Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Brave Enemies

Rate this book
As the War for Independence wore on into the 1780s, unrest ruled the Carolinas. Settlers who had cleared the land after the Cherokees withdrew were being mustered for battle as British forces pillaged their hard-won farms. Robert Morgan's stunning novel tells a story of two people caught in the chaos raging in the wilderness.

After sixteen-year-old Josie Summers murders her abusive stepfather, she runs away from home disguised as a boy. Lost in the woods, she accepts a young preacher's invitation to assist in his itinerant ministry. Eventually her identity is revealed and affection grows between the two. But when the preacher is kidnapped by British soldiers, Josie disguises herself once again and joins the militia in a desperate attempt to find him.

Brave Enemies is a page-turning story of people brought together by chance and torn apart by war—a story of enduring love and of the struggle to build a homeland.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2003

32 people are currently reading
440 people want to read

About the author

Robert Morgan

282 books398 followers
Robert Morgan is an American poet, short story writer, and novelist.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
117 (22%)
4 stars
187 (35%)
3 stars
163 (30%)
2 stars
42 (7%)
1 star
18 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Kristina.
106 reviews8 followers
March 27, 2013
I am almost ashamed to admit that my favorite part of the book was a section entitled "Reaching Across Boundaries," which followed the Acknowledgements at the end. In the "Boundaries" section, the author directly adressed something I had thought of while reading the book.

The book is written mostly from the perspective of Josie Summers, a teenage girl from rural North Carolina, As I read her story, in particular the various indignities she suffered, it occurred to me that it seemed strange that a man had written this book. Not to seem sexist or anything, but I had always thought that a female author writes best about females and vice versa, simply because as a female (or male), the author has a closer connection with, and better understanding of, the female (or male) protagonist. Interestingly, the reason it seemed strange that man had written Josie was because she was written with so much sensitivity. Sure, any man can write about indignation about being violated because that is the 'proper' emotional response; but Josie's reactions were so much more nuanced than that.

Anyway, "Reaching Across Boundaries" spoke specifically about male authors writing female protagonists. Morgan noted that there are many books written by men about women (and from a woman's perspective), including Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Not only that, but the era of modern fiction writing corresponded with increased female literacy in England and Europe. Women were becoming a target audience for novels, and authors responded by writing about women.

Morgan also writes about his own personal experience of writing about women and how he was surprised to find that he preferred writing about women more than men. He himself thought he would write "action stories, stories about warfare, wilderness, the frontier, stories about history and panthers, road-building and hunting." And he has written all those stories, but mostly from the point of view of a woman. The most interesting thing he said--and what resonated most with me--is that for him, writing about a woman is a very challenging and difficult task, precisely because he does not have the level of insight a woman herself would half, and that the nature of the challenge allows him to produce his greatest works because he has to use his maximum talent. Because he cannot directly relate, women "fascinate" him and writing a woman becomes as much a learning experience as anything else.

This little section was a very appropriate epilogue to the story. For whatever reason, I didn't get as drawn into the story as I thought I would and I questioned some of the things Josie did or thought as either not reflecting the Revolutionary War era or as being an interesting, in the sense of peculiar, feminine reaction. Morgan's explanation of the evolution of the creation of the story and how he sought to best portray Josie as vulnerable yet strong-willed gave me a different perspective on the book. I still had the same questions, but I could better understand the thinking process that led to those choices being made.
41 reviews
February 26, 2010
Amazing writing with real characters that are strong and vulnerable. I had trouble putting the book down wanting to know more about how their story unfolded. Historical accounts of Revolutionary War battles from the perspective of "regular" people is fascinating. This author has such an ability to expose the lives of the first settlers of rural Appalachia and always leaves you wanting to know more.
Profile Image for Lynelle Barrett.
Author 1 book19 followers
January 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this! Overall, it gave a very visceral, horrific view into mankind during the war, and the cruelty came from both sides. Just when I'd start liking some of the characters (both patriot and the Crown), they'd turn around and do something horrendous, which served as the perfect reminder that men are driven to the unthinkable when cornered. In addition to being histfic, it's also a romance -- though you can tell it's written by a man, because John broke wind during his first meeting with Josie, which made me laugh, because I've NEVER read a romance written by a woman that portrays the hero as so unapologetically human lol.

My primary complaint is the book kind of dragged in spots. There is a LOT of solitary narration (which I personally find very dull to write, but not necessarily to read), and that kind of hampered the momentum. The beginning of the book was great and kept me turning the pages (side note: near the start of the book, there's a brief, fairly nondescript scene of SA, so be forewarned), but after Josie and John became a couple, the tension instantly dropped and the momentum came to a crawl. I personally was looking forward to John's reaction to Josie being a girl (in the beginning, he knew her as Joseph), so I was genuinely surprised he found out so quickly -- I wasn't even halfway through the book when he discovered her secret. I'm glad a friend encouraged me to keep reading, however, cuz I was almost tempted to stop since that was my primary incentive to keep going. I'm glad I listened to her, because the book DID pick up again after John was taken to Tarleton's camp to minister, and Josie joined the Continentals. The description of camp life was vivid and immersive, and I enjoyed the battle sequences, as well.

My final complaint was the ending was super abrupt. I was waiting and waiting for

Either way, 3/5 since I really enjoyed most of what I read, but found it pretty slow/a slog in the middle.
1,915 reviews10 followers
October 3, 2011
Started strong. Hated Griffin - wanted her to kill him. Worried about her when she left - hard to imagine doing any of the stuff she did. Kept forgetting that she was a girl, kept thinking she was a young boy. Forest fires,lovemaking,guilt feelings, John's preaching.
Most of the story takes place in three months and isn't very happy. Descriptions were longer than they needed to be.Toward the end, it became rather repetitious; skimmed the last battle and then read the end.
It was a book club pick.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,524 reviews56 followers
January 17, 2011
Robert Morgan is also a poet, and the poetry carries into this novel's clear, descriptive prose evoking the characters and setting in the Carolina woods and mountains. Reading this book, I forgot at times I was reading fiction. I felt that I was accompanying Josie and John on their travels together and separately at the time of the American Revolution. A lovely, tough book, which acknowledges and portrays the horrors of war without rhetoric or flourishes.
Profile Image for Ron.
631 reviews
October 14, 2013
I don't consider "Brave Enemies" one of Robert Morgan's better efforts but it's still readable and has an interesting story line. The idea of a teenage girl being able to pass herself off as a young man for long periods of time in a all male group of Revolutionary War malitia is hard to belive but that's pretty much the whole theme of the story. It's okay for a inexpensive Kindle eBook.
Profile Image for Chuck McGrady.
580 reviews2 followers
November 18, 2017
As usual, I loved Morgan's prose, but I had a tough time keeping focused on the story particularly through the latter part of the novel involving the Battle of Cowpens. One knew that John and Josie would have to be reunited, but it felt hollow at the end.
Profile Image for Carolyn Lind.
224 reviews9 followers
July 26, 2011
This is my fourth book by Robert Morgan; another satisfying story. This is the tale of a young preacher and a teen aged girl, enmeshed in the dark days of the American Revolution. Robert Morgan is a poet as well as a novelist, and part of my love for his books is the thoughtful descriptive language:

“The tree was like a big friend comforting me in the dark, with its roots deep in the hill and the limbs high above. A current seemed to be flowing in the tree and from the tree. It was rooted deep in its place and was calm. I wanted to be calm and certain as the tree”-Josie

“When you are out in the cold your body burns like its own stove. I could smell my warmth against the cold dampness. I shuddered as the warmth of my blood and the smell of my sweat fought the cold soaking in through the clothes. My skin tried to seal itself off from the cold as I huddled in the little house of myself.”-Josie

“The yellow of the light was mellow as melting butter.”-Josie

“For I had come to believe there was really no right side or wrong side in war. All killing was wrong an all hatred was wrong….It made no sense to kill and then kill again. Better to avoid the fight. Better to be humble and forgiving.”-John

“I was so tired I was trembling, and sick at heart. I was confused and scared. But the little book in my hands gave me comfort. The little book was like a rock to hold to…I opened the little book and saw the print was so vivid it seemed to bite the air. The letters were sharp as needle pricks and razor edges. The words seemed to cut the light.” –Josie

“The snow was so heavy it whispered and clicked as flakes touched each other and settled on the leaves of laurels and on the ground. There was the hiss of tiny bones of snowflakes breaking when they hit the ground. …”-Josie

“Winter thunder would rumor on both sides of the sky like a story repeated again and again until it was worn out. But then the thunder blasted and shouted as if the sky was tearing apart.” –John

“Rain touched my face like a swarm of little wings.” –John

“I felt I was learning something important there, although I couldn’t say precisely what it was. I was learning not to be so quick to judge, to be patient and willing to learn, from strangers and enemies, from anyone. I was learning to be humble and compassionate. And I was learning from my love for Josie, which sustained me. And I was learning to love my enemies, as we are told to do, and to see that there were no enemies, only brothers in need and confusion.”-John
Profile Image for Frederick Bingham.
1,138 reviews
January 1, 2012
The story of Josie Summers. She lives in the North Carolina backcountry during the American revolution. Her mother marries a jerk. She is forced to kill him and flee for her life when he rapes her. She dresses as a boy and joins up with an itinerant preacher named John Trethman. He eventually finds out she is a girl, falls in love with her and they get married.The British come and raid their house in the woods, carry him off and leave her to die. Trethman is pressed into service ministering to british troops operating in the backcountry of North and South Carolina. Josie flees and eventually joins a patriot militia as a boy. Both end up at the battle of Cowpens in 1781. Josie is injured gravely during the battle, a great american victory.This is the story of the revolution as told through the eyes of ordinary people who experienced it in the trenches. A story of love, violence, redemption, courage, deception and great world-changing events.
Profile Image for Miriam Kahn.
2,176 reviews71 followers
August 9, 2016
The Carolinas during the Revolutionary War was a rough place. The characters are hounded by British / Loyalists and Colonists. The writing is engaging, although it dragged in the middle. Stick with it, and the action picks back up. The book just ends, so I hope there will be a sequel.
Profile Image for Martha.
1,067 reviews11 followers
November 18, 2013
a young adult woman fakes being a man and joins the military during Revolutionary War. People are forced to choose sides under duress - I thought about how hard it would be - you could be punished so severely for a choice you had so little control over.
108 reviews
June 20, 2020
I have read a lot of Morgan's books and I have read a lot of battle stories but this was one of the best of both. The General's speech was great. I couldn't believe Morgan wrote this in 2002. The characters were great also!
Profile Image for Elizabeth Langrell.
103 reviews6 followers
August 3, 2020
I would have given this book a higher rating if the ending hadn’t been so poor. Why write with such detail just to end it so suddenly. I could understand if there were a sequel to pick up where this book left off. Disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Samantha.
5 reviews2 followers
November 2, 2014
Loved the book. Ending could have been better.
457 reviews
March 21, 2024
This book was so good. Josie Summers runs away from home after her step-father did something he shouldn't have done and her mother thinks Josie encouraged him, which she didn't. Dressed as a boy, she meets a preacher, John Trethman, who thinks she is a teenage boy called Joseph.

Without telling any of the plot, John is kidnapped by the British under the command of Banastre Tarleton. Josie runs away in the opposite direction and meets up with the N.C. militia, the good guys. She assumes the identity of Joseph again. She trains with the others under the command of Captain Cox. They then march towards the Cowpens in S.C. The night before the battle against the British, General Daniel Morgan meets with all of the troops & relays his battle plans. In addition, he shows them his back, scarred from being whipped 499 by the British.

The next day, the Battle of the Cowpens begins. The author, Robert Morgan, wrote the battle scenes so well that I was transported back in time to the battle. My husband was taking a nap while I was reading. If he had woke up & said something to me, I would have jumped & hit my head on the ceiling. I could hear the roar of the cannons & rifles, the cries of the injured & dying men, and the swish of the sabers.
Profile Image for Lucy Adkins.
Author 7 books40 followers
August 31, 2021
Some books you need to read more than once, and this is the third time I've read this one. Robert Morgan is a fine writer--I love his lyricism, his expert use of the dialogue and setting a scene, and the way you can become immersed in a different time and place. BRAVE ENEMIES is the story about an idealistic young "circuit-rider" type preacher and the young girl he meets in the Carolinas during the Revolutionary War. It's a great story of these two people: the humanity we all share and the spirituality (whether it be Christian or spirituality of a different sort) that we are all looking for. This is a different sort of telling of the American Revolution and the divide we knew as our country began. There is so much to love about BRAVE ENEMIES. I recommend it highly.
Profile Image for Susan Stone.
7 reviews3 followers
August 4, 2024
This was not my favorite Robert Morgan book. Lots of description and musings and repetition of musings. I also had a difficult time remembering the story wasn’t during the Civil War but the Revolutionary War. Maybe if there was candle making, soap making, talk of tariffs, Boston, Philadelphia…the characters just didn’t seem to fit the time period. But, I did learn about the battle at Cowpens (South Carolina) and gained an appreciation for those who fought there.
Profile Image for Jessika Caruso.
Author 3 books34 followers
November 22, 2024
I enjoyed the writing style and the characters were compelling. Of course, I like most anything set during American Revolution, and it was interesting to read about South Carolina during that time. Overall, it was just too short. The characters deserved more than 300 pages. And the cliffhanger ending did not satisfy this reader who faithfully journeyed with Josie and John through their trials and tribulations. 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Yasmine Ouadah.
9 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2020
The combination of two different things at the same time, love during war between Josie and the preacher John . The story of struggling to build a peaceful and free life out of the revolution.
It's an interesting story with so much emotions, it just attracts you more and more to find out what's going to happen next.
I enjoyed it so much 😍.
Profile Image for LeAnna.
201 reviews5 followers
September 15, 2022
The story is interesting and Morgan’s sensory descriptions really flesh it out. However, it unfortunately ends rather abruptly in a way that prompts deeper questions that I’m not sure the writing can answer. And I do wish he’d included details about the likelihood of the main plot premise actually happening. It’s a great read but not completely satisfying.
Profile Image for Iulia Filote.
41 reviews
June 26, 2023
Heartbreaking picture about the war. Incredibly enticing action and relationship development. I gave it a 4 stars because I read it so many times after writing my BA paper on it that I kinda don't want to read it for another decade. Otherwise brilliant, poetic prose.
Profile Image for Roberta.
122 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2017
When I find an author whose writing I admire, I tend
to read everything written by them.
This was a great read. I was unable to put it down.
Profile Image for Anna.
981 reviews13 followers
April 7, 2020
Excellent historical fiction. Some scenes are vividly gruesome, but the plot is exciting. The love story is complicated an interesting.
Profile Image for Lindsey.
1,610 reviews19 followers
December 7, 2023
This just couldn't maintain my interest with the back and forth perspectives and timeline. I found myself speed reading at the end just to get through it.
Profile Image for Katy Lovejoy.
10.4k reviews9 followers
August 8, 2024
It's not fantasy but it is fantastic. Way easier to get than Gap Creek
Profile Image for Suzanne.
893 reviews135 followers
March 6, 2014
A couple years ago, I read Robert Morgan’s biography, Boone, and loved it. I did not need any arm twisting to pick up his work of historical fiction entitled, Brave Enemies.

The story begins in the 1780′s, where teenage Josie Summers is faced with an abusive step-father. Terrible events ensue and she is forced to flee, disguising herself as a boy. Her journey eventually takes her a camp of American soldiers, which she joins, and ultimately ends up at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina.

I still think Robert Morgan has much to his credit. It was a good story, and it is obvious that he is well-versed in Revolutionary War history. His descriptions of the Battle of Cowpens were riveting and impressive.

There were a few areas of story that gave me pause for question. First, when Josie celebrates Christmas, she puts up a Christmas tree. Only Germans used Christmas trees at that time, and while there were some German settlements in the Carolinas at the time, they were few, isolated and also spoke German instead of English. Morgan never gives the impression that Josie was German, so why the Christmas tree?

Second, when she meets Reverend John Trethman, a circuit preacher, we discover that he has no gun nor a hunting knife. It left me with all kinds of questions. How does he eat? Was it common for circuit preachers to give up weapons of all kinds? Or was this simply a fictional fact placed by Morgan so his character wouldn’t be killed by the Redcoats?

Lastly, when Josie’s true gender is discovered by a fellow soldier, he tells her he knows she is pregnant. How does he know? She is supposedly still in the morning sickness phase, so I doubt she would be showing.

I suppose that is the difficulty with historical fiction. Authors need to make sure there are no questions hanging in the air. Still, I did enjoy the book very much. 3 1/2 stars.
953 reviews
September 5, 2023
I was hopeful for something different in regards to historical fiction because I find very few books about the American revolution. This book was definitely different but unrealistic and pretty tedious. It seemed like the same scenarios just kept repeating and I found myself bored even though I hung in there and finished it, hopeful to the end. And the ending was really abrupt and open - not for me.
Profile Image for Christie.
1,821 reviews55 followers
April 25, 2012
****Reread April 22, 2012****

First Sentence: "I was the only one nearby who wasn't running around."

This book is the story of Josie, a 16-year old girl living in Revolutionary War era North Carolina. After killing her abusive stepfather, she ends up having many adventures in the Carolina backcountry as the assistant of a circuit minister and a fighter in the patriot militia.

This is a wonderfully told human story. The characters all seem very real. I love that the story is told from both Josie and John's perspectives. I did have a few issues with the book though. The author uses "I said" and "He/She Said" way too often. There are so many other verbs that one could use to convey the idea that someone was communicating something: yelled, whispered, stated, snapped, added, commented, protested, etc. They make things called thesauruses for a reason. It was pretty irritating. The author also repeated himself a lot. It was seriously like he copy and pasted entire paragraphs over and over again.

It is a worthwhile read and I enjoy reading about places I have been and near where I live. Its a very easy read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the Revolutionary era.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.