LOVE THY ENEMY is a love story about two teenagers, Elke Licht and Franz Albright, and their friends growing up in a small, picturesque village of Gemeinden in southwestern Germany near the Rhine River between Germany and France.
The love story begins when, on her 16th birthday in 1941, Elke realizes she has special feelings in her heart for Franz, her childhood friend. When he returns her affections, their love is soon challenged when the United States and England announce they have declared war on Germany. Like most German youth, Elke believed the Fuhrer would protect Germany and his followers from death and destruction by the Allies. A belief that her father and many others in the small picturesque town disagreed with, which causes an ongoing conflict between Elke and her father.
As Elke and Franz's love for each other unfolds, the war rages on in Europe. Along with Elke and Franz, their friends' lives are changed as they each learn how to survive in a world that is crumbling down around them. Their love story is again challenged when Franz is drafted into the army and leaves Elke alone. When an American Engineer arrives in her town, Elke's feelings are pulled between her love for Franz and the new man, Peter.
The blue cornflower, also called Forget Me Not, is the national flower of Germany. It grows wild in meadows and along country roads.