At a glance
Dear Enemy
Classic fiction
Dear Enemy
Book 2 of the Daddy Long Legs series
162 pages · First published 2016
When Judy Abbott and her husband ask Sallie McBride to take charge of the John Grier Home, the spirited young socialite is convinced she knows nothing about running an orphanage. Determined to improve the children's lives, Sallie soon finds herself challenging outdated rules, managing difficult staff, and discovering that affection and individual attention can accomplish far more than institutional routine. Her witty letters to Judy and her other correspondents chronicle the daily triumphs and disasters of caring for more than one hundred children, as well as her frequent disagreements with the stern Scottish physician Dr. Robin MacRae. As her friendship with the doctor develops and her relationship with a wealthy politician becomes increasingly complicated, Sallie must decide what kind of future will truly make her happy. Filled with humor, romance, memorable children, and heartfelt questions about compassion and women's independence, this sequel to *Daddy-Long-Legs* will appeal to readers who enjoy classic fiction, epistolary romances, orphanage stories, and capable heroines finding unexpected purpose.
Paired for this story
Jump to the pours ↓Editor’s Red Pen + Village Garden Gin and Tonic
Choose your bookseller
Find the Book
Print retailers offer a search when an exact edition is unavailable. Kindle links open a specific edition. Audiobook links may open an edition or a search.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Book Bartender earns from qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org links also earn us a commission on qualifying purchases. Your price is not affected. Read the full affiliate disclosure.
No surprises at chapter twelve
Content notes
Institutional neglect and harsh treatment of orphaned children, including corporal punishment and an incident in which an adult severely beats a child. Animal cruelty involving the torture and death of a mouse, as well as the killing and skinning of a skunk. Extensive discussion of eugenics, heredity, intellectual disability, and proposals to segregate or prevent people with disabilities from having children; these views include stigmatizing and dehumanizing language. Alcoholism, intoxication, and a teenager's near-fatal consumption of an alcohol-containing medicinal preparation. A dangerous orphanage fire, threats to children, and serious injuries to an adult. Mental illness, psychiatric institutionalization, parental deaths, grief, and references to infant loss. Period racial terminology, stereotyped dialect, class prejudice, and discrimination concerning adoption and unmarried parenthood. Romantic attraction, embraces, and affectionate kissing, without depicted sexual activity.
Alcohol-Free Pour
Editor’s Red Pen
A lively cranberry-and-lime fizz matches Sallie's sharp wit and spirited letters as she tackles the chaos of running an orphanage.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.How to mix it
- Combine the noncarbonated ingredients in a glass or shaker and stir or shake until mixed. Pour over ice, top with any carbonated ingredient, and stir gently.
- Garnish: Use a matching citrus wheel, berry, or herb from the recipe when available.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
Shop glassware & tools
We earn a commission from qualifying purchases through these Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.
Highball glass ↗Cocktail shaker ↗Cocktail Pour · 21+
Village Garden Gin and Tonic
For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
Fresh cucumber and mint recall the gardens Sallie creates for her young charges, encouraging independence to blossom at the John Grier Home.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Shop the spirits 21+Search Total Wine for Gin · 21+ ↗
How to mix it
- Fill a highball glass with ice. Add gin, cucumber, and mint, top with tonic water, and stir gently.
- Garnish: Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
Shop glassware & tools
We earn a commission from qualifying purchases through these Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.
Highball glass ↗Set up the bar cart
Shop the Barware
Find the glasses and tools for your next pour.