
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Four star review of The Enemy's Wife
Deborah Swift has written a gripping account of life in Japan during this era.
This book is not dramatic or fast-paced—it’s actually pretty slow, especially at the beginning, but that’s kind of the point. It shows how everything slowly shifts when war becomes part of everyday life. Not in a big, obvious way, just little things at first, and then suddenly nothing feels quite the same.
Zofia’s just trying to get on with things after Haru leaves. Keep a routine, keep things normal. But you can tell that “normal” is already slipping. She adapts, but it doesn’t feel like a choice half the time—more like she has no other option.
Hilly felt the most alive to me. There’s something very straightforward about her, but also a lot going on underneath. She doesn’t feel like a “type” of character, just a person dealing with what’s in front of her.
With Haru, it’s more about the distance. Not just him being gone, but what that does to how Zofia sees him. It’s that strange feeling of holding onto someone while also realising they might not be the same anymore.
Theo’s part of the story felt very natural. Nothing is labelled or pushed too far. It just develops in its own way, which made it feel more believable than if it had been turned into something bigger or more dramatic.
What I really liked about this book is that it is not the usual setting for historical fiction set in this era - it is usually set in Europe - which made it all the more interesting.
If you like character driving historical fiction then this one needs to be on your to-read list.
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Deborah Swift
Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. Deborah has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com.
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Her WW2 novel Past Encounters was a BookViral Award winner, and The Poison Keeper was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade.
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