An Enemy Among Them is a young adult historical fiction novel co-authored by Deborah H. DeFord and historian Harry S. Stout. It was first published in 1987 by Houghton Mifflin (later reprinted in paperback editions by Clarion Books under the Sandpiper imprint in the 1990s). The book runs approximately 203–208 pages, depending on edition, and is aimed at middle-grade to early teen readers.
The novel is set during the American Revolutionary War and centers on a young Hessian soldier who becomes conflicted about his role fighting for the British. After being captured and brought into the home of a German-American family in Pennsylvania, he begins to question his loyalty, identity, and the cause he is serving. The narrative is built around this intimate domestic setting, using it to explore larger wartime divisions between Patriots, Loyalists, and hired Hessian troops.
Rather than focusing on battlefield action, the story emphasizes personal transformation and moral conflict. The Hessian protagonist develops relationships with his captors, which complicates his sense of duty and exposes him to the civilian experience of war. This creates the central tension of the novel: whether loyalty is owed to a distant king, a military contract, or the human connections formed in wartime captivity.
Harry S. Stout, a Yale historian specializing in early American religious and cultural history, brings historical grounding to the narrative, helping frame the Revolutionary War setting with attention to cultural and ideological divisions rather than just military events.
Critically, the book has been described as an accessible historical novel for young readers, combining action, romance, and ethical conflict. Reviews often note that it successfully humanizes both sides of the conflict and avoids a strictly one-sided patriotic portrayal. At the same time, some readers find the writing style straightforward and occasionally simplified, reflecting its educational rather than literary focus.
